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• [HOW TO] Links and photos in Red Bubble
  by Craig Shillington

  I thought I would do a separate and hopefully less complicated How To in regards to making links and showing Jpg files in RB. There s…

  I thought I would do a separate and hopefully less complicated How To in regards to making links and showing Jpg files in RB. There seems to be a lot of confusion as to how these things work. So find the part you are interested in learning, maybe open up and edit an old Journal Entry and practice. VBS A URL is simply the text that shows up in your Browser Window Address Bar (up the very top), the line that starts with http:// If I refer to the URL, that is what I am talking about. ALL CODE IS WRITTEN WITHOUT SPACES Some wrapping of longer lines of code will occur within this Journal Entry, regardless of what the lines look like, code is always one continuous line WITHOUT spaces TEXT LINKS Sometimes it’s nice to have a text link when we are conversing to others in Red Bubble to help people share information, or to allow them to see another web page that has something to do with the convo. Maybe you like to include songs from YouTube with your work and want to share those Videos and music with others. Anytime you want someone to be able to link to another webpage somewhere, you can make a line of text (or one word) clickable to that link and it’s really easy to do. :) All you do is wrap the text you want people to see as a link, in qoutes {“} then add a colon {:} and then the URL. So let’s say you wanted to link to my Porfolio so people can have a look at buying something off me HEHEHE ... all you need to do is open up my portfolio page in your browser to get the URL from your browsers address bar and just type the name of the link text wrapped in quotes, followed by a colon, then the url so it would look like this (with no spaces) : ” Craig Shillington’s Portfolio ” : http://www.redbubble.com/people/crackers1967/portfolio Craig Shillington’s Portfolio is wrapped in quotes, so that is the text people will see. http://www.redbubble.com/people/crackers1967/portfolio is the link we want the text to click too When you type that within Red Bubble without the spaces you get this : Craig Shillington’s Portfolio So, abbreviated – to make a text link in Red Bubble you would type this in as code: ” text ” : link Replacing the text and link for yours and no spaces. DISPLAYING JPG’S GIF’S PNG’S ETC Please try to keep the size of these files small, both in dimensions and in download size, as if you use a lot of bigger files, the pages you put them on will load more slowly and that might piss people off!! Okay, you look around and you notice somehow people are actually making it so that you can see the thumbnail photos of thier works, or others have cool little animated gifs showing. Well … if you can bring up a photo by itself in your browser, you can show it in Red Bubble!! And again, it’s really really easy. If you want to know the link to any photo you can see in your browser window, right click on the image itself (PC Users … sorry Mac users, maybe someone can help me here) and go down to properties. In the window that opens up you will see a section that has the image properties and the location (or URL). That is the link we need to show that image. I use a little rotating Note near all the links to Videos throughout my Portfolio, so I will be using that as an example here. This applies to ANY image you want to display though. First, right click on this LINK and open in a new Window or Tab. That way you can still read this and flick back to the link to practice. :) You will notice at the top of my description for the photo, I have used the Text Link method described above to link to the Video of that Song in YouTube. And right next to that link, to draw attention to the link, I have my little rotating Note :) Right Click on the little rotating Note and go to Properties. In the box that opens you will see the Image Properties and A URL to the Image. It should be this: http://home.people.net.au/ ~ casphotography/notes-15.gif That is the link to where I have the Note.gif Stored. And that is all you need to know for any image, the URL that will show just that image in your Browser. If you copy that link to your browser Address Bar (with no spaces) and hit Enter … all you should see is an empty page with the little note rotating in the top left corner. PERFECT!! If you can open any image in this way, you have the URL in the Address Bar. If you copy a link to your Address Bar and it doesn’t just show the image, something is wrong. Most Image URL will end in JPG, GIF or PNG. There are some exceptions, but there should be one of those somewhere in the URL. Okay, so we have the URL, how do we make the image show in Red Bubble. Where you want the image to be shown, paste or type the URL. Then at the very start and the very end of the URL (with no spaces) put EXCLAMATION MARKS {!} So my note would then be (without spaces): ! http://home.people.net.au/ ~ casphotography/notes-15.gif ! And in Red Bubble will look like this: So, abbreviated – to make an image show in Red Bubble you would type this in as code: ! URL ! Replacing the URL with the URL for the image and no spaces. IMAGE LINKS Okay, so we know and understand now how to make links and also how to display images in Red Bubble. If you don’t, go back and understand it because this next bit could be very confusing if you don’t ;) We know we can show an image, and we know we can make links to text. So can we make an image work as a link? YES!! VBS And it’s sorta easy if you understand what the code is doing and how it works. I will be using my Message Me button link in my profile for this example. Because that is an Image that links to my message board and so you can leave me a message ;) Here is the link to my Profile The very first button I have in there is the Message me Button. When you click on it, it takes you to my Journal Entry I set up for people to message me in. So I know the link … all I need to get now is the URL of the button. Easy, again, right click the Message Me Button and goto Properties, look at the Image Properties and the URL there … It should be this: http://home.people.net.au/ ~ casphotography/m.gif We know from above, to display an image we wrap it in Exclamation Marks, so to show that in Red Bubble we’d type (no spaces): ! http://home.people.net.au/ ~ casphotography/m.gif ! Which will show as: Okay, we have the image up and working, how do we link to it? Exactly the same way we link to text from above. Simply follow the code with a colon {:} and the link you want people to goto when they click the image. In this case my Message Board: http://www.redbubble.com/people/crackers1967/journal/show/30445 So the whole line of code would look like this (no spaces .. and ignore the word wrap, this is all one single line): ! http://home.people.net.au/ ~ casphotography/m.gif ! : http://www.redbubble.com/people/crackers1967/journal/show/30445 When typed with no spaces and on one line it looks like this: So, abbreviated – to make an image show in Red Bubble that links to a URL you would type this in as code: ! URL ! : link Replacing the URL with the URL for the image, and link for the URL of the link to click to and no spaces. View all my HOW TO’S

• [HOW TO] Sets in your Profile
  by Craig Shillington

  A lot of people are asking how to do the links to sets of photos or works in our profiles … so I thought I would outline it here for th…

  A lot of people are asking how to do the links to sets of photos or works in our profiles … so I thought I would outline it here for those of you that would like that option. First thing is to have sets in mind and tags to associate with those sets. Then … make sure you have those tags on the photos you want in each set. This way a photo can actually be in more than one set if you like :) Then …. to make the links in your profile: (I’ll use my tree tag as an example) / you type the set name followed by the link to all your photos tagged with tree like this ….. but without the spaces: ” Trees ” : http://www.redbubble.com/people/crackers1967/art/everything/tags/tree When you do this without the spaces you get this: Trees / Edit your Profile and place the set code somewhere within the About Me section. I place mine down a little lower because for some reason long lines get cut when you view your Profile on your Overview page, it looks neater down lower and only viewable when someone clicks on the more link. You should be able to copy and paste that line with the spaces and just change the word, tag name and username, then remove the spaces and go for your life. :) You can also bullet the list by placing a hash and then a space before the whole lot and it looks like this: Trees / / The easiest way to see what your username is, is to open up RedBubble and click on View your public Profile. Look in the address bar of your browser and it will show you your username at the end of the address: http://redbubble.com/people/ username View all my HOW TO’s

• Red bubblers - Pay It Forward
  by Julie Langford

  Here are the number one favorite images of some Redbubble members and the RB team. / / It was a really tough task for most people to only…

  Here are the number one favorite images of some Redbubble members and the RB team. / / It was a really tough task for most people to only choose ONE image as their absolute favorite, so Thank you all who took part – Now go buy your fav – treat yourself after your hard work. / / DON’T FORGET – you can still take part in this awesome joint effort This journal is ongoing and I can add more Pay It Forward choices, just bubblemail me your number one favorite, and tell me why you love it. Julie Langford / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Dignified By Steve Bulford / / Julie said about this image / / I was really lucky as I had two favorites that I really couldn’t choose between. as one [Monkey Day Spa] was chosen by someone else for Pay It Forward, I could choose Dignified, above. This image for me just shows the Mountian Gorilla for what it really is. A beautiful and intelligent being, capable of emotion, love, care and understanding. The photograph is stunningly beautiful and technically perfect in every way. I adore this piece of art, in my eyes, it is a true masterpiece. / / Yvonne Emerson GLA / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / - / Our Lady Of The Abortion – By ImageShifter / / Yvonne said about this image / / Its a passionate piece, It is just very emotional to me. I really cannot articulate it with words. Very few art pieces do that to me but this is one of them. Tech wise its perfectly layered, and the lighting definitely sets the mood. The young girl holding the unborn child. It moves me. For lack of a better word. If you cannot use this due to my lack of a better explanation I understand. Wish I could put into word what this image does to my heart. / / Darren Sharp / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Meachs Bogwopit By Randy Monteith / / Darren said about this image / / The detail in this is amazing, all of Randy’s work is unblievable Trace Lowe / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Love me By Antanas / / Trace said about this image / / It is a moving piece that evokes so many thoughts and emotions. Simply beautiful! Or, as antanas always coments, Perfect. / Linda Syms / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / / Tracks in the Snow By Dave Warren / / Linda said about this image / / I just love the treatment on this image. / Paul Tupman / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Beach Dancer By Peter Beck / Paul said about this image / / There is so much life in the picture, both in the subject and use of colours.. you are carried away by the sense of movement and it’s as if the colours are dancing along with the guy to the music! Brilliant framing and fantastic work in Post Processing, a very powerful and timeless image that was easily a favourite for me! / wdavies285 / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / By The Light Of The Pale Blue Moon By Julie Langford / / Wayne said about this image / / I love that it is just the local lake but it has been turned into something so spectacular / Bonnie Taylor Barry / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Meditation For The Young By Robert Boretti / / Bonnie said about this image / / He captured something so special here in the face of his angelic little daughter. Lucindawind / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Monkey Day Spa By Robert Mulner / / Lu said about this image / / This is just one of the most wonderful animal shots on here but I LOVE this … its an incredible shot …one that should be in National Geographic ..its heartwarming and shows devotion and caring from another speices other then ourselves Dave Moilanen / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / The Swans Lament By lumineux / / Dave said about this image / / Marion created a loving tribute to little Axel here with a loving blend of thoughtfulness and heartfelt emotion. This piece really pulls at the heart strings in a very positive way. I find great comfort in this work because every time I view it I can picture little Axel being comforted in the arms of an angel. Robin Webster / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Birth By Coffeebean / / Robin said about this image / / The reason I love this shot first is the emotion it evokes in me. I love its simplicity, its beauty, the colors and softness of focus. It makes me realize anew the wonder of nature. Every spring when I look at my garden starting to grow I am reminded of how wonderful nature is. How can this be? How can something so delicate break through the hard ground and grow to something so beautiful? This photograph moved me to spring and its wonder. I sat there staring at it for the longest time and my heart was happy.. Meach / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Quiet Please By ichard Utin / / Meach said about this image / / I like it because it sums up the art of being a photographer – Great observation to find the little creature in the first place and the technical skills to capture it without disturbing it. Emma Anderson / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Friends By Ellen / / Emma said about this image / / I love this photograph for it’s simplicity and for it’s beauty, it shows a side to rats that most people don’t see and assume is not there, they are wonderful creatures and this photograph pretty much sums that up for me. Artistically it is clever, witty and bright. It makes me happy. That is why I love it! :). Faizan Qureshi / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Guitar Head By brokedownmelodies / / Faizan said about this image / / I love it because of its minimal detail yet it tells you so much. Love the sketchy look of the guitar against the silhouette of the man. The background colour adds a real touch to it as well. I can’t believe that it doesn’t have any comments. Ronnileigh / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Santa Claus Is Coming To – By Ivy Izzard / / Ronnileigh said about this image / / The first time I seen “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” I fell in love with it. I, can feel the emotion of the children, it tugged at my heart. The terrior and tears just melted my heart. It looked to me the baby had cried it’self to sleep from exhaustion. Then you have Santa looking mean and about to find them. This piece is so life like. RachelJayne / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Cheers By Diana Calvario / / Rachel said about this image / / This photo has great concept and execution. The composition is pleasing. It has simplicity in design and yet is complex in technique. Overall it is an excellent piece of work.. Maria Dryfhout / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Yes Lord By tmlstrsc / / Maria said about this image / / The reason why I chose that image as my favorite is because it displays such child-like faith. We could learn from such simple faith… Also, it is so angelic and innocent. Sean Farragher / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Birdsong By Kim Roper / / Sean said about this image / / It’s peaceful, beautiful,and I never cease to be amazed by it. Michelle Hogan / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / The Resting Frog By Christopher Cooper / / Michelle said about this image / / The reasons that the frog is my favourite: / Vivid real life colours / Very detailed image. / I love the frogs mannerism, he is just chillin out on a leaf, he looks so content. / The painting is not a photo, however the image looks so real and beautiful. Danae Leach / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / First Taste Of Rain By Nancy Coyle / / Danae said about this image / / This is one of my most faves. I love children so much and their innocence, pure happiness and complete faith in all things good and magical. I remember when I used to be little and I loved being out in the summer rains. Zandria / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Hand in Hand By Andy Smylie / / Zandria said about this image / / This simple image of an elderly couple holding hands says sooo much. / You can see how much they love each other. How they are best friends. How they are truly content in life. How they have worked hard. How they value family. / It evokes an endless story of life and love. One that I hope to achieve with my best friend, my husband. Simply perfect. cvdad / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Let The Sun Shine In By Darrell Moseley / / Russ said about this image / / This photo took me back in time, about 30-35 years, when I was living with my parents and siblings. We had a farm with a barn very similar to this one. In late afternoon, the sun would shine through the boards just like in Darrell’s photo. Instant time warp to a wonderful age of hard work, fun, and a lifetime of memories. / / Jo O’Brien / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Waiting Time By gaapstudio / / Jo said about this image / / This image is really hitting all my buttons right now. It has a yesteryear feel to it with a modern edge, gorgeous women, crisp understated colours and I love the slightly ‘posed’ look of the characters. Shane Smart / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Equidisant Acumen By Steven Sandner / / Melanie Dooley / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Still Life In A Vase By Cadence / / Melanie said about this image / / When I first joined RB I saw this image and bought a canvas of it – it hangs on my dining room wall. I was very inspired by the colours, composition and textures. I know the artist is proud of this image – as she should be. It embodies everything I aspire to as a beginner/hobby digital artist. Leeo / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / More cotton Wool By Andrew Bosman / / Leeo said about this image / / Foggy images are one of my all time faves, and this is one of the best that I have ever seen! The fog / low cloud is just incredible! The lighting on the cliff faces of the blue mountains is just beautiful & the Anticrepuscular Rays in the sky just finish it off beautifully! Rhana Griffin / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Life Is Fragile By Mark German / / Rhana said about this image / / I love it simply because it is the only image that I have seen so far that I want hanging in my home. It just sends me… Shane Walker / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Beautiful British Columbia By Bluetiger / / Shane said about this image / / The clarity and colors of this is astounding, the HDR look as well, so sharp and heaps of reflections, your eye just wanders around this, so much to look at, to me its the best landscape I have seen for a very long time, it has water, clouds, trees, folage, forest, ble skies, and heaps more. Celia Coulter / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Never Quit Searching By hatefueled / / Celia said about this image / / Why do I love it, I guess the textures, the colours and for whatever undefinable reason that the artwork inspires a sense of wonder in me / / Silvia Manuela / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Sunset through the bushes By daviesboys / / Silvia said about this image / / I love it because to me it captures the magic of nature, the transition from day to night, and a great show of the different textures that nature gives us Peter / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / When Will You Be Back By Laurence Garçon / / Peter said about this image / / For me it captures an aspiration – a desire to be in a environment of style and panache – and it’s framed in a dream lacking colour and solidity – highlighting the remoteness of the aspiration (Melbourne’s great but it’s no Paris) / / Stuart Chapman / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Lever De Soleil By Robert Birze / / Stuart said about this image / / As a lover of seascapes, i’m instantly drawn to the gorgeous composition, that lovely colourful sky and the sun that is reflected so gorgeously on the rocks. / What sets it apart from all the others for me is the human element. The lady looking out of shot adds so much mystery and depth and the loose red shawl just adds to the colourings and adds to the floaty lazy feel of the shot. / An image I never tire of looking at so thanks for giving me a nudge to see it again / angelandspot / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Hope With TrEaSuReDiMaGeS By angelandspot and TrEaSuReDiMaGeS / / angelandspot said about this image / / This is one of mine but it is my favorite on RB because someone I do not even know in person took the time and effect to create something wonderful for me. Mark German / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Portrait Of A Woman By modernlifeform / / Mark said about this image / / This painting effects me every time I see it. The rich, red colour contrasting with the pale skin – it is sublime. I follow every curve with my eyes, from the thin wisp of hair to the knuckled hand. I find myself transfixed with the beauty. / / lumineux / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Angel Of Baghdad By shayne2011 / / Marion said about this image / / Of all the awe-inspiring art to chose from on this site, this image was the one that instantly sprang to mind when I first read Julies journal entry. As much as I identify with the artists inspiration behind this piece, I also believe that his powerful imagery of intense anguish and torment stands up so well on its own, without title or explaination. For me, that makes it a truly exceptional artwork. / / TrEaSuReDiMaGeS / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Snake Hunter By bobbymcleod / / Debs said about this image / / This is my all time favorite piece on redbubble. This was a very difficult choice to make!!! I have such a passion and love for nature but most of all……the birds of prey. So I gravitated in that direction. The piece I chose is of a bird of prey. It’s titled “Snake Hunter” by bobbymcleod. I love this brilliant shot and have chosen this to be my favorite. One reason being, that you don’t see many shots of these eagles. And secondly, these eagles like so many birds of prey……. have such power/determination in their eyes and they are just so incredibly beautiful!! Bobby has captured all of those elements in his brilliant photo of this stunning Bateleur Eagle. / / Colin Tobin / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Carousel By Deborah Parkin / / Colin said about this image / / It looks like many people here had a difficult time selecting just one all time favorite image. I am glad to say that for me it was incredibly simple. Carousel, by Deborah Parkin was actually the first thing I favorited when I joined this site. Carousel is an extremely poignant image for me. As a child I had several irrational fears and this image reminds me of the way I viewed the world back then: with an extreme sense of wonder and curiosity, clouded by caution and anxiety. Carousel speaks to me in a way that no other photo on Redbubble does. / / Dave Warren / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Bedtime By Richard Shepherd / / Dave said about this image / / This is such a beautiful haunting image that I look at time and time again and every time I do, I expect to see an old person come on to the image to get his shoes, i just love it! / / funkyfacestudio / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Ibrahim of Arabia By AL Neaimi / / Lisa said about this image / / This was a wow ! photograph for me, It is perfect in so many ways that it almost seems like a fantasy……too many adjectives to describe it. / / randi1972 / / / / Chose this piece as his all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Secret Journey By Randy Monteith / / Randi1972 said about this image / / I think it is the most creative and moving pieces of art that I have ever seen. / franziska p / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Frecled Flower By Veronica Pisica / / franziska said about this image / / I simply love how surreal this photo is, and how veronica created this surrealism with only a few simple elements. the picture seems like a b&w portrait, but it’s a very special way of portraiture. / / Judith Winde / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / They Come And Go By Paul Tupman / / Judith said about this image / / would like to submit my selection of the photo that made the biggest impact on me, and that is “They Come and Go” by Paul Tupman.. Having been to Stonehenge and experiencing the mysticism of its existence, seeing the enormity of the stones, and marveling at the monumental spirit and drive it took for whoever it was that constructed this wonder, I couldn’t imagine being able to convey the essence of Stonehenge with a photograph, but Paul Tupman proved me wrong. To me, his photo is truly a masterpiece! / / Aloramyst / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Lotus By Jarko / / Aloramyst said about this image / / This is an amazing piece of artwork that stirs my soul. The textures, the depth of colors, and the raw beauty of being a woman. I relate to it in many ways. The model is a brunette who shows strength of character, and empowerment. It makes a bold strong statement, yet is subdued with the soft colors. Can’t say enough about it. I love it! Kim Roper / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Josh And His Bear By Annette Blattman / / Kim said about this image / / This piece evokes the wonder and innocence of childhood, the colours and tones are wonderful, and the silhouette of the boy and his bear create mood and atmosphere! / / Jan Piller / / / / Chose this piece as her all time favorite piece of art on Redbubble / / / Blue Tent In The Early Morning Mist By bertspix / / Jan said about this image / / The mood in this image is to die for!!!

• [INFO] Welcome to Red Bubble :)
  by Craig Shillington

  I am adding this Journal entry for all my friends and contacts that I have invited to Red Bubble from other Photography Sites etc. So man…

  I am adding this Journal entry for all my friends and contacts that I have invited to Red Bubble from other Photography Sites etc. So many of you have already joined and it is really heartwarming to see you all here. I know it can be a little hard to understand how the Bubble works so hopefully I can make it a little easier for you by directing you all to this Journal Entry (JE) to give you some hints and tips on making the most out of Red Bubble :) :) Thank you so much for joining or at least having a look :) :) VBS HomePage and RedBubble Page. First off I would suggest adding these to your contacts. :) By adding these three into your contacts, you will receive information on the Red Bubble community into your Activity monitors. That way you will know right away about importance changes and announcements :) :) Selling you Works Okay, okay. I admit it …. that is what really attracted me to Red Bubble to begin with ;) It’s not so much the sales for me now and you will understand that the longer you stay involved with Red Bubble and the wonderful Community vibe here. But yes, we all want to sell our works and make money. :) :) Red Bubble has many options for selling our works and are introducing new options all the time. Ranging from Cards … all the way up to Fully Framed Prints. These are the dimensions for the files that you will want to have your works to be able to sell in each category: Cards: about 1300 by 900 pixels (1 megapixel) Small wall art print: about 1600×2400 pixels (4 megapixels) Medium wall art print: about 2160×3240 pixels (7 megapixels) Large wall art print: about 2560×3840 pixels (10 megapixels) For t-shirts, please upload PNGs that are 12” x 16” in size, with pixel dimensions of 2400×3200 pixels. You can access a template for t-shirt designs The Forum Red Bubble has a wonderful Forum where we can become so much more involved community wise :) It’s a great place to meet new people and also have deep and meaningful discussions and a wide range of varied topics or simply have fun :) The Forum also includes important updates you may miss and has many FAQ’s etc regarding Red Bubble itself. It might pay to have a look around in there too. To get to the forum, click on the People Tab at the top of the screen … then look down the bottom of the page that opens. Or you can click HERE Personalizing your Profile Some of us like to Personalize our Profile pages … or even just add quirky parts of ourselves to our pages and posts. Red Bubble does not use HTML, it uses a basic form of a code called Textile. It’s a fairly simple code to follow, so if you wanna know how to make a link, add a small picture and similarly personalize yourself here, I have written a few [HOW TO] ’s, hopefully explaining in simple terms how to do certain things using the code that Red Bubble uses. RSS If you are familiar with RSS, Red Bubble offers feeds on the Forum and also on every bodies Portfolio and Journal Pages. Keep an eye on the HomePage for any updates to this in the future. Simple Text Formatting As we are typing we can make our words Bold etc. by formatting the text we are using, here are some of the more basic ones you might want to use from time to time. I need to put spaces here so you can see the code, so when you use these, type them out without any spaces at all for them to work :) :) type * BOLD * – To make text BOLD / type _ ITALIC _ – To make text ITALIC / type ^ SMALL UP ^ – To make text SMALL UP / type ~ SMALL DOWN ~ – To make text SMALL DOWN / type + UNDERLINED + – To make text UNDERLINED / type – CANCELLED – - To make text CANCELLED type * * * with no spaces and a blank line before and after makes a horizontal line So I can make text bold italic small and small , underlined and oops, I didn’t really mean that ;) To make text clickable to a link, wrap the text in quote marks {“} add a colon {:} and then the link (with no spaces): ” text ” : http://www.linkhere.com If you can think of something handy for someone new that should be included here, please let me know and I will add it in :) :) Enjoy and have fun :) :) View all my INFO’s

• "REDBUBBLE Exposure"
  by Aphoto4You IPA

  Due to REDBUBBLE excistance and my PORTOFOLIO exposure on Redbubble BUYER contacted me from a known MAGAZINE and i have sold Ph…

  Due to REDBUBBLE excistance and my PORTOFOLIO exposure on Redbubble BUYER contacted me from a known MAGAZINE and i have sold Photo for Magazine COVER…for a awsome fee…Thank you Buyer and thank you Redbubble for having me here…Thank you all for supporting my work graciously… This is a Photo for magazine “OREGON SPECTACULAR“ / I am on CLOUD NINE and Oregon I BE THERE in 2008

• T-shirt colour guide with Red Bubble conversion (Updated 22 May)
  by Chris Wahl

  I’ve posted this over at the forums but I thought it was important to post here as well. The following chart was made to help take the…

  I’ve posted this over at the forums but I thought it was important to post here as well. The following chart was made to help take the guess work out of how your t-shirt design colours will look after Red Bubble’s colour conversion. I simply took a CMYK swatch palette from Photoshop and put it on a t-shirt in Redbubble. As a result, all the colours were converted. Update- I’ve now added coordinates so you can easily find the relating colours between each swatch set. -In the first block of swatches is an extensive range of CMYK colours which you can use while in RGB or CMYK mode to colour your designs. On the bottom is how these colours will be converted on RB’s shirt design preview. For a larger version of the colour guide you can go here (copy and paste in your browser)- http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/1130/tshirtcolourguidenewwl6.jpg Hope this helps everyone.

• Redbubble break
  by Mel Brackstone

  Arrggghhh….I’m going to miss you all so much! Leaving tomorrow for a second honeymoon in NZ….not going to be much time for the bub, s…

  Arrggghhh….I’m going to miss you all so much! Leaving tomorrow for a second honeymoon in NZ….not going to be much time for the bub, so I’ll just have to say hooroo and will catch up with you all when I return. Gotta go pack – cameras, lenses, tripod, cable release, lee filters, batteries, battery chargers, power leads, extension cord, powerboard….these are all essential, of course. Clothing and toiletries are optional extras… Take care all you lovely people, I’ll log in if I can, but it’s not going to happen often, I suspect.

• MIRROR MIRROR... FUN COMPETITION: BEST SELF PORTRAIT IN THE MIRROR
  by Alateia

  RULES ARE: Your Self Portrait must show the MIRROR, YOURSELF and the CAMERA and you must be a member of the SHOOTERS GALLERY TO BE AW…

  RULES ARE: Your Self Portrait must show the MIRROR, YOURSELF and the CAMERA and you must be a member of the SHOOTERS GALLERY TO BE AWARDED / PRIZE IS A $20 RED BUBBLE VOUCHER., ....(er hem, dont spend it all at once)! So post away!! Competition closes 30 JUNE winner announced 1st July. / here is an example. / HOW TO ADD THE IMAGE UP HERE??? / 1. Ok, so you have added it to your gallery, / 2. you go to the public view of it / 3. you right clik / 4. scroll down to properties / 6. copy that / 7. come here and paste it between two exclamation marks no spaces / and VOILA!!! i will c u, ... c-ing u !

• Afghanistan Photos...
  by Antanas

  AFGHANISTAN LIFE Revised 2008 05 16 CLICK PHOTO if you want view !http://images-1.redbubble.com/img/art/cropped/size:small/v…

  AFGHANISTAN LIFE Revised 2008 05 16 CLICK PHOTO if you want view

• Red Bubble Tip #1: Adding a Portfolio Banner to Your Red Bubble Profile Page
  by bchrisdesigns

  I am not sure if someone else has already posted a tutorial on this, so I thought I would have a go at it. I read “this (How to add a Po…

  I am not sure if someone else has already posted a tutorial on this, so I thought I would have a go at it. I read this very insightful tutorial by admin Xavier Shay about posting a Portfolio into an email signature. I was toying around with the code, and discovered how to place the code on your Red Bubble profile page. I have noticed that some people have already figured out how to do this, so there are some who probably already know about this. I, however, did not know this until I toyed around with it and, so, I am sure that there others out there who might find this of value. I would first recommend that you read Xavier’s post and the comments that follow, as they were a very big help in learning how to do this. (1) The first step is to use the image location link that was provided in the forum tutorial: http://redbubble.com/people/username/recipe:banner;back_color:ffffff;orientation:horizontal;limit:4/username_banner.jpg (2) Next, paste this image location link somewhere in your “About Me” section between exclamation points, like this: !place the image location link here! (3) Now, notice the bold areas of the above link. You must insert your Red Bubble username (not your real name) where it says username (there are two spots in the link where you have to do this). So, my link would like like this: http://redbubble.com/people/bchrisdesigns/recipe:banner;back_color:ffffff;limit:4_;orientation:_horizontal;/bchrsidesigns_banner.jpg Can you tell where I have replaced “username” with “bchrisdesigns”? (4) Finally, if you take note of the italicized text in the image location link directly above, you will notice that the values of “back_color”, “orientation”, and “limit” are all italicized. These values are yours to control and manipulate to get the proper look and feel that you would like on your page. back_color: is the image’s background color, which you can change to any color using the standard HTML Color Code. Note, that you do not need to use the # (pound sign) that normally precedes HTML Color Code (i.e. ”#ffffff”) – you just need the code (i.e. “fffffff”). #ffffff is the color code for “white”. limit: is the number of thumbnails that will be seen in your banner. I have experimented with this in my blog and have discovered that the most you can set it to is “6”. On your Red Bubble profile page, the most you can really set it to is “4” for horizontal images and “6” for vertical images orientation: is the way your portfolio will be seen. This can be changed to either “horizontal” (from side-to-side) or “vertical” (up and down). And, that is it. Once you have decided how you want your image to look, just save your profile and presto! You’ve got a nifty banner on your page. BUT… If you would like your banner to be click-able, you need to add a link code to it, such as: ”! image location here ! ( link description here )” : hyperlink here You can copy and paste this example into your “About Me” section and then fill in the blanks with your information (make sure you delete any and all spaces). In the above example, replace the underlined text as follows: image location here: replace this text with the finalized image location link that we worked on in steps 1-4 above. link description here: replace this text with a description of what you would like people to see when they hover over your banner. (Mine says “View My Red Bubble Gallery”.) hyperlink here: replace this text with the actual hyperlink that you would like your image to link to (i.e. a specific Red Bubble section or your profile page; you can also link to your blog/website/etc.). Once you replace the text as indicated, simply save your edited profile and check out your radical awesomeness! Here is an example of mine (with hyperlink): I hope this helps everyone! Cheers! P.S. I am adding this to all of my groups in the hopes that everyone can use this tool to display their beautiful works of art (from Atmospheric Optics to Zoophoria). Much love!

• Red Bubble Prints Quality Cards
  by Elena Ray

  One of my images was included in Gaia. I just recieved my Gaia gift from Red Bubble-I spent it all on cards from both my own images and a…

  One of my images was included in Gaia. I just recieved my Gaia gift from Red Bubble-I spent it all on cards from both my own images and also from my favorites list. The print quality is truly excellent and the paper that the cards is printed on is really nice-super heavy. I am really pleased. Thank you so much Red Bubble!

• Red Bubble to Zazzle conversion list
  by Cimmerrian

  Ok here begins the list of RedBubble Members on Zazzle, been working on the layout and settled on this ( for now ). They aren’t in any s…

  Ok here begins the list of RedBubble Members on Zazzle, been working on the layout and settled on this ( for now ). They aren’t in any special order , though once I’m done , I will try and alphabetize it for easier searching . It’s a work in progress , so check back often ! ~Steve Hahpistuff Zazzle Gallery here Rajee Zazzle Gallery here KarinTaylor Zazzle Gallery here Vestque Zazzle Gallery here Midori Furze Zazzle Gallery here Gypsycaster Zazzle Gallery here Frozenfa Zazzle Gallery here Dimarie Zazzle Gallery here and here Pinkyjain Zazzle Gallery here Yanmos Zazzle Gallery here Rdwnggrl Zazzle Gallery here KirstenEdwards Zazzle Gallery here Jo Hoden Zazzle Galler here Violet Zazzle Gallery here Jessie M Zazzle Gallery here Lowvincentyh Zazzle Gallery here Donna Grayson Zazzle Gallery here here and here Traceyanne Zazzle Gallery here KRW Designs Zazzle Gallery here Crockpot Zazzle Gallery here Harry Murray Zazzle Gallery here Hoffard Zazzle Gallery here DT Designs Zazzle Gallery here Mikoto Zazzle Gallery here Cheries Art Zazzle Gallery here Carrie Glenn Zazzle Gallery here Thick Black Outline Zazzle Gallery here Viodesign Zazzle Gallery here Marcya Zazzle Gallery here Ine Spee Zazzle Gallery here Steven Novak Zazzle Gallery here Frezart Zazzle Gallery here Nate Owens Zazzle Gallery here Richard Red Hawk Zazzle Gallery here Angi Baker Zazzle Gallery here Ronald Wigman Zazzle Gallery here Katkuzma Zazzle Gallery here Fatfatin Zazzle Gallery here Alejandro Silveira Zazzle Gallery here Irenemaria Zazzle Gallery here George Lenz Zazzle Gallery here Tom Godfrey Zazzle Gallery here Sarah Stallings Zazzle Gallery here and here FlashFox Zazzle Gallery here DragonBlood84 Zazzle Gallery here Heather Rivet Zazzle Gallery here Mizz J Zazzle Gallery here

• Red Bubble - Taking it to the next level.
  by AndyReeve

  RedBubble – Taking it to the next level? Why are we here? a) A platform in which to exhibit our artwork / b) A place to admire and b…

  RedBubble – Taking it to the next level? Why are we here? a) A platform in which to exhibit our artwork / b) A place to admire and be inspired by the work of others. / c) Ultimately we would all like to sell our work. I am very pleased to note that lately the Bubble is also becoming a social network. I wait for the comments from such as Meach ready to fall off my chair with laughter. But unlike Facebook (“See you down the pub at 9pm M8T”) the Bubble has PURPOSE!! / And the purpose is for the production of BEST WORK. There are those out there who love art and buy it for that reason. But there must be billions out there who think art is something you have to take out a second mortgage in order to purchase. And yet here we are offering for sale reasonably priced original and brilliant artwork. Red Bubble and in my own modest way are promoting the works. You recall I made the suggestion a while back that my fellow moderators should do some promotion work specific to their own groups. I was a bit sad to note that quite a few rejected my journal suggestion to their group. Hope they took it on board anyway. There has been a lot of hot air expelled recently about reply buttons, taking offence and unpleasant criticisms. In a way this is good because it brings peeps out of the woodwork to discuss. Which brings me to my point (at last!)…… It seems to me that in order to sell to the masses we really do need follow the overiding purpose of the Bubble and display only BEST WORK. / To this end I would like to make the following suggestion regarding the use comments box. Superb, wonderful and stunning are fine where appropriate but let’s take it a stage further; help others to achieve the Best Artwork. Perhaps an example would be – some months ago I spotted a seascape where the horizon was sloping downhill. I bravely asked if this was ‘meant’ and if not using my limited experience of photoshop I explained how to level it up. A few days ago I spotted another thing that could improve an artwork but wasn’t brave enough to place it in comments and sent a bubblemail instead. I was relieved to note that both comments were gratefully received Occasionally there is a dull photo that is good as a concept but would benefit 100% just with the addition of a drop of ‘contrast’. Two things then. BE BRAVE and use the comment box to help that person (and others) to technically to improve their artwork. And two – all of us should write the following on a post-it and stick it on our monitors, “I will not take offence if someone suggests an improvement to my work”. I am not suggesting that one should suggest conceptual improvements but comments like ‘why not re-shoot from a different angle’ or ‘crop it so the object is filling the frame much more’, are acceptable. In other words stick to technical comments. / Peeps offering comments like “That picture is cr*p” should be banned from the site I reckon. Let’s all of us get super-interactive. Use the comment box to boost the standard of our artwork so as the masses start to log-on big time they are presented with Best Work. / Over all remember the words next to the comments button – PLESE PLAY NICE. As a final thought to moderators – I will be seeking ways of splitting the Watersports and Activities group artwork into sub-groups i.e. Sailing, rowing, surfing, underwater, etc etc so that when a punter or advertising agency comes on line it will narrow their search. If anyone can help me with that I won’t be offended – honest. LOL LOVE & PEACE / & “ALRIGHT THEN MY BIRDS, MY HANSOMES!!!!! ‘avin a good day do ‘ee”. P.S. That’s A Proper Cornish greeting hence no question mark at the end of the greets. The second one responds with “yes” or “Alright Boy” or “maid”. Honestly, how can anyone take offence at being called ‘Hun’ – We are in a global Village now. Everyone has a different up-bringing / social education / way of being. Andy / Moderator / Watersports & Activities Group.

• myspace?
  by Artway

  I do a lot of ‘who’s on redbubble?’ over on myspace, so now im gonna do a ‘who’s on myspace?’ over on redbubble! Er… who’s on myspa…

  I do a lot of ‘who’s on redbubble?’ over on myspace, so now im gonna do a ‘who’s on myspace?’ over on redbubble! Er… who’s on myspace? Add me :) www.myspace.com/artwayphotography Ok, bye! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

• Featured!
  by Tammy F

  I’m thrilled to see my photo “Old Red” is featured in the New England group!! It was definitely a pleasant surprise to see this morning,...

  I’m thrilled to see my photo “Old Red” is featured in the New England group!! It was definitely a pleasant surprise to see this morning, helped make it a bit better of a day for me…... Thanks! / Tammy

• Red Bubble Sydney Meet (Warning Ducks shot in the making of this Journal)
  by Craig Goldsmith

  Well the turn out was a little disappointing but for the first Sydney meet but the trains, and that it was the first meet we still had a …

  Well the turn out was a little disappointing but for the first Sydney meet but the trains, and that it was the first meet we still had a good showing and enjoyed a great day in the city with like minded folk. In attendance was Macro Britti, Bodymechanic, Miloman, Ozcloggie and the every charming MBartworks (that stands for MB Artworks, not Bartworks…incase like me you were confused). Well I decided for the first time to opperate the D200 in Black and White mode only (I shot RAW+Jpeg so I could always get at the colour if I wanted too). I really liked Hien’s photos of the melbourne meet, so decided to try my hand at Black and White, and mix up the ISO to introduce what I hoped was some complimentary noise. So here are my top 20 shots from the day, no PP except resizing for the web. #1 The Rubber Duckie made famous by Ozcloggie (this duck seems to go everywhere. / #2 Macro Britti sitting on the Town Hall Steps / #3 Ozcloggie sizing up his Rubber Duckie on Town Hall Steps / #4 The Gang loose out on the streets (L-R, Marco, Miloman, MBartworks, Bodymechanic hiding behind MBartworks and finally Ozcloggie) / #5 Interesting sculpture / #6 The Park was a great place to relax / #7 This Varigated Plant was begging for it’s own photo. / #8 A Holy Fence / #9 The Walkers (L-R ,Bodymechanic, MBartworks, Marco) #10 Tree Texture / #11 Ever happy to Model, Rubber Duckie poses for Ozcloggie / #12 Marco wishes he bought a sketch pad as the cameras come out over lunch. / #13 MBartworks and Marco review images on Marco’s phone / #14 Bodymechanic caught mid conversation with Miloman / #15 Miloman poses for the camera, hands on chins seemed a popular pose. #16 Ozcloggie enjoying lunch and a social chat. / #17 Duckie again the centre of attention. / / / #18 Duckie being waited on / #19 The Duck is amused at it’s own reflection. / #20 The Gang walk off into the distance… figuratively /

• Attention Melbourne Bubblers!! March 2008 Meet Up!
  by Paul Louis Villani

  Another Melbourne Red Bubble meet up is planned… / Sunday 30th March 2008 @ 2pm / This time we’re going to get a little adventurous! / A…

  Another Melbourne Red Bubble meet up is planned… / Sunday 30th March 2008 @ 2pm / This time we’re going to get a little adventurous! / An afternoon of Archery has been planned!! / From 2pm on Sunday 30th March we’re booked in at the Moorabbin Archery club for an afternoon af Photography, Archery and a BBQ!! / A one hour Archery lesson has been planned and for those who take part (in the lesson) there is a fee of $20-ea and that includes all equipment being supplied by the club. / If you do not want to take part in the Archery Lesson you can still come along and enjoy the afternoon with us whilst we fire up the BBQ on the clubs grounds. / I’ve started up a forum thread where I will keep a list of attendees and a map of where the Moorabin Archery Club can be found. / If you have any questions or requests please feel free to Bubblemail me or leave me a message in the above thread! / I’d like to thank one of our Bubble favorites FireDrake for her inspiration in regards to this meet up! :D / Ciao! / /

• "karin@zazzle":http://www.zazzle.com/karin_taylor_zazzle
  by Karin Taylor

  !http://rlv.zazzle.com/img/tshirt_winter_woolies.jpg?action=view&pid=235314361314475733&max_dim=210&rvtype=product&bg=FFFFFF&pdt=shirt&si…

  helloo …i have just started over at zazzle :D / if you’re interested in children’s clothing and other goodies not yet available at red bubble, please have a look, i’ll be adding to it and journal when i do…..so far, i have just one little design happening over there…but it’s a start …. i soon hope to have some of my asia series, friends series and beach series available there too in children’s wear, and other fun things :D so, stay tuned….and visit me here: karin@zazzle

• Red Bubble Melbourne Meet Up 19-08-07 - More Pics!
  by Paul Louis Villani

  / . / !http://www.redbubble.com/rbimages/mybubble_work_main_view/D…

  / . / / . / / . / / . / / . / / . / / . / / . / / . / / . / / . / / . / / . / / . / / . / / . / / . / / . / / . / / . /

• Today I feel nostalgic...
  by thickblackoutline

  So Kids, / Today/Tomorrow sees thickblackoutline being on The Bub for exactly one year!! / Wooooooooooooooo What a ride, what a place!! ...

  So Kids, / Today/Tomorrow sees thickblackoutline being on The Bub for exactly one year!! / Wooooooooooooooo What a ride, what a place!! I have watched The Bub go through so many changes, and I’m sure some of you are able to relate with me when I say that this place has changed SO MUCH! I remember what a tight little group we were, with Webgrrl, Resisto (when he was Resisto ;) ) Craig, FireRabbit, Kookylane, Shanghaiwu, Whirlygig, Georgie Girl, Kathleen, Cliff and Jien… to name a few – all us Aussie’s in this little creative town, it was really great! And now a year later, we have cards, tshirts, calendars, groups, forums, bMail… and an ever growing community from around the world. So much has happened to me personally, and to thickblackoutline herself in the past year, I’m so grateful “we” could share the creative goodness, and arty lessons we’ve learned here. I look forward to another year, and what the universe is going to bring to “us.” I’ve even met some of you fellow bubblers, and been able to get involved in some really cool projects. More recently I have found a lot of love in my life, which is such a beautiful thing. :) Today is very special! x So thank you to all of those who have purchased some TBO goodness, and have left such encouraging comments, and shown your support – you guys are so important to my work here, and to all that i do everywhere in internety-land. I can’t wait to see what The Bub will show us in the next year, and to watch it grow and blossom. I can’t thank The Bub enough for providing a platform for all artists, right across the world. Thank you Bub for keeping us ALL creative all the time, even when it becomes a bit addictive. Come on its ok, we’ve been saying that from the beginning ;) MUCH love, /

• 40 Red Bubble Artists Exhibiting at The Rialto Towers in Melbourne.
  by Paul Louis Villani

  *Congrats to the 40 artists below who have been selected to exhibit their work at The Rialto Towers-...

  Congrats to the 40 artists below who have been selected to exhibit their work at The Rialto Towers in August 2008! / / I do have one huge favour to ask either from the forty chosen artists or from anyone willing to part with some spare time… We require one (or two!) people to man the exhibiton space during business hours. More importantly between the hours of 10am and 2pm, Monday to Friday between August 4th – 15th. / Please Bubblemail me if you are able to do so and I’ll get a roster together. / Thanks and hugs! :D / / arip / Kara Rasmanis / Damien Mason / Sorina Williams / Jodie Johnson / kimbaross / Carrie Glenn / elvenmade / James Price / Lisa Kenny / Lindsay Blamey / Melinda Kerr / Sue Wickham / Bronwen Hyde / Mark Jones / Christine Wilson / Cathy Cavolo / Steven Potashnyk / FireDrake / Luckyvegetable / Matt Mawson / Louise Cooke / Marnie Kirkness / Ahmad Sabra / Gerijuliaj / Matt Ryan / Lisadee / Simon Sherry / Luke Skracic / Jessica Tremp / Michael Kienhuis / earthairfire / Anthony Begovic / Stephen Colquitt / Sarah Moore / Caroline Gorka / Andrew Wilson / Flamejob / John Robb

• This is a hard story to read and a tougher one to live...please read it anyway..It's the most important thing I've written on Red Bubble.
  by Melinda Kerr

  Many of you guys know my passion for the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda after visiting there as a photojournalist …

  Many of you guys know my passion for the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda after visiting there as a photojournalist in April and May this year. Much of our time was spent at HEAL Africa Hospital in Goma, in the eastern province known as South Kivu. South Kivu is considered ‘lawless’ as the various militias roam the countryside and villages quite literally raping and pillaging. I say various because there are many. One consists of the remnants of those who slaughtered their fellow Rwandans 13 years ago, another is from Robert Mugabe’s private army (think ‘Blood Diamond’ – that’s their style). Yet another is secretly supported by the Rwandan government who are lured by the promise of diamonds and more land. You see D.R. Congo has the most natural resources of any country in Africa. This should be a cause for celebration. But it brings heartbreak, despair and the most overwhelming cruelty you could imagine possible. You must wonder at my obsession with this cause. The thing is, it’s invaded my mind and kidnapped my heart. Following is an article about D.R. Congo. It was published in the New York Times in October this year. You remember October. It was less than 4 weeks ago. I hope you read it. It’s not meant to make you sad and turn away. It’s an unashamed attempt to get you involved. In prayers and you bet, in money. These guys don’t want your sympathy they want your help. This is written about another hospital apart from HEAL Africa. But the story is exactly the story of the HEAL Africa hospital. And the people you seein my photos. Take my word for it. I stood in the victims urine and feces. I touched their macheted limbs. And I played with kids who suffer diseases we fix with one of those pesky little things we call needles. Ladies this is a call to action. In February (14th lunch time) my sister here she is… she is hosting a lunch for Lyn Lusi the head of HEAL Africa. Yep she’s going to be in Melbourne. And I am getting a table together. It’s $55 a head and Lyn will tell you first hand what is happening in Congo. Much of it will be about the treatment of women. I’d love love love to have some Red Bubble chicks at my table. $55 for charity, a great meal and words that will change your life, from one of the rarest people you will ever meet. Please please please come. Anyway to the article. Read it please. Knowledge is power. The New York Times October 2007 BUKAVU, Congo — Denis Mukwege, a Congolese gynecologist, cannot bear to listen to the stories his patients tell him anymore. Every day, 10 new women and girls who have been raped show up at his hospital. Many have been so sadistically attacked from the inside out, butchered by bayonets and assaulted with chunks of wood, that their reproductive and digestive systems are beyond repair. “We don’t know why these rapes are happening, but one thing is clear,” said Dr. Mukwege, who works in South Kivu Province, the epicenter of Congo’s rape epidemic. “They are done to destroy women.” Eastern Congo is going through another one of its convulsions of violence, and this time it seems that women are being systematically attacked on a scale never before seen here. According to the United Nations, 27,000 sexual assaults were reported in 2006 in South Kivu Province alone, and that may be just a fraction of the total number across the country. “The sexual violence in Congo is the worst in the world,” said John Holmes, the United Nations under secretary general for humanitarian affairs. “The sheer numbers, the wholesale brutality, the culture of impunity — it’s appalling.” The days of chaos in Congo were supposed to be over. Last year, this country of 66 million people held a historic election that cost $500 million and was intended to end Congo’s various wars and rebellions and its tradition of epically bad government. But the elections have not unified the country or significantly strengthened the Congolese government’s hand to deal with renegade forces, many of them from outside the country. The justice system and the military still barely function, and United Nations officials say Congolese government troops are among the worst offenders when it comes to rape. Large swaths of the country, especially in the east, remain authority-free zones where civilians are at the mercy of heavily armed groups who have made warfare a livelihood and survive by raiding villages and abducting women for ransom. According to victims, one of the newest groups to emerge is called the Rastas, a mysterious gang of dreadlocked fugitives who live deep in the forest, wear shiny tracksuits and Los Angeles Lakers jerseys and are notorious for burning babies, kidnapping women and literally chopping up anybody who gets in their way. United Nations officials said the so-called Rastas were once part of the Hutu militias who fled Rwanda after committing genocide there in 1994, but now it seems they have split off on their own and specialize in freelance cruelty. Honorata Barinjibanwa, an 18-year-old woman with high cheekbones and downcast eyes, said she was kidnapped from a village that the Rastas raided in April and kept as a sex slave until August. Most of that time she was tied to a tree, and she still has rope marks ringing her delicate neck. The men would untie her for a few hours each day to gang-rape her, she said. “I’m weak, I’m angry, and I don’t know how to restart my life,” she said from Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, where she was taken after her captors freed her. She is also pregnant. While rape has always been a weapon of war, researchers say they fear that Congo’s problem has metastasized into a wider social phenomenon. “It’s gone beyond the conflict,” said Alexandra Bilak, who has studied various armed groups around Bukavu, on the shores of Lake Kivu. She said that the number of women abused and even killed by their husbands seemed to be going up and that brutality toward women had become “almost normal.” Malteser International, a European aid organization that runs health clinics in eastern Congo, estimates that it will treat 8,000 sexual violence cases this year, compared with 6,338 last year. The organization said that in one town, Shabunda, 70 percent of the women reported being sexually brutalized. At Panzi Hospital, where Dr. Mukwege performs as many as six rape-related surgeries a day, bed after bed is filled with women lying on their backs, staring at the ceiling, with colostomy bags hanging next to them because of all the internal damage. “I still have pain and feel chills,” said Kasindi Wabulasa, a patient who was raped in February by five men. The men held an AK-47 rifle to her husband’s chest and made him watch, telling him that if he closed his eyes, they would shoot him. When they were finished, Ms. Wabulasa said, they shot him anyway. In almost all the reported cases, the culprits are described as young men with guns, and in the deceptively beautiful hills here, there is no shortage of them: poorly paid and often mutinous government soldiers; homegrown militias called the Mai-Mai who slick themselves with oil before marching into battle; members of paramilitary groups originally from Uganda and Rwanda who have destabilized this area over the past 10 years in a quest for gold and all the other riches that can be extracted from Congo’s exploited soil. The attacks go on despite the presence of the largest United Nations peacekeeping force in the world, with more than 17,000 troops. Few seem to be spared. Dr. Mukwege said his oldest patient was 75, his youngest 3. “Some of these girls whose insides have been destroyed are so young that they don’t understand what happened to them,” Dr. Mukwege said. “They ask me if they will ever be able to have children, and it’s hard to look into their eyes.” No one — doctors, aid workers, Congolese and Western researchers — can explain exactly why this is happening. “That is the question,” said André Bourque, a Canadian consultant who works with aid groups in eastern Congo. “Sexual violence in Congo reaches a level never reached anywhere else. It is even worse than in Rwanda during the genocide.” Impunity may be a contributing factor, Mr. Bourque added, saying that very few of the culprits are punished. Many Congolese aid workers denied that the problem was cultural and insisted that the widespread rapes were not the product of something ingrained in the way men treated women in Congolese society. “If that were the case, this would have showed up long ago,” said Wilhelmine Ntakebuka, who coordinates a sexual violence program in Bukavu. Instead, she said, the epidemic of rapes seems to have started in the mid-1990s. That coincides with the waves of Hutu militiamen who escaped into Congo’s forests after exterminating 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus during Rwanda’s genocide 13 years ago. Mr. Holmes said that while government troops might have raped thousands of women, the most vicious attacks had been carried out by Hutu militias. “These are people who were involved with the genocide and have been psychologically destroyed by it,” he said. Mr. Bourque called this phenomenon “reversed values” and said it could develop in heavily traumatized areas that had been steeped in conflict for many years, like eastern Congo. This place, one of the greenest, hilliest and most scenic slices of central Africa, continues to reverberate from the aftershocks of the genocide next door. Take the recent fighting near Bukavu between the Congolese Army and Laurent Nkunda, a dissident general who commands a formidable rebel force. Mr. Nkunda is a Congolese Tutsi who has accused the Congolese Army of supporting Hutu militias, which the army denies. Mr. Nkunda says his rebel force is simply protecting Tutsi civilians from being victimized again. But his men may be no better. Willermine Mulihano said she was raped twice — first by Hutu militiamen two years ago and then by Nkunda soldiers in July. Two soldiers held her legs apart, while three others took turns violating her. “When I think about what happened,” she said, “I feel anxious and brokenhearted.” She is also lonely. Her husband divorced her after the first rape, saying she was diseased. In some cases, the attacks are on civilians already caught in the cross-fire between warring groups. In one village near Bukavu where 27 women were raped and 18 civilians killed in May, the attackers left behind a note in broken Swahili telling the villagers that the violence would go on as long as government troops were in the area. The United Nations peacekeepers here seem to be stepping up efforts to protect women. Recently, they initiated what they call “night flashes,” in which three truckloads of peacekeepers drive into the bush and keep their headlights on all night as a signal to both civilians and armed groups that the peacekeepers are there. Sometimes, when morning comes, 3,000 villagers are curled up on the ground around them. But the problem seems bigger than the resources currently devoted to it. Panzi Hospital has 350 beds, and though a new ward is being built specifically for rape victims, the hospital sends women back to their villages before they have fully recovered because it needs space for the never-ending stream of new arrivals. Dr. Mukwege, 52, said he remembered the days when Bukavu was known for its stunning lake views and nearby national parks, like Kahuzi-Biega. “There used to be a lot of gorillas in there,” he said. “But now they’ve been replaced by much more savage beasts.”

• The other Red Bubble Sunday meet up
  by Danny

  The Red Bubble Office Break up in Sjem, Lucan and myself paid a special visit to the offices of Red Bubble on Sunday to see if the …

  The Red Bubble Office Break up in Sjem, Lucan and myself paid a special visit to the offices of Red Bubble on Sunday to see if the place of artistic dreams was everything we had assumed it was and hopefully as affluent as it looked in all those journal entries. / Sjem and I had arranged to meet Lucan in a back alley of the appropriately named Gore St. / Lucan if you aren’t aware by now has been dead for over a decade and it was only his substantial abuse of hallucinogenics that had seeped into his bones that tricks his rotting corpse that he is still alive, anyway he’s handy for sneaking into tight areas and clicking a camera – though he doesn’t half stink. / Sjem couldn’t find a babysquatter for his offspring (imaginatively called sonofsjem) so we were now a team of 2 humans and 2 half humans. But it turned out sonofsjem was very adapt at retrieving things from small spaces too. / We found the office (eventually) masquerading as an inner city flat, the only proof it was the Red Bubble office was a small 6×3 inch sign. / / / / Entry wasn’t a problem thanks to some Ruinbubble TM patented door breakers available through the internet. The first thing we saw was a converted garage furnished in mid 70s faux-brothel look. There was nothing worth taking except for a large projector until Lucan tried to take it down and got one of his arm stuck and it snapped off inside the housing. / We went up to the second floor and found the offices of Red Bubble. To say we were disappointed would be an understatement. The whole place had a desperate air about it, it looked like the whole place could be snatched up and moved in minutes as if waiting for a tip off that the police were coming. Either that or it was very lax – 25% of the place was made up of kitchen. / / Lucan’s covered face because he looks disgusting and he was scaring the baby. We didn’t venture upstairs for that is where the tech people work and there was drool seeping down the stairs. We thought it best to leave that area be. Our first impression was we’d been conned and there was nothing worth stealing. Even the computers were filthy, so we decided to have a bit of fun. / I sat down at Jo O’Brien’s desk and was filled with the desire to remove my top, Lucan threatened to rip off his other arm so he couldn’t take pictures unless I stopped. / For some reason there were hundreds of copies of In The Moment lying around and sjem thought it would be funny for me to read them some of the stories, as per the photo you can see the only way they could get me to do this was under duress. / / This particular desk belonged to Xavier which was evident due the large hunks of hair and toenail clippings. Young sonofsjem was starting to smell as bad as Lucan so we needed a clean area to change the ittle tacker, the cleanest desk was the one that looked like it had the least activity: Peter’s. / / In the corner was an unsightly mess of tee Shirts and toys that belonged to Onetonshadow, after sifting through it all and finding nothing of value we decided just to set fire to his desk. / / All up it was pretty boring and we did minimal damage but did manage to eat all the buscuits and guys if you’re reading this just a word of advice: / DON’T eat your lunch at your desk till the cleaners come. wink wink

• Nudity and Red Bubble
  by JayCougar

  since i joined Red Bubble i have noticed there is a large amount of nudity on here, this in its self dosnt bother me as artistic nudity i…

  since i joined Red Bubble i have noticed there is a large amount of nudity on here, this in its self dosnt bother me as artistic nudity is something to be appreciated, however i have also noticed there is some of it that i struggle to see the beauty in… for example link has become quite popular on Red Bubble but each time i see it in the gallery i find it incredibly distasteful… now before anyone gets narky, im not saying that the artist is a bad artist or that this is necisarily a bad peice of art, im simply saying that to me it seems incredibly unattractive, however on the other hand there are images such as link, link and link that i feel have used nudity in its correct artistic way. I dont know what you all think on this matter, but feel free to chuck ur comments and oppinions this way, ill be happy to listen!