I'm apparently bad at blogging

I keep meaning to write something of great importance, but I put it off, then I forget about it. It was so important, right?

I've been taking these last couple of weeks to actually be productive. That includes making puppets, listing puppets on etsy, taking pictures of puppets, updating bad pictures of puppets & giving puppet workshops.


Speaking of workshops, the workshop on November 10th was amazing! Thank you to everyone who not only showed up, but showed up with enthusiasm and an open mind to discovering their puppet. Yes, it sounds like a hippie way to build, but sometimes you just have to let go and let puppet...or something like that.

A bit of an amusing story...So about an hour and a half before the workshop, as my husband and I were on our way home from grabbing some last-minute supplies, I start to feel a bit under the weather...the car ride wasn't helping. I just barely made it to the toilet & had some diarrhea of the face. I climbed into bed with the usual post-barfing shakes & called the venue. Basically we decided that if I could do it, I'd do it, but if I couldn't, the people who signed up are all very understanding & some might not mind a postponement. I didn't want to leave anyone hanging, so I decided I'd go as far as I could. If that was 1/2 way through the workshop, then so be it. Thankfully the more I got to thinking about puppets, the less I got to thinking about vomit. The ginger ale helped, too.

There seems to be a trend in my puppet workshops & vomit coming out of my body. 3 hours before I was to leave for New York to give a workshop at the Etsy labs in June, I got the stomach bug that had been going around our home. I decided to still go & had a great time. I think I need to give at least one more workshop for adults to see if this theory holds up.

Contest Winner Announcement!

I hearby officially declare and decree:
Yesterday, in the midst of trick-or-treaters, a young Godzilla reached into a bowl and pulled out the number 19. What does that mean? Well, the 19th transaction of the 20 transactions eligible to win the puppet from the drawing post in, oh gosh, was that back in August? was the winner!

Who made that transaction you ask? Well by golly it was Megan Mucci of http://muttsywonder.etsy.com! Congratulations Megan! I wish I'd thought of sending your fluffy puppet today when I was at the post office...Oh well, look out for him soon...and by soon I mean sometime before Christmas!

My sad, sweet condolences to everyone else who did not win the puppet. But don't lose hope, there will be more contests like these! Misfit puppets need love and support, and the only way to give them what they need is to have people win them. You love something if you win it, right? So keep your eyes peeled both here and in my shop to see what the next little bundle of fluff might be up for the winning!

In mild other news, I have a puppet slam tomorrow night at the Great Arizona Puppet Theater at 8pm. I'm in at least two shows & am pretty darned excited as this will be my first performance venture into shadow puppetry. oooOOoooo

Wayne Gretzky & Puppets & Me

I saw the commercial today. Its pretty good. I, of course, wish the manipulation was better on my puppets, but that's OK. I'm kind-of weirded out that my puppets have now been on television. yah

Anyway, here's the video:

Me and the Other Guy

Well, the other guy is done and there are some good pictures of him, now. I really had to begin both puppets on Sunday. I can't believe I got two done in one day! It helps when you have a lot of motivation like that.

Don, the hired puppeteer, came to pick them up this morning at 7am. These are two puppets I wish I didn't have to get rid of. But if I watch TV, I'll get to see them! (*squeee*)

So it's a bit after 10:30 and I haven't heard about whether or not they'll need me. I'm thinking they won't. Oh well. I'll only be disappointed if some extra on-hand person does it and is a bad puppeteer.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy them. I can't believe I did both in a single day! I feel so productive.

Me and the Monsters

I finished one of the puppets and sit with an un-stuffed arm in my lap and fluff all around me right now.

I have to iron some Coyotes logos onto some onesies and stuff and sew two arms onto the other puppet, but after that I'm finished!

I hope to take some great pictures of him before they leave tomorrow morning.

Here's your sneak-peak. He's going to wear a jersey-style shirt with a Coyotes logo. It will be spectacular.

Me and the Commericals

I was very recently asked to make puppets for a local commercial.
Wow!

My life is weird. I enjoy weird.

It makes me think, well, maybe they were desperate...maybe I know the right people.... maybe I'm not that bad of a puppet-builder. Maybe I'll get more work from this...maybe this is just a fun jaunt...maybe I'll meet Wayne Gretzky.

All of these things could be and probably are true. A combination of talent, who you know, and dumb luck.

I will post photos of the puppets as soon as they're finished. Until then, I'm off to make some monsters for television!

Puppet-Making Workshops

I'm going to be giving a make-and-take puppetry workshop at The Trunk Space on November 10th. I hope lots of people sign up.

I'm also giving a puppetry workshop in Brooklyn, New York on October 12th. Oh, and I'll hopefully also be giving a kid's workshop in Brooklyn as well! I hope more people sign up for that one because it costs a lot to fly across the country. That and I love teaching. Especially kids...and adults. Man, that's a tough call. It's a really neat experience watching adults turn into little kids when they make puppets and at the same time I love to see a child with that overwhelming power of "OH MY GOSH I MADE A PUPPET!"

Either way, I'll get to see what this strange phenomenon, "Autumn" is. You see, New York has things called "trees," and those trees have "leaves" that actually change colors when it gets cold outside! Its like a hyper-color shirt from the 80's.

Hooray 80's.

Also in the exciting world of me, I'm attempting to develop my website. Not much there right now, but I have a friend who is going to help me. And unlike when most people say, "I'm having a friend help me," I think she'll actually help me. You can check out her stuff here.