March 2009 Archives

Okay, I've felt sorry for myself long enough.  Gulf Wars is over.  The Con is over.  It's time to get off of the computer and finish some projects! And, by projects, I don't just mean the ones that I have to finish soon because they need to go to people.  I'm talking things like the two embroidered tokens that should've been finished long ago.  (We need them for events, but also, there's a larger project I want to start but won't until those are done.) My niece's pony and at least two bunnies for Easter for her and her older sister. I need to get Todd's I Love That You're A Geek Day gift framed.  I have a lot of paper mache ideas... Maybe I should've given my Monster of Creation a form a while back so he can stare at me or kick me in the head and make me do what I'm supposed to.  If nothing else, I could feed to him the Procrastination Pixi that's hovering around my head.  I'm not sure why he likes them.  They always give him heartburn.  He says they taste like bacon, though. I'll have to take his word for it. Anyone else given their Monster of Creation a form yet? Is there even anyone out there? Echo! If there are any readers, feel free to kick me in the ass to get these projects finished.  Sometimes, I can use a drill sargeant. Especially this week.  So much to do and dammit if obstacles aren't being thrown at me.  Tonight, surprise party for the boss.  Tomorrow, best friend's play.  Friday...well, Friday works because there will be stitch.  Saturday, helping friends move and getting taxes done. I'd say I need a week off to get things done, but I know me better than that.  I would spend the week on the 360 while my Monster of Creation chewed on my ear and threatened to eat one of the cats if I didn't get off my ass. Ah, well, I'm bound to find time to finish things.  I think.  Maybe.  Perhaps... Wish me luck.  I'm gonna need it. _____________________ My computer has been doing weird things lately, and I'm starting to think my Monster of Creation has actually figured out if I get frustrated enough with the comp then I'll go crochet/embroider/paper mache to let off steam.  He's not stupid.  Devious, but not stupid.  And, I tell ya'll, since I haven't done much in the way of creation this last couple of weeks, whenever a cat disappears I get a little scared...Monsters of Creation don't like to be bored.

Yeah, I know. I haven't posted in a while.  Probably because I'm pouting. That's right, pouting. That's a lousy excuse, but I care not! This week...this week...this week we should be at Gulf Wars.  We are not at Gulf Wars.  We are not there because it was decided months ago, we could not afford to spend that kind of money, especially since we were trying to save for a house.  Months ago, that was true.  About a month ago, our finances improved, but by that point we had already decided to attend MidSouth Con instead.  Now, we fully expect much fun to be had at MidSouth Con, even if it means I have to bring soap bombs to stave off the nerdy stench, but still, it doesn't stop us from pouting that we're not at Gulf Wars. The hubby and I have seriously been feeling it.  I haven't wanted to be at work all week, which is weird because I love what I do, and happily enough, I've been booked solid.  But, I realized early on it's because normally I'm off this week.  Normally, I'm waking up to people laughing over breakfast in the main tent while the fighters slowly start clanking into their armor for the first battle of the day.  Normally, while I'm waiting for said battle, I'm either in a class or shopping or taking pictures or just sitting around and enjoying the company of friends.  Normally, in the evening, Iwould be drinking with friends around a camp fire, singing, laughing, and perpetuating my week-long buzz before falling asleep in our tent to the sound of drums.  Normally. Yeah, we've been pretty much in a funk all week.  There are several people we know going to MidSouth because they, too, were unable to attend Gulf Wars.  We have decided it's going to be a pity party.  Yes, there will be much hedonism, including drinking, scaring of the natives, and possibly several warnings by security.  They are some lucky nerds that we haven't brought the emu lube wrestling. What this all amounts to is I have not been creative at all this week.  We've been preparing for the geekfest by playing games.  Okay, we've been doing it because we haven't felt like doing anything else, but man, what do you expect?  We feel so...out of place this week. You have to understand, an even like Gulf Wars is not only a vacation, but a serious trip out of the norm.  We step as far out of modern time as we can get without giving up hygiene and ice chests to keep the beer cold.  You set up your tent, park your car, shed the mundane life, and suddenly you're in a world run by SCA time, rules, and acceptance of oddball stuff like dressing in 14th century garb while learning to throw axes after you've spent an afternoon embroidering a new pillow for the king and queen.  And, if you're lucky, you'll get to take a class on how to build your own bread oven and make your own bread, assuming you aren't watching 1500 fighters beat the hell out of each other on the field. And, this year, I was hoping to get to see the falconers do their stuff. So, yeah, we kind of look forward to it as a time to renew ourselves by ignoring the real world for 9 days. So, ask the few of you who have been reading my blog to forgive the lack of input.  I need to mourn a bit. Next week, I expect to be back on track with projects. Especially since I'll see how-not-to-do-that many, many times at the Con and will be inspired. Hey, you get it where you can. _____________________ I actually get to see the Masquerade contest this year.  I plan on taking notes because next year I am all over that...assuming we go to the Con since, dammit, next year we are GOING TO GULF WARS. Dammit.

So, there was a post here originally, but some goblin corrupted a file and sent my poor old blog into a coma for the day, effectively taking the post with it. Super Husband saved the day and managed to get it up and running, and considering it could have been a lot worse - like having to completely reload the blog from scratch - I'm not complaining about the missing post so much. Still, I spit on the Goblins of Blog Crashing! *ptooi!* May their innards become their outtards! Or something like that. Anyway, so, I am finished with the two embroidery projects, the sweet bags that need to go to the royalty at Gulf Wars.  The sewing part sucks unpleasant things, but the embroidery is solid, so if they fall apart, they could use them as appliques if they want.  I probably should have let the hubby sew them up, but he's injured, and well, they're bags, how hard could the be? Considering I sewed the opening on one closed...twice...had the needle refuse to pick up the bobbin thread, and had the presser foot fall off, pretty damn hard for me. I hate sewing. I thought I would have pictures of the sweet bags, but I forgot to do that last night, and I need to get them mailed out today, so you will just have to live with the unfinished rose. I haven't been all that productive since last night, but that sometimes happens.  I finally finish a project, and I just find myself staring in satisfaction at the finished product and deeply ignoring the other projects standing impatiently in line behind it. Well, they can just wait their damn turn. They can grumble at me all they want.  I deserve a little break to sit and drink some wine and rewrite my missing blog post three times because I find I keep repeating myself.  Every artist who thrusts way too many projects upon herself deserves a break.  Let's call it a procrastination vacation. I know it's dangerous country in which to tread, one that is difficult to navigate without losing one's self.  And, I certainly don't have a map.  What I have is a will, a determination, to return in high spirits and raring to go! Deadlines?  What deadlines?  I don't know what you're talking about. Look!  Over there!  It's a giraffe with a puma's head! *sounds of running* _________________ This isn't much of a replacement post, is it?  Well, it's not like ya'll have much of a comparison with the previous post just particles in the ether.  My ability to reproduce it apparently went along with it.  Oh, well, I guess ya'll will have to settle with the mediocre.  Nyah.

Let's see: The mask is done and given to it's rightful owner.  There is need for some correction, but we'll get to that.  (Damn polyurethane.) I'm nearly done with one piece of embroidery and the other will not take long, so they will be put in the mail soon. I've got two dragons to do, but they sort of work themselves. And, one Ball of Bun, which is a whole day of work. So, here it is...the moment...the moment I can look at my paper mache table (which is our kitchen table, but the hubby doesn't give me grief about it) and can honestly smile that knowing smile of someone who can start a new project. "But, you have all those others!" you might shout. Not that you will because many of you who visit here have the same problem of not enough time in the day to satisfy the Monster of Creation. We all have one.  You have to sacrifice at least one pound of creative service a day to it or it gets very growly and wants to chew on your ears. Mine, poor dear, was hiding in a closet, locked in a box for a very long time. In the beginning, it was running free.  Running in circles mostly, but really only until it found a direction.  But, then, a change, a move made it a little more wary.  It found itself a little less accepted.  When it did attempt to crawl out and shine, it was frowned at, told it wasn't good enough, and forced into a little box.  Sometimes, it would peek out of the box, but there would be the same coldness.  It would shiver and duck back into the box.  Eventually, the box went into a very deep, very dark closet... Many years later, I found the little box, and opened it, and the Monster of Creation blinked at me in the light but was a little too nervous to come out just yet and sought out a shadowy corner of the box... It took a lot of months to coax it out.  But, after using soothing music, a few happy comments, a few carrots and the odd cupcake, the once shy, huddling thing has decided it no longer needs to be afraid and is currently jumping up and down on my head. The problem with that is it's had a lot of pent up energy, meaning,  it's a little hyper-active.  This is probably the source of my Project ADD.  My Monster of Creation is just so excited all the time that it flits from one project to the next.  I think it feels like it doesn't have enough time left in life to do everything it wants to do. Silly monster. I often lose to it.  It's hard to say no to it when it's suffered so.  As this blog post has been written over the weekend, a new paper mache project has surfaced.  A new mask based on a nightmare I had.  The good thing about it is that it's not needing to be finished Now.  It can develop as the Monster sees fit.  That's rather nice. And, oh yes, it's going in the Halloween pile.  Oh, a new jack o'lantern will be started, too.  Also, Scratch.  Scratch is a creature that has been in the works for years.  I can never get his skeleton right... Halloween is months away. Good time to start all of these new ideas.  No rush.  No stress.  And, besides, every time I start a new Halloween project I tend to stand in the kitchen and cackle like a mad scientist.  (No, that is not an exagerration.  Ask the hubby.) It's a good feeling seeing your evil plans coming to fruition. The next Halloween party has a Zombie Apocolypse theme.  By the gods, I will have the crawling zombie torso and the squirming zombie head on a plaque... I think when I get this way, my Monster of Creation hops up and down happily wringing its hands because other than crochet, Halloween stuff is the only time it gets really excited. I just had a thought, though.  I think I need to give my little Monster of Creation a form.  No one else can see him, of course.  All of our Monsters are very personal, but I think some times they wouldn't mind people knowing they're there and what they look like.  I'm betting mine would hope I would make him fiercer than he is, but we'll have to see on that one. In fact, I challenge everyone to show off their Monsters of Creation.  I've seen what you guys can do.  This challenge is a walk in the park. That is, of course, if you can get the little boogers to sit still long enough to copy them... Wouldn't hurt to give them a name either.  I never really had a name for mine before.  He was always just my little monster.  Have to give him a name... ________________ There are times I wonder if my monster shouldn't be on some medication to try to focus its energies, but you know, that would be stupid.  Mosters of Creation are meant to be wild, untamed, and annoyingly everywhere.  It's their nature.  I don't think I'll mess with that.