The Daily Prophet: Term XXX, Issue 2: Front Page & Subsidiaries
The Daily Prophet is still looking for columnists for Classifieds, Clubs, and Fanfiction Spotlight. For more information and to apply go here!
Term XXX, Issue 02 September 29, 2014
Welcome to hogwartsishome! You will find many great people and many, many fun things to do. We hope you'll have a great time with us at Hogwarts!
Common rooms:
gryff_lions the_puff_house
ravenclaw_house cunningfolk
Activity: Recipe Exchange
Participation Points: 2pts/1kt per suggested recipe; 10pts/5kts max
Deadline: Saturday, October 11th, 11:59pm UTC
Details: The Daily Prophet is looking to publish recipe suggestions every week! To help with that, let's give each other some recipes to try. Fill out the following form with your taste preferences (no points), then comment to others with a recipe you think they'd like. Make sure to leave at least a sentence explaining why you're recommending it. You'll get 2pts/1kt for each suggestion you leave, for a max of 10pts/5kts.
Submit your entries here!
Results!
Activity: Bimaru
Participation Points: 2pts/1kt for the easy puzzle, 3pts/2kts for medium, 5pts/2kts for hard (+ 5 bonus points if you own a Subscription to the Daily Prophet)
House Totals:
Gryffindor: 0
Hufflepuff: 47
Ravenclaw: 47
Slytherin: 12
By interchanges
Announcements
► Term XXX's Appeals Judges were announced.
► With the addition of Maryann/memeann012084, The Order is now full for the term.
► Evy/slumber won the Term XXX Layout Contest and her layout is now up at hogwartsishome. Congrats also to Meg/partitioning and Tiffany/growling for placing.
► The HiH Member Cut is complete. Now might be a good time to poke your friends to rejoin ;)
Reminders
► The Order's HiH Trivia ends today at 11:59pm UTC. Take a trip through HiH history!
► Pick up your HiH Award Banners!
► Diagon Alley has been restocked! However Flourish & Blotts is still being finicky so comment on the post if you'd like to buy anything from it and Evy will do it manually for you.
► Stamping ended last week, but you can still let Morgan know what you thought of splitting the apps over two days instead of three.
Now Hiring
► The Daily Prophet is hiring! As of press time, we're still looking for a Clubs Correspondent, Classifieds, and a Writing Spotlight columnist. You'll need to be able to write an article twice a month, and you'll get paid in points and knuts (and bonus points if you do both articles that month) for your house! More details at the post.
► Appeals is hiring! hih_appeals is on the lookout for a back-up Slytherin judge to fill out its roster of judges. Requirements are strong canon knowledge, reliability, and low-drama. Discretion of utmost importance as well. Payment is 10 knuts an appeal, any time one occurs. Fill out the form and apply!
Just for Fun
► Chelsea/interchanges invites you to talk about Fall TV.
► Ari/cadaver started a friending meme!
Don't forget to check out HIH on twitter and tumblr. @hihnews and fromplatform934.
Apply to be a:
Registered Animagus
HP Character
Writing Communities:
hh_sugarquill
Icon Making Communities:
sortedchallenge
hogwartsicons
Sponsored Shops
Attention Shop Owners!
Would you like to see your banner here? Then come over to this post to find out how!
By slumber
"Dear Dumbledore,
I heard a rumor that Professor McGonagall once turned a student into a toad for a whole week because they cheated on one of her tests! Is this true or is the rumor mill just stirring my nerves?
Sincerely.
I Don't Want To Be A Toad"
Dear I Don't Want To Be A Toad,
Perhaps it would ease your nerves best if you simply studied and put all thoughts of cheating out of your head.
Yours,
Albus
"Dear Dumbledore,
Do you ever get sick of ""troll in the dungeon"" jokes?
Sincerely,
Thought You Ought to Know"
Dear Thought You Ought to Know,
I might if I heard enough of them - why, have you got any?
Yours,
Albus
"Dear Dumbledore,
Have you ever considered shaving your beard off? Why do you keep it so long?
Signed,
WhoaYourBeardIsWayLong"
Dear WhoaYourBeardIsWayLong,
Why would I? It makes for very handy storage.
Yours,
Albus
"Dear Dumbledore,
Are you a cat or a dog person?
Animal Lover "
Dear Animal Lover,
I'm an all-human person!
Yours,
Albus
Write to Dumbles
You can write to your headmaster here; Dumbledore will try to respond to all letters, but there may be some delay before he gets to yours. All letters dealt with in strictest confidence.
If you would like to write an article for a future issue of the Daily Prophet, please comment at the signup sheet.
Term XXX, Issue 02 Page 2
By la_loony
hh_sugarquill
By monkiainen
It’s time to have another glimpse at the world of fanfiction in hh_sugarquill. Since the previous issue, much has been happening, so let’s take a look, shall we?
Have you read the fics and drabbles posted lately? If you haven’t, here are some tips on where to start. Cyn/cyn_ful gives us Payphone, where Draco and Hermione are visiting Harry and Pansy in Australia of all places. If you’re looking for something shorter, go and read The Silence After by Noelia/sickle_girl, a very heartbreaking drabble where Percy is trying to deal with Fred’s death. Jalen/jalenstrix has tackled this month’s fic challenge #165 with Encounters of the Close Kind. Last but not least, if crossovers are your thing, check out Where Magic Meets Mayhem by Kristine/flipflop_diva where Harry and Hermione cross paths with no other than Captain America and Black Widow.
The results for the first Writer’s Block of Term XXX are in! 1st place was shared by Evy/slumber and Kristine/flipflop_diva. Jenna/yaakov took 2nd place, and Jalen/jalenstrix came in third. Congratulations everyone! You can read all the entries here. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m looking forward to what the next Writer’s Block will be all about!
Everyone, remember to keep your eye on the weekly Saturday Specials - they are a good chance to earn some extra points for your house. On the weekend between 19 and 21 September, the prompt was simply “television” - I’m keeping my eyes to the weekends of the future!
Until the next issue, dear readers! Don’t forget to leave feedback to all the lovely authors of hh_sugarquill :)
hh_sugarquill sortedchallenge hogwartsicons
By evening12
Welcome to this little corner dedicated to graphics and art. Let's get things rolling with some results from sortedchallenge. Here are our first winners for the term! Challenge 1 saw Ravenclaw coming out on top with the most points. Ravenclaw's Bei/sapphoatsunset took home 1st place, while Kristine/flipflop_diva of Hufflepuff placed 2nd and Tiffany/growling of Slytherin placed 3rd. Best Colouring went to Meg/partitioning of Ravenclaw.
Challenge 2 saw some beautiful banners being submitted. Ravenclaw's Lou/alethiometric came in 1st place with a great Narcissa and Lucius friends only banner.
Avi/flyingharmony of Hufflepuff placed 2nd with Meg/partitioning of Ravenclaw placing 3rd. Bri/stilinskiargent of Hufflepuff received the award for "best use of dull color". Take a second to look for all of the winning graphics. We also have our banner makers for the term.
Evy/slumber of Ravenclaw
Meg/partitioning of Ravenclaw
Kristine/flipflop_diva of Hufflepuff
Our back-up banner makers are Nikki/nowheretogo26 of Hufflepuff and Bei/sapphoatsunset of Ravenclaw.
Over at hogwartsicons, we've had some great graphics being shared. Tiffany/growling of Slytherin took up the challenge of 20in20 icons with the theme of male characters. Here's a small sample.
Stop by Tiffany's post to see the rest of the icons.
From Hufflepuff, Crystal/bluemermaid shared some Luna Lovegood icons, and some Harry and Hermione Tumblr graphics.
Stop by Crystal's post to see all of the graphics.
We have been spoiled with some new art being posted at hh_sugarquill. Newcomer Maria/maferpotter219 of Hufflepuff posted a great Hermione and Snape drawing.
Stop by here to leave some comments. I certainly hope we see more of her drawings.
If you are a fan of Delphine/nearlyconscious of Ravenclaw, you are in luck because she posted something new in September. Here is her portrait of Lavender
Stop by Delphine's post to leave some comments. I certainly hope we see more of her drawings.
That's it for this edition of the Daily Prophet. To all our graphic and art makers, Halloween is just around the corner, why not find inspiration right there? If you want more art and graphics, do stop by our lovely communities. Keep on being creative and making beautiful work, and you might find yourself in the spotlight in our next edition!
hh_clubs
By lotrangel17
Welcome to another edition of Clubs for the Daily Prophet. It was a busy first month of the term. There were lots of nice results that included some really creative entries.
The Art Club's What Path Will You Choose? had some fun creative entries. The activity about choosing to be brave, wise or generous ended with Jenna/jennashaped of Slytherin with this beautiful first-place entry.
To see all the graphics, check out the voting page, and to see the rest of the winners, check out the results page.
Another activity that just oozes creativity was Sorters Anonymous A Me-Mix of House-iness. You can see all the fabulous House Mixes at the activity page. There are tons of amazing house-related fan mixes, and of course, my personal favorites were the Puff ones, but there are really awesome ones, like the one by Steph/alwaysawkward of Gryffindor
Her songs were I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga, and Heroes by David Bowie. Be sure and go check out all these house fan mixes!
Also in results were two activities that HiH'ers really seemed to get behind and earn points. Astronomy Club's Coloring Book Pages had results with 635 points earned, and The Art Club's Hanging Art had results with members earning 730 points! We do love coloring and playing hangman at HiH!
When this edition is published, there will still be time to earn a few points at Clubs as well. A bunch of different activities won't end until various times on the 30th, so check out Slug Club Something Smells Amazing, Healers' Association Healing Potions, and Insomniacs Midnight Strike.
Remember, there is always something do at hh_clubs! So instead of doing this:
do this!
By sapphoatsunset
"But soft, what light from yonder window breaks. It is the east and--” Ah, who are we kidding? This is Bei and we’re on our second installment of playing on the darkside. I guess I’ll just have to quote Othello for you all next time. After all, this ain’t no romcom!
Let’s hop right to it, shall we? We wouldn’t want to keep Vader waiting. XD
This time, we’ll be discussing personality traits on the darkside of each of our signs in a little bit more depth. Get ready for the laughter, and don’t worry, I have a pail of ice on standby for the burn. *wink* Or at least a Voldy hug
Aries
Goodness! Did anyone ever teach you the meaning of “consequences of your actions”? I guess not... Consequently, you’re a reckless, restless, confrontational sort, who also happens to really enjoy Me Time. I bet you think there is no other time, right? At least being easily distracted tempers your argumentative nature, or life could be quite painful for you. And despite being argumentative, your bitch rating is only C+. The fire comes and it goes without any conniving backstabbing to go with it. ♥
Taurus
Brightsiders might call you stubborn, but that’s really the least of your worries, isn’t it? Your major vice? Loving to posses ALL THE THINGS! And it’s never really enough, is it? And to top that off, you’re resistant to change! I think we have you pegged firmly to the 7th deadly sin of greed and avarice. Luckily, that doesn’t translate into anything more than a C+ bitch rating as well, so good on you! Watch out, though. There are some pretty notable exceptions to that rule, like Genghis Khan. Meep!
Gemini
Eternally youthful, or that’s what you’d have us believe. You’re really just in a permanent midlife crisis of your own making, aren’t you? Always needing entertainment to distract you from the idea that there’s something better just around the bend. And that charm, well, it’s a double-edged sword, isn’t it, landing you with a bitch rating of A++? Check those zingers at the door, please!
Cancer
Oh, you poor dear. Always seeking out gloom to protect against and prepare for the impending doom you’re sure is just around the corner. Life is pretty bleak, isn’t it? And you have the memory of an elephant, but only for negativity. It must be difficult to be you. Thankfully, you’re only a B+ on the bitch rating, though likely you’ll be upset that Gemini ‘beat’ you. Take a lesson from Kafka, a fellow Cancer, and cheer up, would ya?! *runs and hides*
Leo
Have you made it out of the terrible twos yet? It doesn’t seem likely. That bossy arrogance masked in courageous leadership can be too much, but luckily most people are none the wiser. Or they’re too scared of you to mention it. Either way, you’re adored by all - you frankly demand it, but you still only have a bitch rating of B++. I guess you’re not the King / Queen of everything after all. :P
Virgo
Ah, a detail-oriented peevish pervert. Wonderful! And you’re free with your advice too. Lest this sound too positive for any of our humor, please watch that A+ bitch rating. You say you’re kind? I think I must respectfully call shenanigans.
Libra
Aww, you’re an airhead’s airhead, aren’t you? Fickle and whimsical, you never learn, but at least you’re a masterful moocher. I suppose that makes up for the rest? And of course, being so changeable, so is your bitch rating. It can be either a D or an A+, just depending on how much effort your lazy self wants to put forth.
Scorpio
You take ‘dark’ to a whole other level, don’t you? I suppose you’re proud of your soul-sucking, meta-dark. Even ‘evil mastermind’ can’t fully describe you. And you take analysis to another level entirely. Luckily, people are generally too frightened of you to face off against you, but your overall craven wickedness lands you a bitch rating of A+. I suppose you’re proud of this?
Sagittarius
Gee, shucks. You sure are a tactless sort, aren’t you? Do you think you have anyone fooled with the ‘but I mean well’ routine? Hmm. You might at that, but not this author! When you’re not dousing people in unneeded truth, you’re off crashing brashly through barriers and generally wreaking havoc. And let’s not even mention commitment. Probably lost your attention already, didn’t I? XD Fear not, at least most will rank you at a D- bitch rating so you must be doing something right!
Capricorn
Persistent might be the generous way to describe the way you wear down opposition until the world falls in like with your petty, pessimistic, tight-fisted, and generally negative outlook on life. And god forbid anyone tease you for your stodgy ways! You hate the embarrassment to a level that only makes more malicious signs gleeful. In terms of bitch rating, you fall in line at a B++, not horrid, but not completely kind either.
Aquarius
Oh hi there, self. XD Good job making sure everyone knows you’re a cool, detached, distant, off-beat, freedom-loving loner. Putting your darkside on display like that was quite wise, because within our little bubble devoid of any concern for anyone’s emotions because, really, what are those? you’re safe from people’s reactions to your analysis of this. Or you just find it all the more intriguing that they had a ....is it called a feeling? Nevermind. You’re sure you’re just ahead of the rest of humanity in your nearly android-like state, sneaking around to spy and observe and catalog every reaction so you might replicate it at the appropriate moments. Only an A-- on the bitch rating scale, you’ve been known to occasionally fly higher than that upon meeting a worthy opponent, but really, how often do those appear? (Oops. Bei is not nice. :P)
Pisces
Confusing, and contradictory, you never seem to commit to one thing. If someone gets you to agree to something, you’ll just deny that agreement moments later, setting them back at square one. And your habit of helping people? That’s not really altruistic, is it? You just like having people dependent on your hero persona for survival. That’s what triggers your bitch rating of A-, because no sooner than you’ve helped people recover from their woes are you bringing them back down to a level where they need your irreplaceable support.
All material references Darkside Zodiac by Stella Hyde
Blah, blah, disclaimer. All in good fun. No harm intended by this column. Author does not really think people are this malicious. ♥
hih_animagus
By interchanges
Things are wrapping up at Animagus for the month, but there are still posts to check out!
Results for September's 1st activity, Animal ABCs, are up, with Hufflepuff leading the way. The 2nd September activity closes today, Monday, at 11:59pm UTC. It's called Find the Animagi and it's a word search with 20 HiH animagi in it.
Voting on the September Batch is now over, and the two applicants must now decide on their form. Hufflepuff earned the most points on voting this month. If you're curious how other people voted, you can read the unscreened votes here.
This term Animagus will have a trophy cabinet, complete with shiny badges for participating in the community. For more information, check out this post. The cabinet will be updated again after all this month's results have been posted.
While having an animagus form isn't required to participate in Animagus activities, it's a good idea to check whether you are still registered if you haven't participated in awhile. If you'd like to reclaim an animagus form you had in the past, you'll need to comment here. If you'd like a new form, and haven't reapplied in the past six months, you'll need to leave a comment here saying why your form no longer fits you in order to get the go ahead to reapply. And if you've never applied before, what are you waiting for? Buy The Standard Book of Spells Vol 1-3 from Diagon Alley, then submit your application here! There's still space in the October batch, and we'd love to have you!
hogsmeadewkends
By csichick_2
As Hogsmeade rapidly approaches, most of the goings on are happening behind the scenes.
Activity sign-ups and the banner contest have closed - keep your eyes peeled for more details.
However, the social directors have been announced. I’m sure Erin/erinm_4600, Kristine/flipflop_diva, Meg/partitioning, and Tiffany/growling have lots of exciting things in store for us.
Only three weeks to go!
Gross Gryffindors
If you've been unfortunate to pass the Fat Lady portrait, or walk under the Gryffindor's tower, you may have noticed the smell. If you think it smells like someone set off a school year's supply worth of dungbombs, you'd be correct. So far no one has fessed up to the act, but a few savvy Gryffindors are taking advantage of the situation by selling nose plugs to their housemates.
Lake Romance
I am utterly positive I saw a mereperson slinking up to the giant squid the other day. No one ever hangs out with the squid. Like, ever. So it must be romance no? Respectfully add that if it is true Hagrid is not allowed to try start a breeding programme?
OMG GUYS DID YOU KNOW?!
I heard that the Harry Potter is going to be a Broadway star? Hasn't he become so dreamy since the war ended and he became an actor?
Got gossip? Tell us here!
hh_flourish
By la_loony
Hello Flourish visitors,
It has been rather quiet around here, so just two quick things that you should know about:
+ SQ sized and animal tags are the themes that are hot and trending for this next month, so get ready!
+ We still have open spots for every house, so come and join us - we have merchandise shopkeeper icons! Slytherin and Ravenclaw have 3 spots open each, Gryffindor has 2 and Hufflepuff 1, so if you are interested in having a shop, just apply over here.
And now a word from our shopkeepers ... about their fellow shopkeepers.
1. What do you think is the story behind the shop name?
Meg/partitioning: Originally, I was thinking they are lyrics from Matchbox Twenty's "3 A.M." and I'm assuming that is where the name comes from.
Nikki/nowheretogo26: This feels like cheating because I know the actual answer to this one, but it's from the Matchbox Twenty song "Three A.M." :)
Martine/la_loony: No idea. It's probably some reference to a quote or a song maybe. Though it could also be just Olivia's favorite time because she is super productive at 3am or it's the best time for her to make graphics^^
2. Which three tags in the shop are your favorite?
Meg/partitioning:
I'm obsessed with the entire dark stock set, and this one is one of my favorites from that set. I love the way the image is framed in the crop and the centered text.
This set is so classy. I love the balance in the varying sizes of text. I think the snake tag in this set is the most aesthetically pleasing.
This one is so cool. I love the font and the bold colors. I'm jealous that I can't order it for myself!
Nikki/nowheretogo26:
This is such a clever idea for a tag! Everyone gets a really unique, special tag that's just for them :)
I love Liv's use of this font and differing sizes to create a really dynamic tag.
I'm obsessed with the coloring on this! Plus, I love the way she set up the name | house section. Very creative.
Martine/la_loony:
The colors are just so vibrant I really, really love that (also because it's Pacific Rim and that movie was awesomexD).
I mean, the whole Hogwarts subject collection is brilliant, the pictures chosen for each are so fitting and pretty.
The colorstrology tag is just sooooooo cool, and it's so awesome that Olivia checks for everyone individually which color the proper match is. Already got mine and I love the color and think it actually fits quite nicely. Everybody should get one :D
3. What kind of tags would you love to see from the shopkeeper?
Meg/partitioning: I'd love to see some more fandom offerings, and I'm looking forward to the animagus set that is "in progress".
Nikki/nowheretogo26: I would love some more fandom tags from Liv. Especially TV shows that we have in common ;) Maybe some Pretty Little Liars, or Sherlock!
Martine/la_loony: Because I am such a fandom person, I'd love to see more fandom tags from Olivia, especially from colorful shows like Pushing Daisies or Hannibal, I'm sure she'd make some amazing tags out of the caps.
What is the story behind your shop's name?
Olivia/ohcaptain: My shop name is partially a shout-out to my horrible tendency to procrastinate, but mostly a direct reference to one of my favorite songs of all time, 3 A.M. by Matchbox Twenty. My dad always had the radio on when I was growing up, and by the time I was in the eighth grade, I was pretty much obsessed with '90s alternative music. I think it was just one of those songs that you hear at a certain time in your life and it just sticks with you, you know?
1. What do you think is the story behind the shop name?
Meg/partitioning: I have no idea where the name comes from, but it makes me think of a cozy place, which I think fits Nikki very well.
Olivia/ohcaptain: I have never asked Nikki what the name of her shop means, but if I had to guess, I would say it maybe is a reference to her having her own shop where she can do things her way? Like a secret treehouse where no one can tell you what to do? (I might be looking too much into this.)
Martine/la_loony: I always took it pretty literal, that this is her secret hideaway where she stores all the wonderful things = tags she loves.
2. Which three tags in the shop are your favorite?
Meg/partitioning:
This is my favorite breed of dog so this is an obvious pick for me. Nikki has colored this tag so nicely, and it's also perfectly sharpened.
This isn't one of my fandoms, but I love the warm tone of the coloring, and I'm always a sucker for graphics that are dark on one side and light on the other. This is a perfect example of perfect cap choice and using the pink color of the text to highlight the color of the band-aid on her forehead.
I love the shape of the brush texture in this house pride set. It immediately caught my eye and was the first tag I ordered from Nikki's shop.
Olivia/ohcaptain:
Making a template that works with the huge variety of animagus forms is hard, and I love the combination of fonts that she used in this one.
My second favorite, because the colors are just so perfect and the composition is so wonderfully symmetrical that it looks flawless.
It showcases how Nikki can take a blah-colored screencap and turn it into a pretty tag with the purples, pale green and light grey.
Martine/la_loony:
Just look at it. I always have the feeling if I could just reach through my screen, I could grab that slice and eat it, because it's so perfectly sharpened.
I love pretty much everything about this tag: the slightly muted coloring, the crop and the text placement. It just all works so well together.
Believe it or not, but this tag got me to watch Elementary. When I saw this one in Nikki's shop, I felt like I needed to see where the picture came from because it is so pretty.
3. What kind of tags would you love to see from the shopkeeper?
Meg/partitioning: This shop is so large already it is hard to think of what could be added. Maybe some of the tv shows could be expanded? Some more Orphan Black? Sleepy Hollow? Hannibal? Season 4 of Teen Wolf?
Olivia/ohcaptain: Honestly, what doesn't Nikki have? She has literally HUNDREDS of tags available. The only thing my limited imagination can come up with is maybe something more text-heavy, like a typography-only series of her favorite television quotes? It's obvious that she's mastered the art of the screencap.
Martine/la_loony: That's tough because Nikki has such a huge shop already! Maybe movie tags? I think Nikki would make some stunning tags for Catching Fire for example.
What is the story behind your shop's name?
Nikki/nowheretogo26: My shop name was chosen because I was looking for an outlet for my graphic creativity and ended up settling on opening a Flourish shop. And it ended up being a secret little hideaway for me to express myself :)
1. What do you think is the story behind the shop name?
Meg/partitioning: It's a great name, but I don't know the specific meaning behind it. It reminds me of a song but the wording is different, so I don't think it's from that.
Olivia/ohcaptain: I have no idea what Martine's shop name means on a personal level...as a standalone name, I think it evokes a sort of whimsy and wanderlust, which is fun and makes me want to check it out.
Nikki/nowheretogo26: I don't know the story behind this one, but I have always loved this name. And it definitely fits with Martine's flair for stock image tags in her catalog. It's a really poetic, visual name!
2. Which three tags in the shop are your favorite?
Meg/partitioning:
This one just makes me so damn happy. This t-shirt design is exactly the type of thing that needs to be a tag.
I love the negative space and simplicity of this tag, and the text works really well.
Another funny one! I love the combination of the serious and funny statement.
Olivia/ohcaptain:
My favorite tag in Martine's shop probably. Her whole street art collection is awesome and really unique, and I had a lot of trouble picking which one I liked the best, but I think the one I chose is the best example of her creative composition - her font choice and placement is awesome.
My second favorite. I find this tag really interesting because, in theory, white text on a pale yellow background shouldn't work, but somehow it does and it looks great. I love the font choices as well.
My third favorite and it should be noted that I don't even watch B99. I just enjoy how she chose to crop the image, which allowed for the focus to be on the username and house, while still having a fun cap that was colored nicely.
Nikki/nowheretogo26:
I love this bright, vibrant coloring!
I needed to pick at least one animal tag from all the stock tags. And look at how precious this one is!
Martine's nature tags give me life. This one is so gorgeous, with the colors and the script font.
3. What kind of tags would you love to see from the shopkeeper?
Meg/partitioning: Martine lists "vintage cameras" in her interests, and I think that would make a great theme for a stock set.
Olivia/ohcaptain: I would be really interested if Martine was to make a "Lost in the Woods" themed bunch of tags, with nature and stock images. I think that would fit really nicely with her shop, and allow her to experiment with the variety of fonts that are present throughout her catalog.
Nikki/nowheretogo26: Martine has done a million stock tags, but I would love to see more kitty tags from her! I never say no to more kitty tags ;)
What is the story behind your shop's name?
Martine/la_loony: I think it started with the first Flourish Bazaar, because my stall there was called Lost in the Woods. I really fell in love with the picture I used for the banner because the woman just looks like she is lost in these woods, but doesn't really care because it is just a magnificent place to be at. So I eventually changed my shop name and banner.
1. What do you think is the story behind the shop name?
Olivia/ohcaptain: I feel like this shop name is a very specific reference. To what, I have no idea, but I am sure it is a very specific thing. Now I feel like I am not cool enough to sit with the cool kids since I don't know what it is referencing.
Nikki/nowheretogo26: If I'm not mistaken, I think it's from Skyrim? I know Meg loves to take names for shops and things from Skyrim, haha.
Martine/la_loony: It sounds like a pub or a play maybe. Second one is probably more likely so I guess it is maybe a title of a story or poem or something like that? A pub with that name sounds fun though xD
2. Which three tags in the shop are your favorite?
Olivia/ohcaptain:
I love everything Orphan Black, but I really like this tag in particular because not only is it a cap that I would never have thought to use in a tag, but the composition of it is just really interesting to me.
My second choice, because I am a sucker for big, bold fonts and I love the hint of shadow Meg added to the text. It really makes it pop.
Third one because OMG HOW CAN YOU MAKE A SIGTAG THAT SAYS “IS A FAN OF URANUS” SO CUTE? It is ridiculous.
Nikki/nowheretogo26: SOPHIE'S CHOICE. This is the worst ;___;
This is such a simple, beautiful tag. I love the colors and the basic font and ♥
I'm biased because I adore Scar, BUT I also love the way Meg utilized fonts in this tag. The way she juxtaposed the name and house is so innovative!
I had to pick one of the 200 new dog tags, and this one is just too cute for words. It's a simple, cute idea for a tag and I'm in love!
Martine/la_loony:
The cutie planets are just one of the cutest things I have seen around the shops that are open right now.
As a fan of negative space, this immediately caught my eye. And I think the coloring is spot on as well as the font choice.
This is just one awesome cap Meg picked here, really like how she cropped it and managed to add text that hardly interrupts the picture.
3. What kind of tags would you love to see from the shopkeeper?
Olivia/ohcaptain: I love the coloring of the Her and Harry Potter tags, so I would love to see more live-action things made in that same style - I think Teen Wolf or Captain America: The First Avenger would work well with it. (And I am totally not just saying that because I want to be able to order all of those tags from her if she does make them…) Also, I just want to say that I also am a big fan of Meg’s formatting of her shop; it looks so fresh and clean and flawless that I am a bit jealous.
Nikki/nowheretogo26: I would love to see Meg play with vector images some more. I adored her latest update with the dogs, so maybe some more animal tags. Or perhaps some more Disney tags, because I loved her The Lion King ones!
Martine/la_loony: I think Meg has a great eye for fonts and their placement so I'd love to see some text only tags and what she does with some quotes/lyrics etc.
What is the story behind your shop's name?
Meg/partitioning: The short answer is that The Bee and Barb is the name of one of the inns/taverns in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the one in my favorite town in the game. My shop at GameofCards is also an inn in Elder Scroll IV: Oblivion, so I knew I wanted to use the name of a shop or tavern from the same universe. I ended up with The Bee and Barb because a) it's in one of my favorite towns, b) I liked the alliteration in the name, and c) it was the most pleasing of the available lj community names on my list of finalists.
~~~
This has been the Flourish Column. Stay tuned next for pretty tags that will secretly snatch your soul.
This will help you find them.
Have fun at Flourish HiH, have fun!
If you would like to write an article for a future issue of the Daily Prophet, please comment at the signup sheet.
Click here for Part 2: House News!
Term XXX, Issue 02 September 29, 2014
Welcome to hogwartsishome! You will find many great people and many, many fun things to do. We hope you'll have a great time with us at Hogwarts!
Common rooms:
gryff_lions the_puff_house
ravenclaw_house cunningfolk
Activity: Recipe Exchange
Participation Points: 2pts/1kt per suggested recipe; 10pts/5kts max
Deadline: Saturday, October 11th, 11:59pm UTC
Details: The Daily Prophet is looking to publish recipe suggestions every week! To help with that, let's give each other some recipes to try. Fill out the following form with your taste preferences (no points), then comment to others with a recipe you think they'd like. Make sure to leave at least a sentence explaining why you're recommending it. You'll get 2pts/1kt for each suggestion you leave, for a max of 10pts/5kts.
Submit your entries here!
Results!
Activity: Bimaru
Participation Points: 2pts/1kt for the easy puzzle, 3pts/2kts for medium, 5pts/2kts for hard (+ 5 bonus points if you own a Subscription to the Daily Prophet)
House Totals:
Gryffindor: 0
Hufflepuff: 47
Ravenclaw: 47
Slytherin: 12
By interchanges
Announcements
► Term XXX's Appeals Judges were announced.
► With the addition of Maryann/memeann012084, The Order is now full for the term.
► Evy/slumber won the Term XXX Layout Contest and her layout is now up at hogwartsishome. Congrats also to Meg/partitioning and Tiffany/growling for placing.
► The HiH Member Cut is complete. Now might be a good time to poke your friends to rejoin ;)
Reminders
► The Order's HiH Trivia ends today at 11:59pm UTC. Take a trip through HiH history!
► Pick up your HiH Award Banners!
► Diagon Alley has been restocked! However Flourish & Blotts is still being finicky so comment on the post if you'd like to buy anything from it and Evy will do it manually for you.
► Stamping ended last week, but you can still let Morgan know what you thought of splitting the apps over two days instead of three.
Now Hiring
► The Daily Prophet is hiring! As of press time, we're still looking for a Clubs Correspondent, Classifieds, and a Writing Spotlight columnist. You'll need to be able to write an article twice a month, and you'll get paid in points and knuts (and bonus points if you do both articles that month) for your house! More details at the post.
► Appeals is hiring! hih_appeals is on the lookout for a back-up Slytherin judge to fill out its roster of judges. Requirements are strong canon knowledge, reliability, and low-drama. Discretion of utmost importance as well. Payment is 10 knuts an appeal, any time one occurs. Fill out the form and apply!
Just for Fun
► Chelsea/interchanges invites you to talk about Fall TV.
► Ari/cadaver started a friending meme!
Don't forget to check out HIH on twitter and tumblr. @hihnews and fromplatform934.
Apply to be a:
Registered Animagus
HP Character
Writing Communities:
hh_sugarquill
Icon Making Communities:
sortedchallenge
hogwartsicons
Sponsored Shops
Attention Shop Owners!
Would you like to see your banner here? Then come over to this post to find out how!
By slumber
"Dear Dumbledore,
I heard a rumor that Professor McGonagall once turned a student into a toad for a whole week because they cheated on one of her tests! Is this true or is the rumor mill just stirring my nerves?
Sincerely.
I Don't Want To Be A Toad"
Dear I Don't Want To Be A Toad,
Perhaps it would ease your nerves best if you simply studied and put all thoughts of cheating out of your head.
Yours,
Albus
"Dear Dumbledore,
Do you ever get sick of ""troll in the dungeon"" jokes?
Sincerely,
Thought You Ought to Know"
Dear Thought You Ought to Know,
I might if I heard enough of them - why, have you got any?
Yours,
Albus
"Dear Dumbledore,
Have you ever considered shaving your beard off? Why do you keep it so long?
Signed,
WhoaYourBeardIsWayLong"
Dear WhoaYourBeardIsWayLong,
Why would I? It makes for very handy storage.
Yours,
Albus
"Dear Dumbledore,
Are you a cat or a dog person?
Animal Lover "
Dear Animal Lover,
I'm an all-human person!
Yours,
Albus
Write to Dumbles
You can write to your headmaster here; Dumbledore will try to respond to all letters, but there may be some delay before he gets to yours. All letters dealt with in strictest confidence.
If you would like to write an article for a future issue of the Daily Prophet, please comment at the signup sheet.
Term XXX, Issue 02 Page 2
By la_loony
hh_sugarquill
By monkiainen
It’s time to have another glimpse at the world of fanfiction in hh_sugarquill. Since the previous issue, much has been happening, so let’s take a look, shall we?
Have you read the fics and drabbles posted lately? If you haven’t, here are some tips on where to start. Cyn/cyn_ful gives us Payphone, where Draco and Hermione are visiting Harry and Pansy in Australia of all places. If you’re looking for something shorter, go and read The Silence After by Noelia/sickle_girl, a very heartbreaking drabble where Percy is trying to deal with Fred’s death. Jalen/jalenstrix has tackled this month’s fic challenge #165 with Encounters of the Close Kind. Last but not least, if crossovers are your thing, check out Where Magic Meets Mayhem by Kristine/flipflop_diva where Harry and Hermione cross paths with no other than Captain America and Black Widow.
The results for the first Writer’s Block of Term XXX are in! 1st place was shared by Evy/slumber and Kristine/flipflop_diva. Jenna/yaakov took 2nd place, and Jalen/jalenstrix came in third. Congratulations everyone! You can read all the entries here. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m looking forward to what the next Writer’s Block will be all about!
Everyone, remember to keep your eye on the weekly Saturday Specials - they are a good chance to earn some extra points for your house. On the weekend between 19 and 21 September, the prompt was simply “television” - I’m keeping my eyes to the weekends of the future!
Until the next issue, dear readers! Don’t forget to leave feedback to all the lovely authors of hh_sugarquill :)
hh_sugarquill sortedchallenge hogwartsicons
By evening12
Welcome to this little corner dedicated to graphics and art. Let's get things rolling with some results from sortedchallenge. Here are our first winners for the term! Challenge 1 saw Ravenclaw coming out on top with the most points. Ravenclaw's Bei/sapphoatsunset took home 1st place, while Kristine/flipflop_diva of Hufflepuff placed 2nd and Tiffany/growling of Slytherin placed 3rd. Best Colouring went to Meg/partitioning of Ravenclaw.
Challenge 2 saw some beautiful banners being submitted. Ravenclaw's Lou/alethiometric came in 1st place with a great Narcissa and Lucius friends only banner.
Avi/flyingharmony of Hufflepuff placed 2nd with Meg/partitioning of Ravenclaw placing 3rd. Bri/stilinskiargent of Hufflepuff received the award for "best use of dull color". Take a second to look for all of the winning graphics. We also have our banner makers for the term.
Evy/slumber of Ravenclaw
Meg/partitioning of Ravenclaw
Kristine/flipflop_diva of Hufflepuff
Our back-up banner makers are Nikki/nowheretogo26 of Hufflepuff and Bei/sapphoatsunset of Ravenclaw.
Over at hogwartsicons, we've had some great graphics being shared. Tiffany/growling of Slytherin took up the challenge of 20in20 icons with the theme of male characters. Here's a small sample.
Stop by Tiffany's post to see the rest of the icons.
From Hufflepuff, Crystal/bluemermaid shared some Luna Lovegood icons, and some Harry and Hermione Tumblr graphics.
Stop by Crystal's post to see all of the graphics.
We have been spoiled with some new art being posted at hh_sugarquill. Newcomer Maria/maferpotter219 of Hufflepuff posted a great Hermione and Snape drawing.
Stop by here to leave some comments. I certainly hope we see more of her drawings.
If you are a fan of Delphine/nearlyconscious of Ravenclaw, you are in luck because she posted something new in September. Here is her portrait of Lavender
Stop by Delphine's post to leave some comments. I certainly hope we see more of her drawings.
That's it for this edition of the Daily Prophet. To all our graphic and art makers, Halloween is just around the corner, why not find inspiration right there? If you want more art and graphics, do stop by our lovely communities. Keep on being creative and making beautiful work, and you might find yourself in the spotlight in our next edition!
hh_clubs
By lotrangel17
Welcome to another edition of Clubs for the Daily Prophet. It was a busy first month of the term. There were lots of nice results that included some really creative entries.
The Art Club's What Path Will You Choose? had some fun creative entries. The activity about choosing to be brave, wise or generous ended with Jenna/jennashaped of Slytherin with this beautiful first-place entry.
To see all the graphics, check out the voting page, and to see the rest of the winners, check out the results page.
Another activity that just oozes creativity was Sorters Anonymous A Me-Mix of House-iness. You can see all the fabulous House Mixes at the activity page. There are tons of amazing house-related fan mixes, and of course, my personal favorites were the Puff ones, but there are really awesome ones, like the one by Steph/alwaysawkward of Gryffindor
Her songs were I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga, and Heroes by David Bowie. Be sure and go check out all these house fan mixes!
Also in results were two activities that HiH'ers really seemed to get behind and earn points. Astronomy Club's Coloring Book Pages had results with 635 points earned, and The Art Club's Hanging Art had results with members earning 730 points! We do love coloring and playing hangman at HiH!
When this edition is published, there will still be time to earn a few points at Clubs as well. A bunch of different activities won't end until various times on the 30th, so check out Slug Club Something Smells Amazing, Healers' Association Healing Potions, and Insomniacs Midnight Strike.
Remember, there is always something do at hh_clubs! So instead of doing this:
do this!
By sapphoatsunset
"But soft, what light from yonder window breaks. It is the east and--” Ah, who are we kidding? This is Bei and we’re on our second installment of playing on the darkside. I guess I’ll just have to quote Othello for you all next time. After all, this ain’t no romcom!
Let’s hop right to it, shall we? We wouldn’t want to keep Vader waiting. XD
This time, we’ll be discussing personality traits on the darkside of each of our signs in a little bit more depth. Get ready for the laughter, and don’t worry, I have a pail of ice on standby for the burn. *wink* Or at least a Voldy hug
Aries
Goodness! Did anyone ever teach you the meaning of “consequences of your actions”? I guess not... Consequently, you’re a reckless, restless, confrontational sort, who also happens to really enjoy Me Time. I bet you think there is no other time, right? At least being easily distracted tempers your argumentative nature, or life could be quite painful for you. And despite being argumentative, your bitch rating is only C+. The fire comes and it goes without any conniving backstabbing to go with it. ♥
Taurus
Brightsiders might call you stubborn, but that’s really the least of your worries, isn’t it? Your major vice? Loving to posses ALL THE THINGS! And it’s never really enough, is it? And to top that off, you’re resistant to change! I think we have you pegged firmly to the 7th deadly sin of greed and avarice. Luckily, that doesn’t translate into anything more than a C+ bitch rating as well, so good on you! Watch out, though. There are some pretty notable exceptions to that rule, like Genghis Khan. Meep!
Gemini
Eternally youthful, or that’s what you’d have us believe. You’re really just in a permanent midlife crisis of your own making, aren’t you? Always needing entertainment to distract you from the idea that there’s something better just around the bend. And that charm, well, it’s a double-edged sword, isn’t it, landing you with a bitch rating of A++? Check those zingers at the door, please!
Cancer
Oh, you poor dear. Always seeking out gloom to protect against and prepare for the impending doom you’re sure is just around the corner. Life is pretty bleak, isn’t it? And you have the memory of an elephant, but only for negativity. It must be difficult to be you. Thankfully, you’re only a B+ on the bitch rating, though likely you’ll be upset that Gemini ‘beat’ you. Take a lesson from Kafka, a fellow Cancer, and cheer up, would ya?! *runs and hides*
Leo
Have you made it out of the terrible twos yet? It doesn’t seem likely. That bossy arrogance masked in courageous leadership can be too much, but luckily most people are none the wiser. Or they’re too scared of you to mention it. Either way, you’re adored by all - you frankly demand it, but you still only have a bitch rating of B++. I guess you’re not the King / Queen of everything after all. :P
Virgo
Ah, a detail-oriented peevish pervert. Wonderful! And you’re free with your advice too. Lest this sound too positive for any of our humor, please watch that A+ bitch rating. You say you’re kind? I think I must respectfully call shenanigans.
Libra
Aww, you’re an airhead’s airhead, aren’t you? Fickle and whimsical, you never learn, but at least you’re a masterful moocher. I suppose that makes up for the rest? And of course, being so changeable, so is your bitch rating. It can be either a D or an A+, just depending on how much effort your lazy self wants to put forth.
Scorpio
You take ‘dark’ to a whole other level, don’t you? I suppose you’re proud of your soul-sucking, meta-dark. Even ‘evil mastermind’ can’t fully describe you. And you take analysis to another level entirely. Luckily, people are generally too frightened of you to face off against you, but your overall craven wickedness lands you a bitch rating of A+. I suppose you’re proud of this?
Sagittarius
Gee, shucks. You sure are a tactless sort, aren’t you? Do you think you have anyone fooled with the ‘but I mean well’ routine? Hmm. You might at that, but not this author! When you’re not dousing people in unneeded truth, you’re off crashing brashly through barriers and generally wreaking havoc. And let’s not even mention commitment. Probably lost your attention already, didn’t I? XD Fear not, at least most will rank you at a D- bitch rating so you must be doing something right!
Capricorn
Persistent might be the generous way to describe the way you wear down opposition until the world falls in like with your petty, pessimistic, tight-fisted, and generally negative outlook on life. And god forbid anyone tease you for your stodgy ways! You hate the embarrassment to a level that only makes more malicious signs gleeful. In terms of bitch rating, you fall in line at a B++, not horrid, but not completely kind either.
Aquarius
Oh hi there, self. XD Good job making sure everyone knows you’re a cool, detached, distant, off-beat, freedom-loving loner. Putting your darkside on display like that was quite wise, because within our little bubble devoid of any concern for anyone’s emotions because, really, what are those? you’re safe from people’s reactions to your analysis of this. Or you just find it all the more intriguing that they had a ....is it called a feeling? Nevermind. You’re sure you’re just ahead of the rest of humanity in your nearly android-like state, sneaking around to spy and observe and catalog every reaction so you might replicate it at the appropriate moments. Only an A-- on the bitch rating scale, you’ve been known to occasionally fly higher than that upon meeting a worthy opponent, but really, how often do those appear? (Oops. Bei is not nice. :P)
Pisces
Confusing, and contradictory, you never seem to commit to one thing. If someone gets you to agree to something, you’ll just deny that agreement moments later, setting them back at square one. And your habit of helping people? That’s not really altruistic, is it? You just like having people dependent on your hero persona for survival. That’s what triggers your bitch rating of A-, because no sooner than you’ve helped people recover from their woes are you bringing them back down to a level where they need your irreplaceable support.
All material references Darkside Zodiac by Stella Hyde
Blah, blah, disclaimer. All in good fun. No harm intended by this column. Author does not really think people are this malicious. ♥
hih_animagus
By interchanges
Things are wrapping up at Animagus for the month, but there are still posts to check out!
Results for September's 1st activity, Animal ABCs, are up, with Hufflepuff leading the way. The 2nd September activity closes today, Monday, at 11:59pm UTC. It's called Find the Animagi and it's a word search with 20 HiH animagi in it.
Voting on the September Batch is now over, and the two applicants must now decide on their form. Hufflepuff earned the most points on voting this month. If you're curious how other people voted, you can read the unscreened votes here.
This term Animagus will have a trophy cabinet, complete with shiny badges for participating in the community. For more information, check out this post. The cabinet will be updated again after all this month's results have been posted.
While having an animagus form isn't required to participate in Animagus activities, it's a good idea to check whether you are still registered if you haven't participated in awhile. If you'd like to reclaim an animagus form you had in the past, you'll need to comment here. If you'd like a new form, and haven't reapplied in the past six months, you'll need to leave a comment here saying why your form no longer fits you in order to get the go ahead to reapply. And if you've never applied before, what are you waiting for? Buy The Standard Book of Spells Vol 1-3 from Diagon Alley, then submit your application here! There's still space in the October batch, and we'd love to have you!
hogsmeadewkends
By csichick_2
As Hogsmeade rapidly approaches, most of the goings on are happening behind the scenes.
Activity sign-ups and the banner contest have closed - keep your eyes peeled for more details.
However, the social directors have been announced. I’m sure Erin/erinm_4600, Kristine/flipflop_diva, Meg/partitioning, and Tiffany/growling have lots of exciting things in store for us.
Only three weeks to go!
Gross Gryffindors
If you've been unfortunate to pass the Fat Lady portrait, or walk under the Gryffindor's tower, you may have noticed the smell. If you think it smells like someone set off a school year's supply worth of dungbombs, you'd be correct. So far no one has fessed up to the act, but a few savvy Gryffindors are taking advantage of the situation by selling nose plugs to their housemates.
Lake Romance
I am utterly positive I saw a mereperson slinking up to the giant squid the other day. No one ever hangs out with the squid. Like, ever. So it must be romance no? Respectfully add that if it is true Hagrid is not allowed to try start a breeding programme?
OMG GUYS DID YOU KNOW?!
I heard that the Harry Potter is going to be a Broadway star? Hasn't he become so dreamy since the war ended and he became an actor?
Got gossip? Tell us here!
hh_flourish
By la_loony
Hello Flourish visitors,
It has been rather quiet around here, so just two quick things that you should know about:
+ SQ sized and animal tags are the themes that are hot and trending for this next month, so get ready!
+ We still have open spots for every house, so come and join us - we have merchandise shopkeeper icons! Slytherin and Ravenclaw have 3 spots open each, Gryffindor has 2 and Hufflepuff 1, so if you are interested in having a shop, just apply over here.
And now a word from our shopkeepers ... about their fellow shopkeepers.
1. What do you think is the story behind the shop name?
Meg/partitioning: Originally, I was thinking they are lyrics from Matchbox Twenty's "3 A.M." and I'm assuming that is where the name comes from.
Nikki/nowheretogo26: This feels like cheating because I know the actual answer to this one, but it's from the Matchbox Twenty song "Three A.M." :)
Martine/la_loony: No idea. It's probably some reference to a quote or a song maybe. Though it could also be just Olivia's favorite time because she is super productive at 3am or it's the best time for her to make graphics^^
2. Which three tags in the shop are your favorite?
Meg/partitioning:
I'm obsessed with the entire dark stock set, and this one is one of my favorites from that set. I love the way the image is framed in the crop and the centered text.
This set is so classy. I love the balance in the varying sizes of text. I think the snake tag in this set is the most aesthetically pleasing.
This one is so cool. I love the font and the bold colors. I'm jealous that I can't order it for myself!
Nikki/nowheretogo26:
This is such a clever idea for a tag! Everyone gets a really unique, special tag that's just for them :)
I love Liv's use of this font and differing sizes to create a really dynamic tag.
I'm obsessed with the coloring on this! Plus, I love the way she set up the name | house section. Very creative.
Martine/la_loony:
The colors are just so vibrant I really, really love that (also because it's Pacific Rim and that movie was awesomexD).
I mean, the whole Hogwarts subject collection is brilliant, the pictures chosen for each are so fitting and pretty.
The colorstrology tag is just sooooooo cool, and it's so awesome that Olivia checks for everyone individually which color the proper match is. Already got mine and I love the color and think it actually fits quite nicely. Everybody should get one :D
3. What kind of tags would you love to see from the shopkeeper?
Meg/partitioning: I'd love to see some more fandom offerings, and I'm looking forward to the animagus set that is "in progress".
Nikki/nowheretogo26: I would love some more fandom tags from Liv. Especially TV shows that we have in common ;) Maybe some Pretty Little Liars, or Sherlock!
Martine/la_loony: Because I am such a fandom person, I'd love to see more fandom tags from Olivia, especially from colorful shows like Pushing Daisies or Hannibal, I'm sure she'd make some amazing tags out of the caps.
What is the story behind your shop's name?
Olivia/ohcaptain: My shop name is partially a shout-out to my horrible tendency to procrastinate, but mostly a direct reference to one of my favorite songs of all time, 3 A.M. by Matchbox Twenty. My dad always had the radio on when I was growing up, and by the time I was in the eighth grade, I was pretty much obsessed with '90s alternative music. I think it was just one of those songs that you hear at a certain time in your life and it just sticks with you, you know?
1. What do you think is the story behind the shop name?
Meg/partitioning: I have no idea where the name comes from, but it makes me think of a cozy place, which I think fits Nikki very well.
Olivia/ohcaptain: I have never asked Nikki what the name of her shop means, but if I had to guess, I would say it maybe is a reference to her having her own shop where she can do things her way? Like a secret treehouse where no one can tell you what to do? (I might be looking too much into this.)
Martine/la_loony: I always took it pretty literal, that this is her secret hideaway where she stores all the wonderful things = tags she loves.
2. Which three tags in the shop are your favorite?
Meg/partitioning:
This is my favorite breed of dog so this is an obvious pick for me. Nikki has colored this tag so nicely, and it's also perfectly sharpened.
This isn't one of my fandoms, but I love the warm tone of the coloring, and I'm always a sucker for graphics that are dark on one side and light on the other. This is a perfect example of perfect cap choice and using the pink color of the text to highlight the color of the band-aid on her forehead.
I love the shape of the brush texture in this house pride set. It immediately caught my eye and was the first tag I ordered from Nikki's shop.
Olivia/ohcaptain:
Making a template that works with the huge variety of animagus forms is hard, and I love the combination of fonts that she used in this one.
My second favorite, because the colors are just so perfect and the composition is so wonderfully symmetrical that it looks flawless.
It showcases how Nikki can take a blah-colored screencap and turn it into a pretty tag with the purples, pale green and light grey.
Martine/la_loony:
Just look at it. I always have the feeling if I could just reach through my screen, I could grab that slice and eat it, because it's so perfectly sharpened.
I love pretty much everything about this tag: the slightly muted coloring, the crop and the text placement. It just all works so well together.
Believe it or not, but this tag got me to watch Elementary. When I saw this one in Nikki's shop, I felt like I needed to see where the picture came from because it is so pretty.
3. What kind of tags would you love to see from the shopkeeper?
Meg/partitioning: This shop is so large already it is hard to think of what could be added. Maybe some of the tv shows could be expanded? Some more Orphan Black? Sleepy Hollow? Hannibal? Season 4 of Teen Wolf?
Olivia/ohcaptain: Honestly, what doesn't Nikki have? She has literally HUNDREDS of tags available. The only thing my limited imagination can come up with is maybe something more text-heavy, like a typography-only series of her favorite television quotes? It's obvious that she's mastered the art of the screencap.
Martine/la_loony: That's tough because Nikki has such a huge shop already! Maybe movie tags? I think Nikki would make some stunning tags for Catching Fire for example.
What is the story behind your shop's name?
Nikki/nowheretogo26: My shop name was chosen because I was looking for an outlet for my graphic creativity and ended up settling on opening a Flourish shop. And it ended up being a secret little hideaway for me to express myself :)
1. What do you think is the story behind the shop name?
Meg/partitioning: It's a great name, but I don't know the specific meaning behind it. It reminds me of a song but the wording is different, so I don't think it's from that.
Olivia/ohcaptain: I have no idea what Martine's shop name means on a personal level...as a standalone name, I think it evokes a sort of whimsy and wanderlust, which is fun and makes me want to check it out.
Nikki/nowheretogo26: I don't know the story behind this one, but I have always loved this name. And it definitely fits with Martine's flair for stock image tags in her catalog. It's a really poetic, visual name!
2. Which three tags in the shop are your favorite?
Meg/partitioning:
This one just makes me so damn happy. This t-shirt design is exactly the type of thing that needs to be a tag.
I love the negative space and simplicity of this tag, and the text works really well.
Another funny one! I love the combination of the serious and funny statement.
Olivia/ohcaptain:
My favorite tag in Martine's shop probably. Her whole street art collection is awesome and really unique, and I had a lot of trouble picking which one I liked the best, but I think the one I chose is the best example of her creative composition - her font choice and placement is awesome.
My second favorite. I find this tag really interesting because, in theory, white text on a pale yellow background shouldn't work, but somehow it does and it looks great. I love the font choices as well.
My third favorite and it should be noted that I don't even watch B99. I just enjoy how she chose to crop the image, which allowed for the focus to be on the username and house, while still having a fun cap that was colored nicely.
Nikki/nowheretogo26:
I love this bright, vibrant coloring!
I needed to pick at least one animal tag from all the stock tags. And look at how precious this one is!
Martine's nature tags give me life. This one is so gorgeous, with the colors and the script font.
3. What kind of tags would you love to see from the shopkeeper?
Meg/partitioning: Martine lists "vintage cameras" in her interests, and I think that would make a great theme for a stock set.
Olivia/ohcaptain: I would be really interested if Martine was to make a "Lost in the Woods" themed bunch of tags, with nature and stock images. I think that would fit really nicely with her shop, and allow her to experiment with the variety of fonts that are present throughout her catalog.
Nikki/nowheretogo26: Martine has done a million stock tags, but I would love to see more kitty tags from her! I never say no to more kitty tags ;)
What is the story behind your shop's name?
Martine/la_loony: I think it started with the first Flourish Bazaar, because my stall there was called Lost in the Woods. I really fell in love with the picture I used for the banner because the woman just looks like she is lost in these woods, but doesn't really care because it is just a magnificent place to be at. So I eventually changed my shop name and banner.
1. What do you think is the story behind the shop name?
Olivia/ohcaptain: I feel like this shop name is a very specific reference. To what, I have no idea, but I am sure it is a very specific thing. Now I feel like I am not cool enough to sit with the cool kids since I don't know what it is referencing.
Nikki/nowheretogo26: If I'm not mistaken, I think it's from Skyrim? I know Meg loves to take names for shops and things from Skyrim, haha.
Martine/la_loony: It sounds like a pub or a play maybe. Second one is probably more likely so I guess it is maybe a title of a story or poem or something like that? A pub with that name sounds fun though xD
2. Which three tags in the shop are your favorite?
Olivia/ohcaptain:
I love everything Orphan Black, but I really like this tag in particular because not only is it a cap that I would never have thought to use in a tag, but the composition of it is just really interesting to me.
My second choice, because I am a sucker for big, bold fonts and I love the hint of shadow Meg added to the text. It really makes it pop.
Third one because OMG HOW CAN YOU MAKE A SIGTAG THAT SAYS “IS A FAN OF URANUS” SO CUTE? It is ridiculous.
Nikki/nowheretogo26: SOPHIE'S CHOICE. This is the worst ;___;
This is such a simple, beautiful tag. I love the colors and the basic font and ♥
I'm biased because I adore Scar, BUT I also love the way Meg utilized fonts in this tag. The way she juxtaposed the name and house is so innovative!
I had to pick one of the 200 new dog tags, and this one is just too cute for words. It's a simple, cute idea for a tag and I'm in love!
Martine/la_loony:
The cutie planets are just one of the cutest things I have seen around the shops that are open right now.
As a fan of negative space, this immediately caught my eye. And I think the coloring is spot on as well as the font choice.
This is just one awesome cap Meg picked here, really like how she cropped it and managed to add text that hardly interrupts the picture.
3. What kind of tags would you love to see from the shopkeeper?
Olivia/ohcaptain: I love the coloring of the Her and Harry Potter tags, so I would love to see more live-action things made in that same style - I think Teen Wolf or Captain America: The First Avenger would work well with it. (And I am totally not just saying that because I want to be able to order all of those tags from her if she does make them…) Also, I just want to say that I also am a big fan of Meg’s formatting of her shop; it looks so fresh and clean and flawless that I am a bit jealous.
Nikki/nowheretogo26: I would love to see Meg play with vector images some more. I adored her latest update with the dogs, so maybe some more animal tags. Or perhaps some more Disney tags, because I loved her The Lion King ones!
Martine/la_loony: I think Meg has a great eye for fonts and their placement so I'd love to see some text only tags and what she does with some quotes/lyrics etc.
What is the story behind your shop's name?
Meg/partitioning: The short answer is that The Bee and Barb is the name of one of the inns/taverns in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the one in my favorite town in the game. My shop at GameofCards is also an inn in Elder Scroll IV: Oblivion, so I knew I wanted to use the name of a shop or tavern from the same universe. I ended up with The Bee and Barb because a) it's in one of my favorite towns, b) I liked the alliteration in the name, and c) it was the most pleasing of the available lj community names on my list of finalists.
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This has been the Flourish Column. Stay tuned next for pretty tags that will secretly snatch your soul.
This will help you find them.
Have fun at Flourish HiH, have fun!
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Click here for Part 2: House News!