Stuffed Magazine

You may remember a few months ago, I talked about submitting two of my plush dolls to Stuffed Magazine. Well, they were accepted and the issue hits newsstands on January 1!


I'm not great at talking about myself, so Justin kindly did a video talking about the magazine.

Christmas orders

Christmas is coming fast! If you'd like to order something for Christmas from my Etsy shop, you'll need to do so soon.
In the US, the last day to order for Christmas delivery is December 20. Outside of the states, you'll need to order by December 13.

I completely forgot to post pictures from last week's Zobmiocalypse. I made a severed head cake! It was my first time working with fondant, and I think it turned out rather well.

I also made some little red velvet cupcakes, with creamcheese frosting and little gummy brains! (mmm...brraainsss!)


Hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving!

The Real Manos interviews Silent Orchid

Over on the YouTube, I was interviewed by the wonderful Real Manos (...aka, my boyfriend Justin!) We talked about my etsy shop, and the custom plushes that I make. Have a look, won't you?

Christmas commissions

I'm currently taking orders for custom made plushes and dolls. If you would like the commission as a Christmas gift, please order before December 6. After that I cannot guarantee that it will be finished and mailed in time for Christmas.

You can find all of my commission information here: http://silentorchid.deviantart.com/journal/13694803/

I'll also be adding new items to my etsy shop all holiday season! http://silentorchidstudio.etsy.com

New in my shop

I just posted two new dolls in my etsy shop. A smaller version of the Plague Doctor doll, and a new tentacled mermaid.

Caprice trailer

Jack Bennett, the director and co-writer of Caprice, posted a teaser-trailer! The short film is based on one of Justin Cristelli's short horror stories.

CAPRICE Teaser

CAPRICE | MySpace Video

You can read the original story in Justin's book "Caprice and Other Stories," which is available in his lulu.com shop.

Halloween fun

Hey everyone, hope you had a fun Halloween. Mine was great!

Friday night, ODU Theater did a midnight performance of Dracula. Justin and I got all dressed up...not in costume, but fancy "going to the theatre" clothes :) They did a great job, especially the actors playing Dracula and Renfield.

On Saturday we headed down to the beach to see The Nightmare Mansion, a local haunted walkthrough. It was pretty fun, but way too dark. I know it was supposed to be spooky, but I couldn't see any of the displays or monsters! Some ambient lighting would really help.

We headed back to Norfolk, had some frozen yogurt, and wandered around Ghent before going to see the Generic Theater perform Evil Dead: The Musical. Oh. My. God. Such a good show! It's funny and weird and the songs are way too catchy (I've had "What the Fuck was That?!" stuck in my head all day)

And to end the night, we watch Dr Madblood's Haunted Halloween. Dr Madblood is a local horror host. I really miss his weekly show, but I'm glad he's been doing Halloween specials the last few years. This year's movie was The House on Haunted Hill (with my dead celebrity crush, Vincent Price)

I didn't dress up this year (which was probably a good thing, since it was in in the 80s...) but I still had a blast! Hope you all did, too :)

Shop update!

New dolls and plushes in my shop! Elizabeth Bathory, tombstones, The Fly, and Robot Monster :) I'll be adding more items all week!

MonsterFest is tomorrow!

MonsterFest is tomorrow (October 10) at Chesapeake Central Library, from 9am to 4 pm. I'll be there, selling my plushes, doll, and art. Justin will be selling his new short story collection, called Caprice and Other Stories. (I painted the cover!)

If you can't make it to the show, don't worry. I'll be posting bunches of new things in my esty shop next week, and you can order Justin's book online (click here to order)

Hope to see you there!

A new painting!

I finally scanned a painting that I finished earlier this year. The full title is "To You, My Love, I Give My Heart"


I Give My Heart by ~silentorchid on deviantART

I'll have prints of it at MonsterFest, and up in my shop in a few weeks. I'm also thinking of making cards of it for Valentines Day. And the gothic part of my brain thinks it would make an awesome invite for a dark wedding! hehe :)

Commissions are open!

Plush and doll commissions are now open! You can find all of the info for my commissions here.

If you have a character or design that you would like to see in plush form, please feel free to contact me. I would love to make it for you!

Stuffed magazine update

Yesterday I got an unexpected email. The dolls that I sent in to Stuffed Magazine are going to be in the winter issue! I didn't think I'd hear back from them so quickly...AHH! This is so cool!
The winter issue should be out at the end of December or beginning of January.

What do you want on YOUR tombstone?

I’m planning on making some tombstone plushes for Monsterfest, and I’d like to know if any of you would be interested in one. They’ll be customizable! I’ll embroider your name (or whatever name you like) right there while you wait :)


The picture above is of a small tombstone. There’s a loop on the back, so it can be attached to a keychain or be used as an ornament.

I’m planning on making these in three sizes, and each one will be a unique shape and design. The small ones are made from felt, and the medium and large will be made from fleece.
Small (2 or 3 inches tall, depending on design)
Medium (about 5 to 8 inches tall)
Large (a very huggable 12 to 15 inches tall)

Let me know if you’re interested in one. I'd like to know how many to bring to the show. I'll also have some up in my Etsy shop before Halloween.
See you at Monsterfest!

The monsters are coming...

Monsterfest, a local horror convention, is only two months away! And for the second year in a row, I'll have a table set up with my plushes and art.

I was wondering if any of my lovely readers had suggestions for plushes they'd like to see. I'm trying to make only characters that are generic or in the public domain (bats, skulls, werewolves...) Does anyone know of any awesome monsters/creatures that are public domain? Last year I made Ro-Man (from the b-movie Robot Monster) and Nosferatu, and they were both big hits!

Thank you, darlings!

Stuffed Magazine

This week I finished making a couple of plush dolls to submit to Stuffed magazine. I really love Stuffed, everything in it is so cute and colorful! I decided to make to of my freaks to send in, Siamese Twins and a Bearded Lady. I hope they are accepted...wish me luck!

Ghosty

I forgot to post a picture of my latest commission. This is Ghosty, an original character of the commissioner's friend (who's getting it for her birthday!) He looks rather smug, doesn't he? :)

Shop Update

I just added two new dolls to my Etsy shop. Have a look, won't you?

mortal plush show opening

Moral Plush opened this weekend in National Harbor, Maryland (right outside of DC) This is my first time having a piece hanging in a gallery! I wish that I could have gone to the opening...

There are some pictures of the show up on flickr. One set of the show before the opening: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobiahmundt/sets/72157614035893767/
And another set of opening night: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriscreatures/sets/72157621210163801/
Look at this! You can see my plush in the window! (the doll with the orange dress) http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriscreatures/3713379970/in/set-72157621210163801/

Puppy!

I finished another commission today. He's an English Bull Terrier in a Red Sox t-shirt. Made from fleece, he's 20 inches from head to tail.

Geronimo!

My latest custom order was a very large plush doll of Goyathlay, better known as Geronimo.
He's made from fleece, with nylon hair, and is about 39 inches tall. He's also anatomically correct (my first time making plush genitals!) but I promised the commissioner that I wouldn't post pictures of his twig and berries (hehe!)

Mortal Plush show

I just found out that I was chosen as an artist for the Mortal Plush show. Woohoo! This will be my first time having a piece of my art in an actual gallery show. (I'm now giddy and excited and dancing around...) Yay!

Recent commission

Last night I finished a commission order that I've been working on for over a month. Thank you for being so patient with me!

This is The Vampire (times 2), Pansy, and Mouse.

In another treasury?!

I just found out that my Dresden Dolls plushes are featured in an Etsy Treasury! http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=57868

Wow! What an awesome Etsy day!

Front Page!

I woke up to a lovely surprise...my Siamese twins doll was featured on Etsy's front page last night! Yay!

Mortal Plush

I finally finished my entry for Mortal Plush, a plush art show. They're conjoined twins, and one isn't too happy about it :)
The deadline is this Friday, and I'll find out Monday if I make it in or not. Wish me luck!

Two in one week?

Yep, I update my Etsy shop again. This time I added some art prints. One more update later this week.

Etsy shop update!

Just posted some new items in my Etsy shop. Look for more updates later this week

Comic book reviews - June 7, 2009

I haven't done a comic post in weeks, so I have a big stack to review. I'm just going to do quick reviews this time. I'll make the next review post longer.

The Umbrella Academy: Dallas #6 of 6
Really good conclusion to a fantastic story! 5 out of 5

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #6 of 8
Flying monkeys! Yay! Cute comic, as always. 4 out of 5

House of Mystery #13 and 14
13 - Three short stories, each centered around the number 13. Really fun departure from the current story. 4 out of 5
14 - Harry and Peter are stuck "somewhere" outside of the house, and Harry finds out that he may not be real. 4 out of 5

Ignition City #2 and 3 out of 5
I'm still into the story, but something is off with the art. Something about the faces just doesn't seem right. 3 out of 5

The Unwritten #1
Very cool first issue, I'll definitely be reading more of this. 4 out of 5

Buffy Season Eight #25
Finally, we find out what happened to Dawn. Pretty good. 4 out of 5

Buffy Season Eight, Tales of the Vampires
A special issue by Becky Cloonan and Vasilis Lolos, focusing on the new world where vampires are cool and slayers aren't. Loved it! 5 out of 5

Madame Xanadu #10 and 11
10 - The conclusion to the first story arc. 4 out of 5
11 - New story, and a new artist. And a cameo by Wesley Dodds?! 4 out 5

I've also been reading The Great Fables Crossover, but I'll save those reviews for when the story is done.
Until next time!

Awesome!

Another Fantasci has come and gone. It was so fun! I love our local fanboys :) My booth was between Zeno's Comics and the local Jedi group!

I had kind of a bad start to the day. I was rushing to get ready, and I had an accident. I had just taken a shower and the bathroom was wet and slippery. I was leaning on the sink, looking in the mirror, when my hand slipped and my face smacked into the medicine cabinet! OUCH!
There's a red lump on the bridge of my nose now. I'm just glad my glasses cover it up.

Here's a picture of my table. I didn't sell much (very small croud...) but it was still fun!

This is Justin, my Super Boyfriend, and helper for the day :)

After the show, we took a short dinner break (Chinese food!) and relaxed for a while before heading back to the library for fantasmo movie night. We saw MST3K:The Movie, and Highlander. Lots of fun!

Now, to prepare for Monster Fest!

PS - I'm going to be updating my Etsy shop this week. So look for new plushes and prints to be listed soon.

Fantasci!

This Saturday (June 6) is Fantasci, a local sci-fi/fantasy convention at Chesapeake Central Library. I'll have a table, selling my handmade plushes, dolls, and art. If you're in the area please come out to support the local fan community. The con is free and open to the public (no registration required) There will be panels, discussions, vendors, artists, writers, and a costume contest!

The con is from 9am to 4pm, but wait...there's more! The library will close at 4, but will open again at 7:30 for Fantasmo movie night, featuring Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie, and the original Highlander (director's cut!) In honor of MST3K:TM, I'll be donating a door prize. Up for grabs is a set of my MST3K bot plushes (Gypsy, Servo, and Crow)


Here are a few of the new dolls and plushes that will be for sale at the show:

I went to the doctor today, just a simple visit to get a refill on a prescription. She did the usual checkup things: blood pressure, temperature...and weight. I've gained ten pounds in the last three months! Normally, I don't worry about my weight. I've never been a skinny person and I like my curves, so a little fat never bothered me. But gaining so much in such a short time worries me.

I have to stop snacking so much. If there's junk food in the house, I'll eat it. Sometimes I feel like I have no willpower over my eating habits.

And I need to start exercising. Not a lot, just moving more than I do now. On the way home today I stopped at Target and bought a jump rope. I think I'll start jumping rope and taking a long walk every day.

I love being a curvy girl, but I really don't want to gain any more weight. I like were I am right now...

New painting and updates

I've been really busy for the last couple of weeks, trying to get things ready for Fantasci, a local sci-fi convention here in Virginia. I'll be there selling my plushes and dolls, as well as original art pieces and prints. I'll post more about the convention in a couple of days, until then, here's my latest painting: a retro robot, with the brain of a British gentleman!


Retro Robot painting by ~silentorchid on deviantART

Another commission finished!

I recently finished a huge commissioned plush for a huge Star Wars fan! It's a three foot tall tauntaun, named Greeata. She's very soft and cuddly :)

Small shop update

I just added a new painting to my etsy shop. Have a look, won't you?

Random internet fun

I've been sewing all day and my eyes are starting to go a bit fuzzy, so I'm taking a break and wasting some time online.

I'm currently working on three custom plush orders (6 plushes in all) plus a bunch of stuff for my shop and Fantasci (a local SciFi convention that I'll have a table at this June) I'm also drawing a cover for Justin's short story collection...I just love the idea he came up with! It's going to be awesome :)

And speaking of Justin...he's just shy of having 100 subscribers on his YouTube page. You should go and check it out (and subscribe!) He does comic book and movie reviews, MST3K reviews, and other dorky stuff. And when he gets to 100 subscribers he's going to do a special question and answer video.

Blogs I'm currently addicted to:
Cake Wrecks- Brilliantly joking on "professionally" made cakes.
Honey in Your Tea- Random beauty
Dork Yearbook- Dorky, nerdy goodness
Crafty Storage- I love looking into other artist's studios!

Vote for me! (please?)

Cafe Handmade is having a Best in Show contest for their virtual craft show. I, and my etsy shop, are in the running and I need your votes! Just go to the link below and vote for Silent Orchid Studio. You have until next Saturday night.

Handmade Cafe - Best in Show

Thanks so much everyone!

I'm melting...

There's currently a small heatwave here in Virginia. I don't like the heat. I feel like I can't do anything when it gets over 80 degrees. The official temperature today was 90, but I know it got up to 100 in Chesapeake (the official reading comes from the airport in Norfolk) I just don't think my body can handle the heat anymore. What's worse, I still live at home and my mom hates to turn on the air conditioner. Even when it's this hot, she just won't do it.

I want to live somewhere where it doesn't get so hot this soon in the spring. Maybe somewhere further North. Portland, Oregon sounds nice...or Seatle. Maybe Pittsburgh, my stepdad's mom lives there and she loves it.

I'm really tired of living here, but this is the only place I've ever lived. I wouldn't know where to go, really. Any suggestions? Somewhere that isn't too hot and humid in the summer, and is fairly cheap (for a starving artist) Maybe with a good art scene?

Comic book reviews - April 14, 2009

Lots of reviews today, so lets get started!

Rose and Isabel, by Ted Mathot
Graphic novel in two parts, self published

Oh, my! I love this book. I stumbled across Ted Mathot's blog on boingboing.net and fell in love with his art.

Rose and Isabel is about the journey of two sister, trying to find their missing brothers during the Civil War. Descendants of an Irish warrior woman, they're smart, strong, and determined to bring their family back together.

I highly recommend that you get this. 5 out of 5!

Ignition City #1 of 5, by Warren Ellis
art by Gianluca Pagliarani

I haven't read much from Warren Ellis (just his online comic, FreakAngels) but the steampunk look of this book was intriguing so I picked it up. The story isn't bad. It's about Mary Raven, a pilot who's father (also a pilot) has just died. She goes to Ignition City, the last public space port, to collect his things and find out why or how he died.

Again, the story is pretty good. The art, however, is varied in quality. I love the backgrounds and the spacey/steampunk vehicles, but the characters are iffy to me. It may be the inking or the coloring, but they look stiff sometimes. I'll probably buy the rest of the mini series.

3 out of 5

Buffy, Season 8, # 24 by Jim Kruger
Art by Cliff Richards

Faith and Giles hear about a "slayer sanctuary" from a new, reluctant slayer. They go there with her and find out is isn't so much a sanctuary...

Good art and story, as usual. I really do love this series!

4 out of 5

The Umbrella Academy: Dallas #5 byGerard Way
Art by Gabriel Ba

I don't want to say too much about the plot, as it would spoil the fun. Read it. Now.

5 out of 5

House of Mystery, #12 by Matthew Sturges
Art by Luca Rossi

Really good issue. We learn some more about Cress, through the side story from the mysterious Genevieve. And we see one of Fig's father's hidden talents. Weird and fun. Can't wait to see what happens next!

4 out of 5

The Wonderful Wizard of OZ #5 of 8 by Eric Shanower
Art by Skottie Young

Finally, we get to see the Wicked Witch! Skottie Young's art is what really keeps me reading this book. I love his versions of these characters. The story isn't really new, but it's cute and fun.

4 out of 5

Madame Xanadu #9 by Matt Wagner
Art by Amy Reeder Hadley

We're now in 1940s New York, and Madame Xanadu is getting really tired of the Phantom Stranger. She sets a trap for him, with the help of John Zatara (who is the father of Zatanna, on of my favorite DC characters!)

Lovely art, and a great story. 5 out of 5

Etsy shop update

Huge shop update today! Lots of new plushes, as well as screenprinted pins and original art pieces.

Cthulhus!!!

Ready to destroy the world...with their cuteness!

This is the result of my very first wholesale order (woo hoo!) They'll be going with the wonderful The Poison Apple to Cthulhu 2 Convention in Madison, Wisconsin at the end of the month. If you can't make it, I'll have some in my etsy shop soon.

Fantasmo interview

At this weekend's Fantasmo, Justin interviewed the hosts and creators of the show, Rob Floyd and Jim Blanton.

I can't believe I actually watched that...

Last night was Bad Movie Night at Fantasmo. Every year, for Fantasmo's anniversary show, we stay up all night watching really bad movies. The audience votes on the movies shown, which means people actually wanted to see some of these. This year's movies were...

Against the Dark - I didn't watch all of this. It stars Steven Seagal as a vampire hunter. I don't think I need to say any more. I watched the last thirty minutes, and this is what it did to me

Justin still looks happy...he was in the lobby for the whole movie.

Chopping Mall - A really fun 80s movie about mall security robots that go on a killing spree when some teenagers are trapped in the mall after hours.

Leprechaun 4: In Space - I had never seen a Leprechaun movie before, and now I know why.

The Thing with Two Heads - Honestly, I slept through a lot of this on.

Sssssss - 70s movie about a doctor who specializes in snakes, who figures out how to turn a human into a snake. He secretly gives his new assistant the serum. Goofy and weird, but I've seen worse.

Squirm - I love this movie! I'm so glad we ended the night on something I know from MST3K. You gonna be da worm face!

Happy Birthday to

ME!!!
Yup, I turn 27 today. It's a beautiful day, and tonight I'm having Chinese food and chocolate cake with Justin and my family.

I share my birthday with some nifty people...
Christopher Walken, Al Gore, Samantha Brown (Queen of the Travel Channel) and Liz Claiborne
Also, the Eiffel Tower was opened and the zipper was patented today in history. Neat!

So, I got two wisdom teeth pulled yesterday. Justin was off of work, so he came with me (he's such a nice boyfriend!) It didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would. I think it took longer for my mouth to get numb than it did to pull the teeth.

We went back to my house after the dentist and watched movies all afternoon...Better Off Dead (John Cusack!!) and Soultaker (one of my favorite MST3K episodes) We also saw Let the Right One In, a beautifully creepy Swedish vampire film. I highly recommend it!

I woke up today with my face feeling like a chipmunk...all swollen and puffy, but there's not as much pain as I would have expected. I think it feels better now than it did before I got them pulled...

I still have to eat soft food for a few days. So I'm living on ice cream, mashed potatoes, pudding, yogurt, and anything that doesn't require lots of chewing. This morning I warmed up a strawberry muffin with lots of butter, and it was soft and yummy!

I'm working on some new plushes for my Etsy shop, as well as a couple of custom orders. I'm hoping to have a few things finished and posted by the end of the week. Stay tuned for more updates.

Now I'm grumpy...

I'm usually a very calm, easy going kind of girl. I don't get pissed off very often, but right now I am.

I woke up today in a really good mood. The weather is nice and I was looking forward to seeing Justin tonight. We haven't seen each other since Sunday (which is kind of a long time for us) I've been missing him like crazy, and I needed to see him after a week of dentists poking around in my mouth.

But he just called me, and his car is still in the shop and he doesn't know when he's getting it back. Which means he isn't coming over tonight. AARRGG! Stupid car! Why can't you be fixed now?!

Comic book reviews - March 17, 2009

I only got two new comics last week, so this post will be short.

The Wonderful Wizard of OZ, #4 of 8
Written by Eric Shanower, art by Scottie Young

I'm really enjoying this Marvel miniseries. It's charming and cute, with fun scary bits thrown in. It's adapted from Baum's book, not the famous movie.

In this issue, they've reached the Emerald City and get to talk to the Wizard. Of course he won't just give them what they want, they must kill the Wicked Witch.

Scottie Young's art is fantastic. I love his character designs, especially the Tin Man and Toto. So cute!
5 out of 5


Fables #82
Written by Bill Willingham, art by David Hahn

An epilogue to the Dark Ages story arc. Back at The Farm after Blue's funeral, everyone is dealing with the lose in their own way. Rose Red is seriously depressed and Pinocchio is hopeful that Blue will come back (like other dead Fables have before.)

The art for this issue is pretty good. Also, this is the first issue after James Jean's run as cover artist. I'll miss his covers, but Mark Buckingham isn't a bad substitute.

Not a very exciting issue, so I'll give it 3 out of 5

Gaiman on Colbert

Last night, Neil Gaiman was a guest on The Colbert Report. I squeaked with geekey joy when I heard he would be on :) My favorite author on one of my favorite shows? Too awesome!

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Neil Gaiman

Colbert Report Full Episodes
Political Humor

Rap Battle
NASA Name Contest

What's I've been up to lately

I haven't written in a while...I haven't felt good lately. My jaw has been killing me for a few months now, so I went to the dentist last week. I had a cavity (which he filled) but the real problem is my wisdom teeth. I went to a different office today and he said that he can't remove them (it isn't fully exposed or something) so I have an appointment on Wednesday to talk to an oral surgeon about removing them. I've never had surgery before, so I'm a little freaked. But if my jaw stops hurting, well...I'll happily do it.

In other news, I've been sewing, and sewing, and sewing for the last few weeks. I've had a ton of custom orders to fill, including my very first wholesale order! I'm also working on some things to add to my Etsy shop. New plushes, and some screen printed pins and patches. I think I'm also going to add some of my original art.

I'm working on my review of last weeks new comics. It should be up sometime tomorrow.

And it's only two weeks until my birthday, so while I was out today I bought myself an early birthday gift...Awesome cranberry red Converse One Star shoes from Target! They are so cute! They look like vintage track shoes :)

Comic book reviews

Today I'm starting a new weekly comic book review. I don't read that many monthly titles. I tend to like single book stories (no cross overs, no need to read other books to get what's going on in the main book) I like mini series, graphic novels, and starting from issue #1 (I don't like jumping in the middle of a story)

This week I picked up...

Hellboy #40
Part 4 of The Wild Hunt story.
Written by Mike Mignola, art by Duncan Fegredo

Hellboy and Alice follow a little creature (imp or fairy?) who says that he was sent as a guide by Mab, but its a trap! Those little guys are nuts! Great art, as usual. I really need to read all of the back issues, as this mentions some things from past stories I haven't read yet.

There's a backup story "Baba Yaga's Feast" by Mignola, with art by Guy Davis. It's excellent! I love folk tales, especially weird Russian Baba Yaga stories. Again, the art is fantastic.

4 out of 5

Buffy Season 8, #23
Written by Drew Greenberg, art by Georges Jeanty

Buffy and Andrew go on a road trip to stop Simone, a rouge slayer. This is a really fun issue. I love Andrew! Such a geek, and so lovable. He and Buffy "geek bonding" is hilarious. This issue felt like an episode of the show, with just the right combination of action and humor.

5 out of 5

House of Mystery #11
Part 1 of The Space Between
Written by Matthew Sturges, art by Luca Rossi

First, the cover is probably my favorite of the series so far. But I don't know who does the covers! I looked through the whole issue, but no mention of a cover artist. Is it Luca Rossi?

Anyway...This is a great issue. We find out more about the weird floating couple, and where people go when they leave the House. Fig's father is still an asshole, and Harry and Fig finally sleep together. Oh, and the Administrator of Ceorel is really creepy!

5 out of 5

First ETSY sale!

Woo hoo! I made my very first sale on Etsy yesterday! I'm officially in business :)

Goodbye little Nosferatu plush, have fun at your new home!

Coraline review

I meant to write this last week when I saw the movie...but time flies...

I've been a huge fan of both Neil Gaiman and Henry Selick for years and years. Selick made two fantastic stop motion animated movies, The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach. Neil Gaiman is quite possibly my favorite author, writing strange, funny, spooky stories for adults and children. When I heard that they were going to be working together, it filled my geeky heart with joy.

I read Coraline soon after it came out and I loved it. It's a creepy adventure...a kids horror story. Henry Selick is the perfect director to bring it to life.

The film is fantastic! The stop motion is beautifully done, and all of the characters and sets are well designed. It follows the book fairly closely. The most major difference is the addition of a character, Wybie Lovat, the grandson of the woman how owns Coraline's house. I didn't mind him so much, since he is actually there for a reason (not just added for nothing) and he has one of my favorite creepy moments in the movie (smile!)

I love that the film makers left in all of the creepy things that I love in the book. Spink and Forcible's dead dogs, the Other Mother's real form, the ghost children, and the way the Other World falls apart as the Other Mother realizes that she's loosing Coraline.

The visuals are amazing. I love the character designs! Coraline has blue hair, which I hadn't pictured on her when I read the book, but suits her...she's a little rebel!

Overall this is a beautiful, creepy, fun movie. I highly recommend seeing it! 5 out of 5

I like buttons

Coraline starts tomorrow!

Cutest. Story. Ever.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-452482/Orphaned-owls-new-cuddly-toy-mum.html

CPSIA news

Some wonderful news concerning the proposed CPSIA testing. The Commission has voted for a one year suspension of the mandatory lead testing and certification, while they look over the rules. Wow! Their statement even mentions crafters and home based businesses!

You can read the full statement on etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/breaking-news-the-cpsia-mandatory-testing-certification-prop-3347/

I love democracy!

ETSY!

I finally started a shop on etsy! I've been planning it for a long time now, and it's finally up! I only have a few things posted, but I'm planning on adding more over the next few weeks. What would you like to see in my shop? I have some original paintings (which I can make into prints) and lots of ideas for plushes and dolls. I'll also be adding the preview edition on Justin's novel, Divita (which I made the cover for)

We found a kitty

There's a little kitty at my house. It just showed up yesterday. He's very friendly and I wish we could bring him in the house, but he isn't neutered and we already have two cats. I'm not sure if they would like him...


I think he's already adopted us. Every time we open the door, he tries to get in (and mews like crazy when he can't)

Help save small businesses from a scary new law

In August 2008, Congress passed The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in children's products, mandates third party testing and certification, and requires manufacturers of all goods for children under the age of 12, to permanently label each item with a date and batch number. The law goes into effect February 10, 2009.

I'm all for making toys safe, but the new law will affect all businesses...not just large companies. This means that someone like me, who makes plush toys and dolls or any product considered a toy, will have to have a thrid party test EACH toy produced. Thousands of small business could be put out of business very shortly if nothing is done to change the bill.

The site below explains it better than I can.
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/

I'll be writing more about this soon.

Just finished...

Last night I finished a custom plush of Sebulba, a character from Star Wars. He's one of the biggest plushes I've made (three feet tall!)


And he has teeth!


I also just posted some pictures on flicker and DeviantArt of a werewolf plush that I made as a Christmas gift for my friend Phyllis to give to her husband Rob. He's a huge werewolf fan! This is one of his favorites, from Hammer Horror's movie "Curse of the Werewolf"

I was in a "It's a new year, so I need a new look" kind of mood today, so I got a haircut. It's short! I haven't had it this short before. I love it!


More pictures are on my Flickr page.

Resolutions, wishes, and dreams

Things I want to do this year...

- Illustrate a comic book (or two)
- Get a job (even a crappy part time job)
- Start my own line of plush toys and dolls
- Get my internet shop running
- Watch lots of fun movies
- Go to more concerts
- Go on a road trip
- Organize my room
- Get rid of things I no longer need (stop being a pack rat)
- Be more independent
- Save money
- Buy a car of my very own
- Do something creative every day (even if it's just a doodle or a few minutes of sewing)
- Finish reading all of the books in my "to be read" pile
- Wear more skirts and dresses (dress up for no reason at all)
- Enjoy every moment

So, this is the new year...

Happy New Year to you all! I thought I'd do a year end blog, something about how my 2008 turned out. It was a pretty good year, overall. Even with all of the bad things going on in the world, the horrible economy, and the sad news of wonderful entertainers dying...I still think it was a pretty good year.

Obama winning the election made my year! In less than three weeks he'll be our new President, and I'm so very, very excited! I spent my whole adult life with Bush as president (he was elected when I was 18) and now it's finally over :)

I had a hard summer. I was sick and sad and worried all of the time. I found out that I have anxiety disorder. But through the miracle of modern science, they have pills for that...so I'm feeling much better.

I got to go to my first comic book convention with Justin. I really wish I could have stayed the whole weekend, but I felt horrible and sick so we only stayed for one day. It's ok, though. It was fun day, and we're going back this year.

I had an absolute blast at this year's Monsterfest! Justin and I shared a table. He had his preview edition of Divita for sale (with my illustrated cover!) and I had a bunch of my plushes for sale. I met some cool people, and later we watched horror movies until dawn.

I want 2009 to be even better. I'm already planning some awesome stuff. I just signed up for a shop on ETSY, so I'm hoping to grow my business this year. I'm working on designs for my own plush characters and creatures. I'm going to be illustrating at least one comic book (maybe two by the end of the year?) And maybe (finally) I'll get a real job and movie out on my own.

This year I want to do something creative every day. I want to see lots of good movies, and read lots of awesome books and comics. And I want to spend time simply doing nothing with Justin, feeling calm and loved.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a lovely Christmas. Mine was pretty sweet!

I got some awesome presents. I got a bunch of books, including the Tori Amos book "Comic Book Tattoo," the first volume of Hellboy, "How to Be an Explorer of the World" by Keri Smith, and the new Neil Gaiman book "The Graveyard Book." My dad got me subscriptions to Juxtapose and Craft magazines, and Amanda Palmer's new CD. Justin got me the Dr. Zoidberg action figure!

My cats love Christmas!



After spending the day with our families, Justin and I went to see "The Spirit." The previews weren't amazing, but I love the character and the recent comic series so I went with an open mind. It was...ok. Not great, but not horrible either. I'm not sure if Frank Miller was the best choice for director (I love his visual style, but he seems to be stuck in film noir) It was a little too goofy and cartoon-ish, and there wasn't much of a plot. I give it a 5 out of 10.

While waiting to see the movie, we wandered around looking at all of the coming attraction displays. I found one for Coraline! I'm really excited about this movie. What could be better than a Neil Gaiman story, with Henry Selick animation and direction?



I'm going to be posting again soon about this past year, and my wishes and hopes for the new year.

Cheers!
Lindsay