I've been spending far too much of my time trying to learn medieval illumination techniques
one of my first semi-successful attempts at fore edge painting! done on an old paperback of aesop's fables.
+ some glamour shots:
All good things…
We love coming up with new features to make your experience on Tumblr more visceral; when they don’t work out that way, we remove them to make space for new features. Unfortunately, group chats haven’t lived up to our expectations, so we’ll be removing them from Tumblr this month.
Some of you have really leaned into group chats, discussing the merits of various sourdough proofing times, sharing your WIPs with new audiences, and exchanging complicated fan theories on the provenance of Croki.
The majority of you, however, have preferred to have these interactions elsewhere. And so, as we get ready to remove the group chat feature from Tumblr, it’s time to take these conversations to your reblog chains, your replies, and your messages. We’ll leave your chats up until September 22 at 6pm EST. After that, well, the weird will continue to be your oyster.
tumblr tuesday: back to science
September is back to school month, so we’re kicking things off with some astounding students and educators in the natural sciences to help get you into that particular zone if that is a zone you need to (or want to) get into.
@great-and-small is a vet student who hangs out with the likes of squirrels, horses, and wolves and makes an excellent zoology meme.
@carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory has all sorts of amazing facts relating to the natural sciences. Have you ever found yourself wanting to know more about the shipworm that isn’t actually a worm, but in fact, a mollusk? That looks very much like a worm?? And eats ships??? Read more here, and behold the shipworm’s handiwork below.
@alchemysciviz illustrates scientific processes and curiosities from biology, chemistry, and anthropology like this one about a panda’s coloring.
@neat-deadandlive-things is a grad school student of freshwater ecology who found some algae on the underside of a receptacle holding a different algae already being examined…and promptly made mystery algae fanart. Beautiful procrastination, we salute you.
@lichenaday describes the weird and wonderful world of lichen. Here’s the lowdown on Oceanoplaca isidiosa for you.
tumblr tuesday: toy town
Well now, we all know about furbies and worms on and off their strings. But are you familiar with the other pockets of toycore here on Tumblr? Here’s a selection of the best collections out there:
@jellycatkid collects jellycat plushies. Here is a not-at-all-haunted cat. Nothing to see here! Aside from a very nice, normal cat.
No list of toycore on Tumblr would be complete without @sofubis—where nostalgia for our real or imagined pasts and futures culminates in a congregation of unfathomably cute (and often weird) vinyl oddities. Here, have a sad lizard with hands for feet.
@1999babi walks the fine line of curating toys from in between millennia, which, it turns out, was just a big squidgy neon dream.
It’s so relaxing when a blog just does what it says it does. @calicocritteroftheday is one of those blogs. Reassuringly dependable, here you’ll get exactly one calico critter, once a day.
@my-monster-island? Just monsters.
tumblr tuesday: ratty family fun
Roll up! Roll up! It’s National Family Fun Month, apparently, so here’s a fun family for you. You know what they say—a family that braves fake flames and awe-inspiring obstacles together stays together. Something like that.
Anyway, meet @shadowtherat’s artistes! Never before have you seen this level of vibe! Chill! Dignity! Yes, their namesakes may make a really weird meal, but this friend-shaped family really does it all. Give it up for Olive! Donut! Egg! Omelet! Pickles! And Sugar!
♡ No ratties were harmed during the making of this video! ♡
tumblr tuesday: august art prompts
Boy howdy, y’all really do love an art challenge, don’tcha! And there are so many to choose from in the month of August! So, whether you seek the tension of a duel at dawn or feathered friends in all shapes, styles, and sizes, or an army a council of frogs—this month has ’em all. And with just under half the month to go, there’s still time to pony up and join in…or simply sit back and vibe with it.
Yeehawgust is in full swing collecting all your rootin’ ‘n’ tootin’ renditions of the wild west over on the official blog. That’s also where you’ll find the prompt list, should you need it. In the meantime, check these out:
Six-Shooter by @ceilingcow
Prickly Pear by @voltaical-art
Rhinestone Cowboy by @naomisart
(🎵oh, and a playlist for your troubles🎵)
Avian August has also taken flight in a big way, with some beautiful and diverse art styles joining the fray. Find your daily prompts here. Or simply sit back and enjoy the excellent specimens that have come home to roost:
@catsinthegarden
@shalmonsdraws
@rolitae
Meanwhile, Frogust has taken a back seat this year, among all the birds and bulls. Here are a few intrepid individuals keeping this friend-shaped classic alive:
@adyrene
@ochrecavern
@hatleyco
Well, folks, it’s been another week on Tumblr. Last week:
- The Rose’s Woosung charmed us all with Truths, Dares, and Woolfy (that dog truly is a gift).
- @marvelstudios announced an Answer Time with Simu Liu! So, if you’ve got any burning questions for Simu about Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, send ‘em in, and he might just answer them on August 30th.
- The delightful @thelaurenshippen sat down to answer your questions about her official Stranger Things podcast, Surviving Hawkins—a companion to A.R. Capetta’s official Stranger Things novel Rebel Robin. That’s a good amount of Stranger Things to keep us all entertained while we wait for that sweet, sweet Season 4.
- And finally, we launched wip.tumblr.com! This is your opportunity to join the conversation and let us know your thoughts on Tumblr. You’ve been busy writing in, and we’re looking forward to replying to some of your queries this week, so watch this space.
Oh, and if you like knowing things—like, say, what’s new, or newly fixed, on Tumblr—then follow @changes for weekly updates. Nice. That’s all for now. Here’s to another week on Tumblr.
Third-Party Authentication is coming! This means that new users will soon be able to sign up to Tumblr using either an Apple ID or a Google Account, and existing users will be able to log in with these accounts too. Nice.
tumblr tuesday: some days, there’s an animal
We all know and love @1coweveryday. Well, here are some other blogs that produce some sort of animal at some point or other during a week or another specified (or not) measure of time. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@1chickeneveryotherday!
@1kittieeveryday!
@1rateveryday!
@1puppyeveryday!
@1duckeveryday!
@1kitteneveryday!
@sometimestheressheep.
@1monstereveryday!
@1hamstereveryday!
@sometimestheresabear.
@1sealeveryday!
@1bunnyeveryotherday!
Hello Tumblr, and welcome to the first installment of a new little series we’re calling Last Week On Tumblr, where we’ll review some of the Stuff That Went On in this here bluescape.
- Friday wrapped up another @bigweekon Tumblr. In dulcet tones, we reflected on things coming to an end—the thirteenth Doctor’s reign, BuzzFeed Unsolved, and any confusion over Lil Nas X’s unrivaled supremacy.
- K-pop band EVERGLOW stopped by @kpop to chat about their newest comeback. ICYMI.
- Over on @cozy, the Domestic At-Home Non-Sporting Community Event, D-A-N-C-E for short, is in full swing. Last week, we watched with bated breath as Terry and Barry reported on the first two disciplines, Napping and Drinking Water. More to come this week.
- @entertainment announced a Rebel Robin podcast Q&A with @thelaurenshippen—send in your questions!
- And finally, Tuesday gave us some wisdom and a rotating plant. Thank you, Tuesday. Just what we’ve always wanted.
That’s all for this week’s recap of last week. Stay cool, dry, or simply defiant of any oppressive weather situations near you. And remember:
