Find everything related to my fantasy album, inspired by the Lord of the Rings!

And Just Like That – It’s November!

Posted on by Christina Diggles

Did you ever wake up one day and realize that a deadline had snuck up when you weren’t looking? That’s just where I found myself a few days ago. I had turned over a new leaf creatively: Rather than cramming the last week of the month, I storyboarded the video early, and prepared a few graphics. I even got critiques on Ganneldor, who I was creating by recycling pieces of Liraewenel (a licensed and further edited art piece). I would perfect him once late October arrived. I was taking advantage of time at home, catching up and preparing all the Christmas things. Then all of a sudden I realized there were only two days to animate and post the video.

I was so glad I had prepared, but it was a marathon that ended after midnight on October 31st. While I ended up posting it November first for quality control, I’m really excited about how it came out! For November? I’ll continue with storyboarding, but this time I’ll try to keep tabs on how close the end of the month is!

Enjoy the Call of Rivendell. 🙂

Resting at the Finish Line

Posted on by Christina Diggles

What is your favorite part about a job? The excitement of planning? Writing down all your ideas? Getting in a flow state of focused work? Or is there a special place in your heart for taking a moment to relax, perhaps with tea or a favorite book or movie, knowing that your project is done!

This year, there have been times I reveled in the process, and times I wished I were already through and on to the next stage. But now? Now it is time to sit back and rest in a job well done. (Well, after I finish actually notifying everyone who wanted to hear the album was streaming, and finish adding the lyrics to my website…) In addition to the reward of having an album I actually enjoy listening to, I may have enjoyed a homemade chai tea latte this morning. 😊

For those who haven’t yet seen, you can find the download here (the best way to support future projects), or stream the album most places you listen to music!

I’ve also been dipping my toes back into light animation for lyric videos for the album. The plan is to release one a month – however, I do plan to deviate from that schedule at Christmas! There is a certain other song I wish to record and release instead… 😉

So, to recap on all the exciting things:

As I prepare to check “website update” off my list, and move on to practice the violin, I hope both you and I find joy in the day’s work (or rest!). Whether we’re looking back from the finish line, or already sprinting ahead, there are such beautiful adventures to be had!

Time to Be Buried in Music! (Again)

Posted on by Christina Diggles

This has been an exceptionally musical year! From singing overseas for the first time, to my first time back at string festivals since 2020, to finishing writing and recording my upcoming album (available June 30th!!), it seems there is always something to work on. But that’s the joy of things, isn’t it? To be surrounded by something you love?

Now, it’s not all fun and creativity. I’ll admit last night I was less than happy about spending almost two hours trying to change a font color on the website. Perhaps you remember the nearly unreadable text in the old checkout page? Well, my test purchaser (Mom) decided it really needed to be fixed… and I agreed. 😬 After some Youtube research, plug-in searches, and throwing CSS code around, the input text is now a nice black! And honestly, it was satisfying to learn how to fix the text class color.

Have you learned any surprising skills in relation to your hobby or passion? There is definitely something to be said for hiring a professional so you can spend more time doing what you love. But putting in the time to learn new things has its perks – I’ve found several times that learning completely unrelated skills helped me grow in my main craft!

And now for the run-down:

  • First priority – prepare my violin auditions for string camp
  • Make sushi for lunch (I highly recommend learning to roll your own with a bamboo mat! It it so much less expensive, and a fun activity, especially after too much computer work!)

Hmm… honestly if I got those two things done today I’d be alright! As for future projects? Most of that is still in the planning stages, but I do hope to finish remastering and publishing the soundtrack for Yesterday, Today, and Forever this summer!

I hope your summer has been full of fun and fulfillment. 😊

Remember!

You can download Ganneldor of the Greenwood in two days!!!