Tianyu Lights Festival Phoenix Review!

 

The Tianyu lights festival has arrive in Phoenix & it is an event you do not want to miss! This event features gorgeous luminous art installations that are not only beautiful to walk through, but there are also several different areas that are interactive, fun for children and adults alike. We spent a little over an hour and a half exploring all of the wonderful worlds they created. Adult priced tickets are $18-$28 depending on the day & children's tickets are $18-$20 however they have a discount family pack of tickets available. They are closed on select Monday & Tuesdays otherwise they are open the rest of the week from now until January 5th! They are open from 5:30PM until 10PM. There is a bag policy so be sure to check their website before heading out & no outside food or drinks are allowed. 

They are located inside of the Camelback Ranch located at 10710 W Camelback Road Phoenix, AZ 85037. Depending on which direction you are heading from google maps may take you to the wrong entry point, the entrance for this is located next to Camelback Road & 107th Ave. You can buy a parking pass online for $10 or buy one when you arrive for $15. 

The trail is one mile long & around the halfway point you will find a small marketplace where you can pick up handmade goods along with find a small food court for drinks and snacks. The market has a lot of neat things for sale! We picked out a beautiful lantern and an awesome wire dragon to bring home. All of the prices were very reasonable. 

I have way too many photos & videos I took when we were walking the trail to fit them all onto this post, so I will narrow it down to some of my favorites and there will be a reel up on my IG for you to check out. We absolutely loved that they had not only photo opportunities set up along the trail, but many of the spots were interactive. They had two huge parakeets perched on a branch that had two small trees in front of the display, if you walked up to one of the trees and spoke into it the bird that was in front of that tree would mimic what you said. 

There were light swings, a dance floor that lit up when you stepped on each square, bubbles filled with fog that would pop & make little whisps of smoke in the air and more. I highly recommend taking your time walking the trail, if you rush you will miss handy of the hidden details in the displays. Many of the displays are on timers that will activate and do different effects, for example one of the giant dragons would breathe fire and roar. Kids are sure to love the 100-foot-long shark you can walk through! 

Some of the trail is along a dirt path & some of it is along concrete, the trail is both wheelchair & stroller accessible. It is so hard to say which of the themed lands was my favorite because there were so many spots that I loved & enjoyed. We are so happy they decided to come to Arizona, because this event was 100% worth the visit and I'd even go back to see it all again, especially now that the weather is finally starting to cool down a bit.

Does this look like an event you'd love to visit? 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

Disclaimer-  Tianyu Lights Festival provided this experience to us for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Artkive - Save space while displaying your child's artwork!

 

It is no secret that kids love to create art whether it is drawing you a card or painting a picture & as a parent of two I've been given lots of artwork by my children. Between their personal art pieces, they've done at home & artwork they've brought home from school, there just isn't enough space to keep everything. I've kept quite a bit of it & have a box full of artwork in the closet, but I always feel bad there isn't a lot of room to display some of it. That is where Artkive comes in! 

One of the services they offer is that you can send in a stack of your children's artwork, which will then be professionally photographed and made into a hardcover book which can be pulled out & looked at any time you want. I recently received the opportunity to work with them to see how the process worked. I was offered a twenty-five-page book in exchange for my review & both of my kids along with my husband and myself were excited to have some of the kids artwork in a book. I sat down with both of my kids to go through some of the artwork we've saved so we could pick out what we wanted in the book together. The kids also decided to give thirteen of the pages to my oldest & twelve of the pages would display my youngest's work.  

So how does it work? The first step is to head to their website & start the book process which will include paying a first initial payment then waiting for a box to be sent to you. The box has a plastic bag to place your artwork so that if anything happens to the box the art is still safe, along with a prepaid label. Books start out at $75 for twenty-five-pages and additional pages cost extra. If you use code MOONLIT20 you will get $20 off your book order. After you send in your artwork, you will receive updates via email letting you know where your book is at in the process. Our book got stuck for a little while on one of the steps, but everything was sorted out. It takes about two months from the time you send in your artwork to the time you get your book back.

Before they send out your book, they will send you an email asking you to proof the book. This step allows you to adjust the lighting on any photos if you wish, add a description under the artwork, and select a cover photo. When you hit submit, your book will be printed & mailed back to you. I thought the process was very simple to understand & was easy to use. Our book turned out great, I love being able to grab our Artkive book off the bookshelf to flip through the artwork. When we've had family over, we've been able to put it out on the coffee table & they've enjoyed looking through it as well. 

The point of these books of course is to free up some space in your house, so unless you select to pay an extra return free the original artwork will be recycled. My kids are ages eleven & fifteen, so they didn't think it was that big of a deal not to get the original work back since we had a copy in the book. However, some people are more attached to things like this and may want the work back, so it is completely up to you. These books would make a great gift for a family member or as a gift to yourself. Along with kids art books they have an option where you can get it turned into a framed mosaic. There is also another option called cards by Artkive where they will do the same as they did with this book, but with old greeting cards instead.

Does this sound like a service you'd use? 

Disclaimer- Artkive provided me with an art book for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Manga Artist Kit - A complete kit for learning how to draw Anime.

It can be a lot of fun trying to learn a new skill or technique especially when you have the help of a tutorial or DIY kit. My kids recently received a "How to draw Anime - Manga Artist set" from Made By Me, which is one of the brands under the Horizon Group USA line of brands. It can be found on Amazon for $18. 

This kit comes with a plastic carrying case, Anime style stickers, two make your own comic books, colored pencils, markers, a sharpener, and a ruler along with a how to guide that shows you quite a few ways to draw different poses & styles of art. The only other thing I can think of that would be nice to have included in this set is a few graphite pencils & an eraser then you would really have a complete art kit. The markers are duel sized, one is thinner while the other is thicker allowing you to use them for both lining and shading. 

My kids think that the tutorials they show in the how to book are simple & easy to follow. The book helps break down some of the poses you would typically use with this style of art along with showing you how to do certain eyes, etc. It can be helpful for adults wanting to get into drawing as well. The colored pencils & markers are nice, they do not bleed through the page and the colors are bold. I have my daughter do a quick sketch of one of our favorite shows using the markers & colored pencils in this kit so that you can see how the colors turned out. This kit would make a great birthday or holiday gift & if you have a craft lover on your shopping list this holiday season Horizon Group USA has tons of other great craft kits for a wide range of ages & all of them are quite affordable. You can check out what they have to offer on Amazon or local stores such as Walmart, Target, Michaels & more.

Disclaimer- Horizon Group USA provided the product above for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Monster art by Johnathan Paine.

 

At the end of May I did a review on the brand Not Another Rubber Ducky, in the review I spoke about the creator Johnathan Paine. Johnathan Paine is a 3D character artist whose name you have seen in a number of movies & may not even have realized if you aren't someone who frequently pays attention to the credits. He has worked on films such as UP, Cars, and more! Now you can own a piece of his signed artwork through his Etsy shop called Me and My Monsters. He sells a number of greeting cards & art prints featuring his creature artwork. His studio is located in Canada, but my package arrived quickly and in excellent condition. 

I recently received one of his funny zombie greeting cards & an art print of Lonely Lionel who is a creature from the black lagoon. The greeting cards are 5 x 7 with a blank interior & comes with a white envelope. The cardstock used it thick, sturdy and the print looks fabulous on the front, full of color and fine details. It looks so nice, it is almost a shame to gift it or write in it because you'll want to keep it looking the same. The back of the card has a bit of info on the artist printed on them so whomever you gift it to can learn about the artist behind the print. The zombie is a little zany which adds a lot to his personality, he looks like a zombie that you might see as the role of a pet or friend zombie in a animated movie verses just being a crazed brain eater. Your card will arrive in a protective sleeve to keep your card looking crispy, clean & vibrant ready to be gifted.

I absolutely love lonely Lionel, the art print has a lot of fine details shown within the creature itself & in the background. This print also arrived in a protective sleeve and also had a protective sheet in front of the photo so nothing rubs off onto the plastic of the protective cover. The art print looks like a photography taken under water, I had bought a frame for it, however I had bought the wrong size. Once I get a proper frame, I can't wait to have this hanging up on my wall with my other slightly spooky home decor. Inside of your package, you'll also find special instructions on how to care for your print & frame it properly, so the ink doesn't get smudged or ruined. As a bonus the print has been signed & dated. So if you are a fan of his art, or are looking for a unique gift for a loved one stop by his Etsy shop to see what he has in store for you.

Disclaimer- Me and My Monsters provided the products mentioned above for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Crystal Growing Unicorn Kit Giveaway!

Crafts can be a lot of fun and also relaxing to do, they help bring out your creativity, will teach you new things and will help you create happy memories. I am always up for gifting my kids new craft kits which is why I love being a Giveaway Guru with Horizon Group USA because I get to review kits but also give kits away as well! This time around I am sharing the Crystal-growing unicorn with all of you. 

This fun kit includes everything you need to make a one of a kind unicorn covered in crystals. It has a unicorn figure, alum powder, coloring dye, paints, a paint tray, a brush, glitter and a wooden stick along with a container for when you are soaking your figure. 

The steps are easy to follow, you will need to help assist your child with the first part of this process as it requires boiling a pot of water in order to allow the alum powder to work so your crystals can grow. In total the process takes about a day because the unicorn will need to soak in the solution over night then will need some drying time before you are able to paint it and add glitter. 

The figure is a pretty decent size, and you never know how the crystals might grow so each unicorn will look unique from the others. I think this is a fun way to combine a fun interest in a love for unicorns with a fun little science experience. These kits can be purchased online from Amazon or you can buy them in store in shops like Walmart, Target and more along side their other crafting kits all at affordable prices. 

Prize Alert:  One winner is going to win their own Rainbow Loom kit.

This is open to U.S Residents ! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! 

This giveaway ends on 11/29/2021

Giveaway entry question: Leave me a blog comment letting me know another mystical creature that you love.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer-  Horizon Group USA provided me with the products mentioned above for the review + giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Paint Your Own Llama with Horizon Group USA - Giveaway!

Horizon Group USA is one of my favorite brands to find activity kits for my kids, and it isn't just because I am a giveaway guru with them as I bought their products even before working on collaborations with them. The reason I love their products so much is because they offer a wide range of crafts and fun gift ideas for all ages. Four times a year I receive a surprise box with one or two items to test out for a review and they also send a second set for giveaways. I recently shared a fun rock painting kit with you and now I am sharing their Creative Roots Paint Your Own Llama.

The Llama is made from ceramic and measures six inches high. It has little details like a blanket, and flowers which are fun to paint vs just a plain llama. It has a little weight to it which makes it stand up by itself without any worry of it falling off the shelf. The kit itself comes with a paint brush and a five paint colors, however Horizon Group also send me a set of Primary Acrylic paints that has twelve different colors and an extra paint brush that my daughter decided to use on it instead of the paint it comes with. 

           

The llama was easy to paint, my daughter didn't have any issues with the paint not taking or applying too thickly to the statue. She had a lot of fun trying to add a little more texture to the llamas fur which you can see in the finished product below. I think the llama turned out quite well and it looks great up  Funko pop figures. If you are looking for a fun paint project for your child that will keep them entertained for ten to fifteen minutes then this kit is perfect for you! If your child isn't a big fan of llamas they also have other shapes like a fox, a unicorn, a cactus and more so there is something for all interests. Horizon Group USA sells their products on Amazon and also in select stores such as Walmart, you can pick up this llama for $9.96 over on Amazon.

Prize Alert: One lucky winner is going to win their own Llama painting kit!

This is open to US Residents! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! 

This giveaway ends on 06/16/2021

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment telling another animal your child would enjoy painting. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer-  Horizon Group USA provided me with the products mentioned above for the review + giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase. 

Little Marvel Designs Giveaway & Review!

****This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others.The products mentioned below have been provided by Little Marvel Designs for the review & giveaway free of charge.****

I've always loved having plants in my house, but sadly even trying my best to keep them alive there wasn't enough sunlight in the apartment to keep them alive. Now that I live in a house with a large glass sliding door and big kitchen windows my plants have plenty of room to live and thrive but I don't really have the space for all of the plants I want so I've had to start thinking about unique ways to display my plants. A great Etsy shop called Little Marvel Designs was the answer to my search, store owner Heather sells a wide assortment of macrame plant hangers and wall decor. I should note my plant holder may look a little silly in the photo below, this is due to my own fault because I was overly excited about the pot holder I found while at the store and I didn't realize it was too big for the size macrame I have. For my review I receive a small Macrame hanging planter with a turquoise daisy decoration. 





This is made from hand-knotted jute color poly cord and wood beads, the small is made to fit a 4.5" pot and saucer as you can see from the photo above I was silly and bought a pot way too big, granted it fits but it sits unevenly so I will need to buy the proper sized pot. It is completely hand made and is tied and knotted completely by hand, Heather did a beautiful job and I like the color combinations she selected for the wooden beads. The materials used to create this are sturdy, the rope is strong and can hold a decent amount of weight plus it was knitted onto a heavy duty metal ring so it will fit onto any size hook, once it is hung up it isn't going anywhere so you know your plant is safe. The small macrame is only $15 which is a complete steal for a handmade plant holder that doubles as a decor piece, I can't wait for my guests to see mine! I was also sent a Mermaid art print which features a Mermaid floating in a crescent moon surrounded by seashells.





The original art piece was made using only colored pencils,all the colors are soft almost pastel in color. I love how she was able to create the crescent shape of the moon because when you see the print in person it has a bit of a 3d effect to it which really makes the print pop. There are a lot of fine details in this print from her seashell hair comb to the star fish and plants on the moon. This is a great print for any Mermaid or mystical creature lover the piece is calming to look at and adds a bit of magic to the room. The print arrived in a plastic sleeve set on top of a thick piece of cardboard to help prevent it from bending during shipping, both items were wrapped in pretty green tissue paper. Heather has been quite friendly and is more than happy to answer any questions you may have about the products sold in her shop. Stop by her shop to see the other fantastic goodies her shop has in store for you!

Prize Alert:
Two lucky winners are going to receive a $25 Gift card to Little Marvel Designs. * Note gift card can only be used with a purchase of $28 or more so essentially it is a discount of $25.

This is open to US Residents only! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email!
 
Giveaway winners are announced on FACEBOOK, If you would like to see who won my latest giveaways please visit and like my facebook page.

 Giveaway entry question: Please leave me a blog comment letting me know what you would purchase with your Little Marvel Designs gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sugar Fueled Art Giveaway & Review!

****This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others.The products mentioned below have been provided by Sugar Fueled Art for the review & giveaway free of charge.****

  

My home isn't decorated in the most traditional home decor, I am a gamer, a nerd, ect my home is decorated in a lot of Gamer and comic book inspired decor along with lots of dragons, skulls, bats, ect. I am always happy to add new decor which is why I couldn't resist the adorable art from Sugar Fueled Art on etsy, their work is so adorable and slightly dark at the same time I love all of the work they offer. Sugar Fueled Art offers dozens of prints some inspired by Disney or movie characters others aren't but each is unique in it's own way.



For a recent review I was sent five Sugar Fueled Art Mini prints I received; Gizmo from Gremlins, Ewok Wicket from Star Wars, Legend Devi, A Rainbow Unicorn Pony &
Olaf Snowman Cocoa from Disneys Frozen. The prints look even better in person then they do in the photos online, holding the prints in my hands I noticed more of the details and colors I had missed when viewing them online. Each print arrived in its own protective sleeve and was signed on the back with the year, they arrived in a speedy manner and arrived in perfect condition. If you were to ask me which of the prints was my favorite I honestly couldn't give you an answer I love them all and each for their own reasons but mainly because they are all too adorable not to love. I plan on buying a special frame to display these together on my wall for the time being I am keeping them on my desk but have already had quite a few people ask about them. I know it is a little strange to point out but I have to say I love their logo as well something about the little black star with a lighting bolt down the middle just grabs my attention, each card features the logo but it blends in perfectly.

The artist & owner Michael is quite sweet and fun loving you get a real sense of his personality through his work, He will be attending a number of events and comicons throughout the rest of 2014 if he is in your area I suggest heading out to meet him in personal and check out his work you won't be disappointed. All of the prints sell for $4-$12 for a magical piece of art work the prices are perfect and 100% worth paying to have this art in your home. Each print has beautiful coloring, fine line work and shows you a piece of another mysterious world through the eyes of that character.



PRIZE ALERT:
One lucky reader is going to win 5 Mini Prints of their choice. There are Dozens of designs to choose from.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Indy & Ron Desginer Prints Review and Giveaway

****This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others.The products mentioned below have been provided by The art & designs of Ron & Indy to be used for the review & giveaway Free of charge.****

If you visit my blog often you will see that I am a gamer & I can be quite the nerd when I want to be. One of the games I played constantly growing up was the Legend of Zelda which was loved for many reasons, when ever I get the chance I still play Zelda so it comes to no surprise that I was attracted to the Link and Princess Zelda prints sold by RonGuyatt a wonderful shop on Etsy. The Art & Designs of Ron Guyatt & Indy Lytle is bold yet subtle all of the prints they offer are eye catching and make for a wonderful conversation starter between your friends and yourself.



Ron & Indy offer dozens of designs from many different video games and movies which makes it hard to narrow down a favorite print, I personally loved their Little sister print but for my review I choose a print I knew a good friend of mine would love. For my review I received a set of their Princess Zelda & Link posters along with a copy of their Portal Nouveau - Screen-print Poster. The posters arrived well protected in a poster tube, each poster has a thin piece of paper between them to keep them safe from scratches and sticking, Shipping speeds were marvelous. The prints are printed well, each design is bright, crisp and stunning perfect for being "grown up" art while still showing off a piece of your childhood. When my fiance & I first moved out on our own we were both eighteen our home decor consisted of band posters and random pictures pinned to the walls which after a while my mother suggested we get more "grown up" art work. We may have become older but we don't want to give up the things we love just because were adults so prints such as those I received from Ron & Indy are a perfect mixture of the things we love and having the feeling of more "adult" art work. These prints look wonderful in frames, I choose black for the prints I received but I believe they would look perfect in any color frame. The prints are 9 x 13 which is in my opinion the perfect size, Why? Frames are easier to find in the standard sizes, I can walk into a number of stores and find a 9 x 13 frame that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Other prints I have bought or received came in larger or odd sizes which made it difficult to find a frame, with the Zelda prints I found nice frames at the first store I checked.



The prints are made using Canon Dye Inks on Professional Grade Premier Imaging Micropore Luster Paper (or Better), 10.4mil RC Photo Base, 270 GSM. The paper the posters are printed on allows them to be quite sturdy it is a mix between card stock and poster board, It can be easily rolled up for storage without the print being ruined. Each design is well thought out goes perfectly with the theme of the game or movie without being exactly how they are shown in the game since you never really get to see a clear picture of the game characters they create an image for you. I love all three prints that I received and so did my friend who likes Zelda! Ron & Indy hit the nail right on the head when it comes to skillful designs. Want to know a little about the artists? About Ron; He loves to Design Posters & Create Illustrations. He also enjoys Digital Editing and Photography. Many people have described his style as influenced by Art Deco & Futurism. About Indy; Indy is a passionate artist who loves to create character illustrations. Her style is influenced by Art Nouveau, Comic Books and Pinup artwork. Please feel free to visit their personal websites you can find Ron's website Here and you can visit Indy by clicking Here. I think that any of their art work would be great for a childs room, a teenagers room or a living room,game room and so forth. I will personally be looking into getting more of their poster prints in the future.



Prize Alert:
One lucky winner will receive a Limited Edition Portal Nouveau - 12X18 Screen-print Poster.  [Shown in the middle on the right]

 a Rafflecopter giveaway