Switching to Tumbler

Hello there.
I know I never update this blog. I'm sorry. I've been distracted by something shiny and new! Tumbler is the kind of blog I've been wishing for since I started posting on livejournal in high school. Not only can I write my own blog posts (and post my own pictures, links, videos, etc.) but I can also re-post things from other blogs. Instead of simply seeing what I'm doing, you can also see what is inspiring me and things I find interesting, and I think my personality is going to come through much easier than it does on a simple blog.

So this is my last post here on blogger. You can now find me at http://silentorchidstudio.tumblr.com/

Hope to see you all on Tumber!

New York City trip!

Next week I’ll be going to New York City! My boyfriend's movie, Caprice, will be screening next Tuesday and Wednesday night at The House of Yes in Brooklyn.

It will be my first trip to the city, and I was wondering if you lovely people had any suggestions for things to see and do. I’ll only have two days there (Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th) and I’m on a budget.

I'll probably be staying in Queens. I’d like to visit the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria. They have a Jim Henson exhibit right now that I really want to see. Any other places near there that I should go? Restaurants, shops, or other museums?

I’m already planning on stopping by Obscura and My Plastic Heart (on the Lower East Side) so if there's anything else near there that I shouldn’t miss, let me know.

And of course I’d love to see other parts of the city, too. It’s such a big place and I have so little time!

Also, are there any places or neighborhoods that I should avoid completely?

Gallery piece!

I know...I'm a bad blogger. Honestly, I started a tumblr page and I'm kind of obsessed with that right now. I've been posting/reblogging lots of stuff on there lately.

My month off of commissions is going pretty well. I'm getting some work done on my own pieces. First, I was accepted into a gallery show! It's a Kaiju Monster themed show. I made a monster attacking a city! All in plush, of course.



The show is at Cade Gallery in Phoenix, Arizona. I starts July 1st and runs all month.

Other than that, I've been making a bunch of little things. I'm trying to get a lot of plushes and dolls finished before I start taking pictures. Instead of etsy/blog style quick pictures, like I usually take, I want to do something more professional. I'd like to make postcards, buttons, and prints of the pictures. I may even make some backdrops or scenes...we'll see.

First of June

I can't believe it's June already. This year has flown by. I'm taking this month off from commissions and making things for other people to focus on my own work and my business.

Since it's the first of the month, I did what I always do on the first. I sit down and do business things! I've gotten into the habit of using this day (or at lehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifast part of it) to make sure finances and such are in order. First, I figure out my income and expenses for the previous month. After that, I fill out my state sales tax form and pay my Etsy bill. I like to get these things done and not have to worry about them for the rest of the month.

Today I also started getting ready for this weekend. Justin and I are going down to Charlotte for HeroesCon! Yay, a whole weekend of comic books and geeky fun!

I'm not sure if we'll have internet access at the hotel. If we do, I'll be sure to post about the trip. If we don't, I'll be posting from my phone to twitter.

Art show!

Exciting news! I've been accepted into the Monsters kaiju art show at Cade Gallery in Phoenix, AZ. I'm planning something really special...stay tuned for updates and pictures.

Been a long time

I know...it's been a long time since I've posted anything. The last few months (since the Christmas season, actually...) have been very busy. I've been working nonstop on commissioned pieces and I haven't had any time to work on my own designs.

I love making things for people, but quite honestly, I'm starting to feel burned out by this. That's why I've decided to take the whole month of June off. I'm going to use that month to regroup and put my focus back onto my art and my line of dolls and plushes. I'm going to try and make a new piece (a doll, plush, or art piece) every day. I'll also be restructuring my prices, so if you're interested in anything in my shop, now is the time to buy!

I'm going to try and blog (or at least tweet!) every day of June. I'll be posting progress pictures of my work, what's going on with the business side of my shop, and what inspires me. Hopefully by the end of the month my business and shop will be back in order and I'll have a blog full of resources for other small businesses. Let me know if there's anything you'd like me to post about.

And if you need a custom plush, please let me know now so I can have it finished by the end of May. Or you can wait until July, when I'll start taking new orders.

Commission/custom order info

Commissions for custom plush toys and dolls are once again open. If you have an original character (or a TV, movie, or comic character) that you would like me to make as a plush, please feel free to send me an email at silent-orchid@hotmail.com

Reference pictures are very helpful. Please send them along with your request (links to pictures are fine.)

---Prices---
Prices on all custom plushes are based on size and complexity of the character. The base prices below are for a for a standard plush made from felt. For a more detailed, complex character and any extras (different fabrics, yarn hair, removable clothing, etc.) the price will be higher.

Under 6 inches - $30
6 to 10 inches - $50
11 to 15 inches - $70
16 to 20 inches - $90
21 to 25 inches - $110
If you would like a plush that is larger than 25 inches tall, please send me a note and we can discuss the price.

All prices are in US dollars and do not include shipping. Please let me know your zip code (or country if you are not in the US) and I'll figure out the shipping cost.
If you need your order in less than three weeks, there will be a rush fee of 20% added to the cost of the plush (before shipping.)

I prefer to take payments online (PayPal and credit cards.) I also accept money orders (and if you are in the US, personal checks.) If your order is larger I do not mind being paid in installments, but I will need to be paid in full before I ship your order.

Refunds cannot be issued for custom orders.

Generally, I do not give discounts for multiple items purchased together. I do accept wholesale orders from shops, boutiques, and artists who order original character plushes (to be resold at conventions, etc.)

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When we agree on a design and price I will send you an invoice though PayPal (or my address if you are sending payments though the mail.) I can only begin working on your plush when I have received your payment.

It typically takes me between two and four weeks to make a plush, depending on how detailed the design is. I will send updates on the progress as I make it.

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If you have any questions, please leave a comment or email me at silent-orchid@hotmail.com

All ten year old girls have a crush on Tim Curry...

My sister and I have a Halloween tradition. Every year we watch our favorite Halloween movie. Not a horror film, not It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown...no, the best Halloween movie ever is The Worst Witch.

It was made for TV in 1986 and stars Fairuza Balk as Mildred Hubble (her first role as a witch, long before she was in The Craft.) It also stars Charlotte Rae in dual roles as the school's headmistress AND her evil twin sister, Tim Curry as The Grand Wizard (who is swooned over by every female in the movie) and Diana Rigg as Miss Hardbroom (the not so nice potions teacher who doesn't like Mildred.)

It's a crazy movie, full of songs, goofy 80s special effects, and just plain wacky situations. In the middle of the movie Tim Curry gets his own music video!


Miss Cackle's "evil" twin sister and her coven of goofy witches are dressed like a five year old's idea of a "bad witch." They also have a song...


It really has to be seen to be appreciated. Or maybe you have to be a child of the 80s to love it as much as I do...you can see for yourself. Someone has kindly posted the whole movie on youtube.

Back online

A few of weeks ago my old computer (which I'd had for at least six years without upgrading) stopped connecting to the internet. Oh, no! What was I to do? My dear boyfriend let me use his for a while, but it was hard not being able to log on whenever I needed to. I've realized how very much my life revolves around connection with people through the net. Not a bad thing...I like having friends and customers all over the world :)

Today I finally bought a new laptop for myself! Nothing fancy, but it has lots more memory than my old one. It also has a webcam, so you may see some youtube videos from me soon (not quite sure what they'll be about yet...maybe plush making tutorials or other artsy things.)

Now that my web life is back to normal, I'll be posting more to my sites (especially Etsy and twitter) and trying to blog more. What would you like to see here? Process pictures? Tutorials? Design inspirations/color board posts? Let me know :)

I'm working on some new dolls (monsters, circus freaks, and fairy tale characters.) I'm also taking holiday orders now! There's less than two months until Christmas, and I need to get custom orders by the first week in December. I'll make a longer post in a day or two, with all of the details.

Halloween plushes

I just posted the first few of my Halloween plushes! Nosferatu, London After Midnight vampire, and zombie Poe. Lots more to come over the next week or so!

Doll and plush commissions are open

I just reopened my commissions. If you'd like to order a custom made plush toy or doll, here is all of my commission info: http://silentorchid.deviantart.com/journal/13694803/

And if you're thinking of ordering something as a Christmas gift, you should order early. (I know it isn't even fall yet, but my holiday commission list fills up fast.)

Monsterfest 2010!

In just over a month I'll be at Monsterfest! It's a local horror con that kicks off the Halloween season. This year it will be Saturday October 2, from 9am to 5pm at Chesapeake Central Library. Lots of vendors, artists, writers, horror hosts, and movie makers, as well as panels, films and a costume contest.

I'll be there selling my horror themed goodies. If you have any suggestions for characters, monsters, or Halloween things you'd like to see in plush form, let me know. Anything I don't sell at the con will for sale in my Etsy shop later that week.

And in other news...my commissions will be open again later this week, but on a limited basis. I'll post an official update, with all of the details, soon.

Shop update

I added a bunch of new dolls and plushes to my etsy shop today, including some circus freaks, urban legends, and a serial killer!

New home

So, I moved yesterday. I love my new apartment! It's tiny, but very cute and the perfect size for me and Justin. It's in the middle of Ghent, the "artsy" neighborhood in Norfolk. I'm around the corner from The Naro (single screen, arthouse theater,) lots of restaurants, shops, and galleries. Being able to walk down the street to eat or go shopping is going to be so nice! Especially after spending my whole life in the suburbs, where you need to drive to go anywhere.

I'll post some pictures when I get everything put away and organized.
Also, I'll be updating my Etsy shop soon and re-opening commissions. Stay tuned for updates!

stuffing

Oh, my...does anyone know where I can get inexpensive polyester stuffing for my plushes? I was buying the big boxes of Morning Glory, but I found out today that Walmart no longer carries it. It has a really nice feel (not too smooth or plastic feeling) and was only $10 for 5 pounds.

I've been searching, but I can't find anything. I know I can order some brands online, but with shipping they will be very expensive. Does anyone know if Hancock or Joann Fabric (or some other fabric or craft store) carry stuffing in bulk? My local Joann used to have boxes of poly-fil, but I think they stopped carrying it.

What is your favorite brand? How much do you typically pay, and what size package can you get it in? Any help is greatly appreciated!

Commissions are open

My plush commissions list is once again open. If you are interested in a custom made plush or doll, please feel free to contact me.

You can find all of my commission information (prices, etc...) here: http://silentorchid.deviantart.com/journal/13694803/

Moving!

Last week Justin and I did a little test run of living together. I'm very happy to say that it went really well, and I'll be moving in with him in a couple of months. It was a really nice week. I got to cook (nothing fancy, but it was tasty!) and I set up a little sewing area (and found out that I can actually work on art projects while my cute boyfriend is in the room.) I love that the apartment is in Ghent (the "hip/artsy" neighborhood in Norfolk.) We're only a couple of blocks away from...well, everything. Great food, an awesome old movie theater (and their video store,) and lots of shops...basically everything I need (except for a fabric store...but I have to drive there anyway, so it's not a problem.)

Now comes the hard part...packing up my stuff and figuring out what I don't need to bring with me. I'm living at my parent's house now, and I have a room full of STUFF. The apartment is small (and only has one closet!) so I really need to let go of a lot. I've already started sorting through my clothes, and have a bunch of stuff to send to the thrift store. There's a bunch of junk in my closet but it should be easy to get rid of, since it really is junk.

Going through my art and craft supplies is next. That might be the hardest to get rid of. I'm kind of an art supply pack rat. I've been an artist/crafter my whole life, and I tend to hang on to supplies (even if I don't have a project in mind.) My fabric stash is a bit out of hand, and I have boxes full of collage papers...ugh! I can't get rid of it...what if I need it? ;)

I'm really excited!

Things to come

I've been a bad blogger lately. I've been really busy with commission work and some personal projects and I haven't been posting as much as I'd like.

I'll be reopening my plush commissions the first week in May. I'll post a link to my updated info on May 1 (including some new rules, and updated prices.)

I'm also working on some new plushes and dolls for my Etsy shop, and I'll be posting those throughout May.

After that, I'm going to be working on some new creations for FantaSci, a local scifi convention. I'll be sharing a table with Justin, who will be selling his new pulp novel, The Red Knight.

After that...well, I'm not sure just yet. I'll keep you all updated.

...
On a personal note, Justin and I have been talking about moving in together. It's kind of a scary, grown-up thing for me. I've never lived with anyone before (other than my parents.) We're going to do a trial run next week...just to make sure we can stand seeing each other every day :)

I may blog about it all week. Or at least tweet.

Lovely birthday

Wednesday was my birthday, and it was a lovely day! I spent the whole day with my boyfriend, Justin, who spoiled me rotten :) We had pancakes for breakfast, went to pick up new comic books, and then he took me shopping at Target and bought me a cute little skirt (with pockets!) and a couple of tops to match. After that we sat around Elliot's (local coffee shop) and read our new comics and enjoyed the lovely weather. Later, we got all dressed up and when out for a fancy dinner.

We went back to my house to watch a movie (Lair of the White Worm) and I checked my email to find a wonderful surprise. Evelyn Evelyn tour dates were announced, and they are going to be in DC! It's not as close as I would have liked, but only a few hours away. And I'm a bit obsessed with all things Amanda Palmer, so I bought tickets right away.

It was a really good day :)

New doll

I posted a bunch of items in my Etsy shop this weekend, including three new designs.

London After Midnight vampire

Vampira

Zombie Poe (with tiny raven)


I'm working on some new plush designs (circus freaks, folklore creatures, and robots) so check back soon for more updates.