2% Guilt

Good news and bad news on the health-front.

Good news is that I have no gallstones.

Bad news is that I have no gallstones.

I was hoping that would be it so we could get my galbladder out of there & life could go on--without pain. Wouldn't that be nice? It would. Look at that, I didn't even make you think of an answer. I so nice.

It could be a peptic ulcer. I mean, did you see the list of all the stuff I had to get done in 2 days? Yeah, that's ulcersville right there. But again, nobody's ruling out my gallbladder.

So...about the guilt. I've left my shop really unattended all summer long & decided I'd get things back to normal once we were home from vacation & the boy was in school--I wasn't exactly expecting to start working the same day as well. I actually did pretty well when we first got back, but now I'm Mrs. Slacker Von SlackyPants McGee . You can call me Slacky for short, I suppose. Hmm no, on second thought, I want the respect of my full name being used. Mrs. Slacker Von SlackyPants McGee to you, friend.

So, to make up for it, do you think I've made new puppets? Listed new things? Heck no! Instead I've re-arranged my shop & dropped some prices on things and put them into what we like to call a "Sale" category. Yep, Mrs. Slacker von SlackyPants McGee is really putting in the effort, now.....without actually having to put in any effort.

And I'm not writing this to plug anything (this is a lie), I'm writing to inform the people about my slackage. So don't be surprised if you don't see me mention that some puppets have dropped anywhere from $2-4 in price. I know, I know, you'd like me to tell you about the future of this sale section, and how different things will rotate through and how you might find your favorite puppet slapped in there as though I don't even care about the workmanship--but I won't tell you that because I can't see the point in making this blog post about self-promotion. That'd just be selfish. I think we've established pretty well that I'm not selfish, I'm a slacker.

Just in case you missed it:

oh change, you silly weasle, you.

WOW! What a week!

So....On Tuesday of last week I found out that the puppetry after-school program's funding is in question/limbo/happy-go-funny-wait-time-happy-hour. So that's my normal school-year job. Which means who needs a job to keep that fabulous car? This girl! (I'm pointing to myself...that is..when I'm not typing.)
It's made known to me that my son's school is looking for someone as an after-school assistant. I find out on Sunday that they'd like me to apply to at least sub in the classroom while my job with the theater is sorted out. They want me to start Wednesday. Like...I have 2 days to get everything I need in order.
What do I need in order, you ask?
CPR/First Aid certification
Food Handler's License
TB Test
Vaccination verification
Criminal history notarized
Application
Resume
4 letters of reference
plus a little back-to-school shopping for the boy-child (who is an official kindergartener!) and he needs non-character slippers for Wednesday as well. (we started the same day--see below)

I got it all done and made his slippers from scraps of leather my mom had given me years ago & puppet fleece (not Antron, don't freak out).
I felt like superwoman. really. I felt like what I accomplished in 2 days shouldn't have been attainable. It was the back-to-school miracle.

I got up on Wednesday morning to make my family a happy breakfast of scrambled eggs & toast & saw my boy off to school.......Then went back to bed with some of the most horrible cramping EVER.

I thought I'd eaten something wrong, or was maybe nervous...or hey, maybe I even gave myself an ulcer...either way, I went off to school, eating anytime my tummy was bothering because it felt like I was always hungry--painfully hungry. Really, really painfully hungry.

So that went on 2 days/3 nights before I decided to go to the doctor's office. yeah...turns out I have gallstones. yay!
At least she's 98% sure I have gallstones. Her stat order on the ultrasound meant that I get to wait until this coming Thursday. (They originally told me a week from Monday-I said no thank you, they got me in Thursday.)
So in the meantime, I get to experience pain that's pretty darn close--if not equal--to when I birthed the kiddo nearly 6 years ago. Yay! And I get to eat a 0-fat diet. that's not the letter O sitting there, that's a zero. And the sad thing is that even applesauce and bananas aren't settling my tummy down. Stupid gallbladder and its stupid-stupidhead.
I'll likely have to get it removed--which is welcomed at this point. I'm on day 5 of this. I'm all for not experiencing this anymore.

I do feel badly that I had to call in on my third day there. I'll see how tonight/tomorrow morning goes before I call in tomorrow.

So that's all non-puppetry related...because you need to know about my gallstones, right? yes.

Anwyay...on Saturday I dragged myself over to my sewing machine to make 8 more glove monsters. I did them for the cancer fundraiser, but didn't sell any, so I might put them up on Etsy soon. Other than that, though, I'm not making much. It's just difficult to concentrate when your stomach screams at you every 10 minutes.

I think it hired the mob.

Hey did I ever show you the bunny I made for a custom order? You've probably seen it by now, but nevertheless...

Wiggin' Out!

On August 22nd I'll be going to an awesome local dairy farm in Mesa. Not to drink milk---no, that'd be silly. I'm allergic. Instead I'll be peddling my wares and trying to help raise money for The American Cancer Society's "Look Good, Feel Better" program that provides wigs and support to patience undergoing cancer treatments.

The evening is going to have hay rides, honey demonstrations, horse rides, a petting zoo, a dj, raffles (you could win a puppet!) and silent auctions...seriously, for only $10 per family (as a suggested donation) there is no reason you shouldn't go and support the event.

I'm Home!

I'm back from my many trips around the US..Ok really it's only two...and just Atlanta and Denver...but still, I'm home!

Puppetry Festival. wow. I can't even explain it (I can, that's a lie). It was a great festival. In some ways it exceeded Puppet Rampage (the last Puppeteers of America festival in 07) and in some ways it didn't. Overall it was great!

Highlights for me were the shows with excellent storytelling. This festival reiterated to me just how wonderful your storytelling needs to be. When you're in a dark room in a cozy chair and you're averaging 3-4 hours of sleep per night, and your days are very busy, the only thing that will keep you awake is fantastic storytelling. Pretty visuals, beautiful music, and wonderful manipulation are the things that help you drift off to sleep. A good story with good pacing will keep your eyes open.

To the puppeteers of the world: Please surround yourself with good storytelling abilities. Take improv workshops, take creative writing classes, watch good plays and puppet shows, entertain yourself. If you feel you have to stretch something, don't. Stretching for time can often lead to the SNL effect. Think about it. SNL has one punchline that they carry out about 2 minutes longer than they should. Make your point and move on. If you add material, that's okay--but add quality material that will keep me wanting to keep my eyes open. Don't be afraid of using a director. Tighten and strengthen your show by eliminating scenes that don't get you to your goal (whether that be revealing character or plot). Good story can cover a multitude of puppetry sins. It has for me.


I'll try to remember to write more about the festival in detail when I can. I'm still suffering from Post Festival Exhaustion.

Hey look, embedment!

So...Found a way to embed it. I think.



You can embed it too. just uh...go to

http://www.etsy.tv/video/Mister-Donuts-Handmade-Moment-2

and copy the embedding code to the right. then embed it somewhere. Like your lawn. But somewhere a lot of people will see it--so like the lawn in your front yard, not the back...my husband suggested the White House's lawn--because he thinks he's funny.

Why I've not been making finger puppets: an excuse in more than 140 characters

I checked how many puppets I'd made in June. only 21. That's a far cry from my goal of 60 finger puppets/month. like...a really far cry. But I have a good excuse! My dog ate my--er..no...my friggin FIVE cats made me play with them.

Slight detour: We have 5 cats. 3 are 3 months old. We decided about 3 months ago that we'd probably keep them all. However, I do really enjoy seeing the exact same set of worried eyebrows on my friends' faces when they, for the 7th time, ask me, "So have you decided whether or not you're going to keep them?" My husband (yes, I'll blame him) had pretty much declared that we'd keep them all the moment we found out there were only 3. Still, each time the kittens are brought up, someone will ask, "So have you decided to keep all of them?" And they look at me like--if I do, I run the risk of donning a large, floral-print, over-sized mu'umu'u and chasing children down the street shaking a broom at them. To which I say, I don't even know where to buy a mu'umu'u. I do have a husband and a child...hopefully that will keep me from turning into an old cat-lady. And I go back to the husband-blaming I mentioned earlier. Totally his fault. He was allergic for so many years, I think this is his way of falling off the wagon.

Back to the road.
So I really do have a good excuse. I've been working on a very short (30 seconds) video for Etsy.com. They're having a "make us a commercial & you can win some $" contest. So I did. I'm hoping it wins. But I suppose everyone who enters a video into the contest hopes it wins. If they didn't I'd be surprised.

Ok here's where it gets a little "uh oh": They choose the top 25 videos that go to the finals based on the number of views they get! (see? Uh oh.) I'm not sure if it's individual ISP views (meaning that you can view it once from your computer) or if it's the total number of views (meaning you can watch it a few times from your computer). So here's what I ask the 12 of you who read my blog to do: I need you to watch it. And! If you like it, send it to your friends, have them watch it too & tell them that your weirdo-friend made it. If you don't like it, send it to all of your enemies as punishment for being your enemy. Or if you're ambivalent about it, you can send it to your friends as punishment--or to your enemies as a reward.

I've gone on and on about watching it and I've provided you no link by which to see. I'm terrible.
http://www.etsy.tv/video/Mister-Donuts-Handmade-Moment-2
Hooray! I'm not terrible anymore!

Alright then. World: do me proud. pretty please.

You Pick

Ok world,

In an attempt to keep myself creating I need you to help me push past the wall. I'm good on hand puppets--I have plenty of things to work on there--but in the hours of the day/night when my mind can't handle sitting at a sewing machine and isn't responisble enough to use a dremel, I need to know what to do.

I have 100% wool felt (with all these schmancy vegetable dyes and the whathaveyou--it's quite nice) & I'm not sure what to make with them. I'm thinking kid-friendly stuff with the 100% wool felt and I'll save the acrylic felt (of which I still have gobs) for things like microwaves and nunchucks.

But I need your ideas. This is yet another Puppet Pie Call To Duty. Please post (anonymously if you really want to) what puppet you think I should make. It doesn't mean I'll make it--it means that I'll really consider making it.

Things to keep in mind:

1. I won't make a penis, boogers or poop. (This is a classy operation)
2. I probably won't make a lightbulb or a peanut anytime soon.
3. I'm not an engineering genius--keeping shapes simple is good.
4. It's possible I've done it before. Look at my flickr or my sold section on Etsy to check.
5. Just because I've done it before, doesn't mean I won't do it again.
6. Put it in the comments so I have a place to find it. Telling me on twitter doesn't suffice.


What will you get if I choose to make your idea? Bragging rights. And if you're the first person to have ever given me the idea, I'll mention you in puppet's description.