Geek of the Year Interview - Chris Hicks - Sole Artist and Designer of the Mighty Muggs

Okay the Holiday Season has overwhelmed me a bit and my geek of the week interviews have faded into more of a geek of the month so I decided to bring out my last, best interview of the year!

I am lucky enough to be good friends with someone whose husband is the sole artist and designer of the Mighty Muggs from Hasbro. His name is Chris Hicks and even though many of you don’t know his name yet, you’ve seen his work in toy stores around the world!

Without further ado, here is the Mighty Man himself…Chris Hicks (you can hear the crowds roaring).

1. Who are you, where are you from and how long have you been creating art?

That’s a pretty heavy question- who am I? I dunno, just some dude? I’ve been creating art (if you apply a very liberal definition of “art”) ever since I was a little kid. The first grade is my earliest memory of really enjoying drawing. Oh, and I am from Rocky Point, New York. The Most God-Forsaken Place on Earth!

2. Do you create for a specific genre of geek (ie. sci-fi, gaming, horror, math, fantasy, music, etc…)

I work in toys now, but I’ve done comics and gaming illustrations too.

3. What was the first “geekey” craft or artwork you ever made?

Probably drawing up pictures of my Dungeons & Dragon characters when I was a teenager. Doesn’t get much more geeky than that!

4. What inspires you to create?

Movies, comics, video games. Anything inventive and fresh, with a good story and good characters.

5. Where can we find your work (website, shows, blogs, etc.)

I have a lot of my freelance work on my web site http://www.pyroplant.com/ although it’s in a dire need of an update. Also, my comic book “Mister Blank” is available through Slave Labor Graphics or Amazon.

We also know one of your secret identities is as the sole artist who designs all the Mighty Muggs for Hasbro Toys so we’ve got a few Mighty Mugg Questions:

1. What is your favorite Mighty Mugg that you’ve designed so far?

Hmmm, probably one that is so ridiculous it will never appear in stores and I dare not even mention its name. My favorite ones are the ones with a little bit of dark humor twisted in.

2. How did you get such a cool job?

I honestly don’t have the slightest clue. The cliché answer would be “right place, right time” but that seems to slick and elegant. It’s more like a Mr Magoo cartoon where I’ve bumbled and flailed around and somehow landed in a spot with a chance to do something awesome. The details are a blur!

3. Are there any new Mighty Muggs coming out soon that you can tell us about?

I was a HUGE Transfan growing up, back when Transfan wasn't even a word. And I still am. So I was very excited about doing Transformer Muggs. I tried to pump as much of the detail and my memories of those characters as possible. Soundwave was my first Transformer, and still my favorite, so getting to do him as a Mugg was A LOT of fun!

4. How do you feel about people who paint over your Mighty Muggs so they can design and paint their own custom Muggs? Do you consider this a form of flattery or do you hate seeing your Mugg designs get painted over?

Definitely the latter. The whole custom market for Muggs is AMAZING. People are doing some really inventive and cool things out there. Plus they are in the enviable position of being able to make a Mugg of any character or license they want.

Thanks again Chris!

Geek of the Week - The Geekery!

I'd like to introduce you to a new Geek of the Week - The Geekery! Her fun floppy disc coasters caught my attention on Etsy (and yes I'm old enough to remember when floppy discs were really floppy) and I knew she must be a kindred soul!

1. Who are you, where are you from and how long have you been crafting?

I'm Jocelyn from The Geekery. I live in San Jose, California, but I grew up in Las Vegas. I've been crafting off and on all my life. I was big into rubber stamping before rubber stamps were even in Michael's back in the late eighties, early nineties, but I've gone back into my first love: sewing by hand. I started sewing things when I was about seven years old. I picked up a needle and some thread and taught myself how to thread the eye, crafting avant garde clothes for my Barbie dolls out of fabric scraps and whatever materials I could find. My parents took me to a miniature dollhouse show at the library one year, and after that I started making miniature versions of furniture out of things we would toss out. Every room had a lamp made from a used cap of toothpaste and a generic game pawn. I made a rather large dining room table out of toilet paper rolls cut in quarters and a thick piece of cardboard. I used to make all different kind of tableclothes for it with construction paper and doilies. Over the years, I've made various household items from frivolous toys to the practical.

2. Do you craft for a specific genre of geek (ie. sci-fi, gaming, horror, math, fantasy, music, etc…)

I'd say I'm kind of eclectic geek wise as I've got computer-oriented stuff such as the floppy disk coasters, the meeples appeal to gamers and the cthulhu's appeal to the horror geeks. I think when I'm crafting I like to take what's known and give it my own twist. In the future I do want to explore more of the gaming geekery. I'm also creating my own game which I hope to sell on Etsy.

3. What was the first “geekey” craft you ever made?

When I was eight, Devo was one of my favorite bands. I somehow recreated the famous red plastic dome hat for my Barbie doll out of cardboard and red construction paper. I also made her a one piece dress out of duct tape to go with it. My parents thought I was weird, and they were right.

4. What inspires you to craft?

I get inspired nowadays by thinking of ways to repurpose materials. I love to create, but I'm not fond of waste so I get ideas from thinking about ways to reuse materials.

5. Where can we find your crafts (website, shows, blogs, etc.)

http://www.thegeekery.etsy.com/http://www.flickr.com/photos/thegeekery/http://www.facebook.com/pages/thegeekeryetsycom/20219259081http://www.thegeekery.livejournal.com/and recently featured in Gizmodo:http://gizmodo.com/5075458/please-insert-drink-5-of-12-to-continue-alcoholism

Handmade Arcade Rocks!

Our roadtrip was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who came out to see us at Handmade Arcade and thank you to the organizers of the event! We had a fabulous time and we hope they let us come back and do it again! Pittsburgh Rocks!

Road Trip

I can't belive it's almost here but my roadtrip to Handmade Arcade in Pittsburg, PA is this weekend! My good friend Fruitcake and I are leaving on Friday for the show and I can't wait! Just think of us as a cross between Martha Stewart and Thelma and Louise!

Happy Halloween

May

Your

Halloween

Be A

Peaceful

One!

Oh No Sulu!

Sadly I just found out that Sulu (George Takei) will not be attending the New England Fan Experience Convention in November. It sounds like he was offered a role on a new TV show and will be filming during Nov & Dec and thus unable to attend the convention.

I wish him the best of luck with the new show and I hear that NEFE may be announcing another guest soon so stay tuned!

Forget Jumpcon - Try a Real Con - NEFE!

Okay all you folks like me who were rooked out of money by Jumpcon and are a bit gun shy of trying other cons - let me tell you about a real con!

The New England Fan Experience is coming up in November and it is run by a very reputable fan based broup that has been doing cons for many, many years now. I attended one of their cons 2 years ago, got to see William Shatner and had a great time. The con is reasonably priced, well run and I promise they won't disappoint!

Here are the details;

The New England Fan Experience is coming to The Hyatt Regency –Cambridge (across the river from Boston)FIVE conventions in one!!!
One ticket / membership gets you intoeverything. Weekend advanced tickets only $49 / teens ½ price, under 10 free(with adult purchases). To purchase tickets log on to www.nefe.us
Mail in cut off is November 7th. Or register online before November17th.

Sci-Fi Experience Guests:
Peter Davison (Doctor Who)
Robert Picardo (Stargate: SG1, Stargate: Atlantis, Star Trek Voyager)
Morena Baccarin (Firefly, Stargate: SG1)
Mark Goddard (Lost in Space)
James Cowley (Star Trek: New Voyages / Phase II)
Andrew Probert (production designer, artist, illustrator also videogame artist)
Clifford Bowyer (author)
Marc Vun Kannon (author)
Mark Lund (writer producer First World film)

Pop Culture guests:
Kellen Lutz (Twilight, the new 90210)
George Takei (Star Trek, Heroes also Kaiju & video game voice actor)
Gary Sohmers (King of Pop culture / Appraiser)
Clive Young (Author / independent film producer)

Anime Kaju Experience Guests:
Johnny Yong Bosch (anime & video game voice actor, and the BlackPower Ranger)
Vic Mignogna (Anime, kaiju & video game voice actor)
Don Frye (Star of Godzilla: Final Wars and UFC champion)
Bob Eggleton (Godzilla Artist, Hugo Award winning SF artist & cardgame artist)
Ikeda Katsu (J-pop band)
The Slant (J-pop Band)
Sid Narged (Author)
Steve Horton (techniques of manga writer)
Sam Ramero (manga & webcomics creator)

Gaming Guests:
Rob Balder (Game designer & webcomic creator)
Mecha Software (Anime and SF gaming designers)

Science & Technology guest:
Jeffery Hoffman (Astronaut) – Friday only
Story Musgrave (Astronaut)
Don McCasland (Director of the Blue Hills Observatory)
Dr. James Prego (Holistic Medicine)

Please help spread the word about the show to other fans through anyand all related websites and boards! I hope to see you all there! I will be set up as a vendor in the dealer room on Saturday and Sunday.

Geek of the Week # 5 - Spamberly

Geek of the Week #5 – Spamberly

My mother taught me how to cross stitch when I was a young girl and I remember getting very bored very quickly doing samplers so I stopped doing cross stitch. Well, I found someone who makes such fun funky cross stitches that it makes me want to pick up my needles and give it another try. Let me introduce you to Spamberly!

1. Who are you, where are you from and how long have you been crafting?I’m an Upstate New York girl who moved to Boston in 1997 for college and I decided to stick around awhile. My mom was a quilter and always encouraged creativity, so I’ve been crafting since I had hand-eye coordination. Cross stitch was probably one of the first needle/thread crafts I did seriously as a youngster. I began with pre-packaged cross stitched kits but they got so boring. I wanted to make stuff for my friends that pushed the envelope a little. So I began designing my own patterns with a pencil and graph paper. I got super serious about designing work to sell when I broke my leg and had a few months to sit on my ass and think about stuff.


2. Do you craft for a specific genre of geek (ie. sci-fi, gaming, horror, math, fantasy, music, etc…)Yeah, I’ll watch Star Trek if it’s on. I don’t, like, seriously plan it out or anything. I get that Uhura is hot. I don’t dress up like her on weekends or anything. I get that Bones is always trying to get in on Kirk and Spock’s friendship. Poor Bones. He’ll never infiltrate that shit!My work probably attracts people who are a lot like me because if I don’t get some kind of personal satisfaction from a particular piece, I would never have made it in the first place. My work is a reflection of my life and interests and if another person taps into the same, that’s cool. If not, please don’t send me hate mail. It’s getting old.I managed to land a great job at the geekiest university in the Western hemisphere. It is vibrant and youthful and full of socially awkward people who get off on math equations like the one Matt Damon solved in that movie. It’s a diverse and supportive place to be and gives me a lot of ideas for new stitcheries.


3. What was the first “geekey” craft you ever made?This question is impossible for me to answer. Too many years of weirdness coupled with too many odd crafts. There’s just no way to know the true answer and I cannot consciously lie to you by giving a cutesy tale of my very first oddity.

4. What inspires you to craft?Cross stitch is a very old, traditional craft and I like the idea of giving it a new voice. Although I don’t deliberately focus on it too much, there is a political aspect to what I do. Cross stitch has been fused to femininity for a long, long time. I really enjoy putting little cracks in that traditional image. I want to stitch words or pictures that are provocative in some way. I’m looking for a reaction from the viewer – from giggles to utter disgust.But, in a more general sense, my own everyday life is what inspires me most. Conversations with friends. Rock Operas. Water. Connections. Rejection. Fear. Protest. The Golden Girls. Anger. Legislation. Gleaming the Cube. Europe. Yard sales. Love. Jim Henson. Dark alleys. Hunter S. Thompson. Guilt. The woods. Neil Young. Honesty. Bombs. Victimless crimes. Moods. Sex. Silence.


5. Where can we find your crafts (website, shows, blogs, etc.) (Please note some of Spamberly's creations do contain mature content)
Etsy: http://spamberly.etsy.com/
Flickr: http://flickr.com/spamberly


6. Anything else you'd like to share?The most accomplished feeling I can think of is to begin with a small idea and make it into a tangible, physical object that expresses me in some way. The reason I am so passionate about cross stitch is because it is a marriage of my skills and my opinions. It goes from idea to pattern to finished piece to its home on a wall or tabletop or Christmas tree. An idea becomes a physical object that will most likely last several lifetimes. Whether many crafters are conscious of it or not, their work is probably going to be part of this world long after they have left it. There is something morbid, beautiful and strange about that that keeps me doing what I do.

Cemetary Geeks - The Gravestone Girls

Hello Everyone,
I don’t have a geek of the week interview this week but instead I wanted to introduce you to some “cemetery geeks.” The Gravestone Girls!

http://www.gravestonegirls.com/

The Sutton Historical Society invited the Gravestone Girls to give a talk and cemetery tour of one of Sutton’s many graveyards. I went and had a great time. I learned about the different types of stones that gravestones are made of. I learned about some of the symbology on the stones and I never knew that there were headstones and footstones. Literally just like a bed – or as the Gravestone Girls said, “your bed for eternity.”

I learned a lot more than just that, but I’ll let you go check out their website to get the info yourself.

Oh yes, the GG also make some incredible artwork from the stones - Check them out!

Geek of the Week # 4 - Jordan Alexander

Yeah, it’s Geek of the Week time again and today I have some robot love for you! I’d like to introduce you to Jordan Alexander who is the creator of a world of wonderful robots.

1. Who are you, where are you from and how long have you been crafting?

I'm Jordan Alexander, I work at an art supply store in downtown phoenix. I've been crafting on and off for the past 5 years, and have been designing my robots for the past three years.

2. Do you craft for a specific genre of geek (ie. sci-fi, gaming, horror, math, fantasy, music, etc…)

I try to peak the interest of the etsy sci fi geeks, but I have learned that robot love reaches beyond the geek realm.

3. What was the first “geekey” craft you ever made?

I've always been mad crazy about robots. The idea for making my robots came from collecting wood scraps from construction sites and buying wooden blocks from the craft store. I started gluing pieces together and it's been a marriage made in robot heaven ever since!

4. What inspires you to craft?

Pretty much everything. I listen to David Bowie a lot and read a shit load of sci fi books. David Bowie is all the inspiration anyone needs.

5. Where can we find your crafts (website, shows, blogs, etc.)

my etsy page: spaceboyjordo.etsy.com ; and at some local shops in Phoenix, most importantly: Red Hot Robot, a store that sells vinyl toys and sells a lot of art work by local Phoenician artists.

6. Anything else you'd like to share?

I'm addicted to the book series DUNE by Frank Herbert. I get a lot of inspiration from those books. I've literally read every book. Twice. Also, the best times of my life have been spent sitting at the kitchen table and watching my mother draw in her sketch book. To this day my mom still sketches. I live across the country from her and every once in a while I get a letter or a post card from her with a sketch that she's drawn. Half of them are robots!

Tagged - I'm it!

So, I’ve been tagged by the wonderful Melissa of Hobocampcrafts whom I haven’t seen in much too long! She’s having a baby in just a few months (or is it less now). Congrats!

Anyway, she’s radiant and she tagged me, so here are the rules:

7 Random things about me.

1. I love Christmas music all year long. I start playing it in my car where no one else can hear (and tease me) around July and then by October I can’t hide it anymore and I start playing it everywhere (aren’t you glad you don’t have to share an office with me). Jingle Bells, jingle bells…
2. I hate the smell of wet peanut butter (like when you wash your knife after making a PB sandwich) – and yes it does smell different then when it’s dry (if you can call peanut butter dry).

3. I’m an introvert who loves to act. I love being in theater. I haven’t done it in about 10 years now but I’m an introvert who has a hidden streak of “ham” in her.

4. I can’t sing, not a note, not a tune – I’m horrible (think injured dog howling and you might come close to what I sound like) – to those of you who know me, this is no surprise and bless you for loving me anyway.

5. My favorite Atari game is Circus

6. I’m addicted to Project Runway

7. I own a naked cat

Now it’s my turn. I’m going to tag Fruitcake, dollfacedesign, Girl called Ric, The Devil’s Wallpaper – and that’s all I can think of for now.

Geek of the Week - Dean Velez

Hello Everyone,
Let me introduce you to my newest Geek of the Week – Dean Velez. He is an artist who makes incredible posters in 3-D. Sadly in my photos here you can only get the 2-D effect but they’re still amazing even without the 3-D glasses needed.

So, check out his shop on Etsy and here is his interview:

1. Who are you, where are you from and how long have you been creating art?

My name is Dean Velez I currently live in Atlanta...I've had the Luxury of living in NY, NJ, FL and CA...and I'm originally from the Bronx.I've been creating artwork since I could hold a crayon...and being paid for it since the age of 18. Most of my work is in Motion Graphics and animation for television. I also teach Motion Graphics and Design part time at 2 colleges in Atlanta. I just recently started creating pieces that you can actually hang up.

2. Do you create for a specific genre of geek (ie. sci-fi, gaming, horror, math, fantasy, music, etc…)

All my artwork is created for me...so I guess that definitely falls into the "GEEK" category. Hmmm...Zombies, Comic Books, Monsters, Heroes, Villains, Sci-Fi, B-Movies, Pulp Fiction...these all fit the things I like.I figure if I create things that I love there might be others who relate to this stuff as well.

3. What was the first “geekey” item you ever made?

When I was 15 I used to paint SciFi images onto Denim Jackets, and sell them to my friends.

4. What inspires you?

Mainly I'm inspired by a good story...Heroes and Villains...Good vs Evil. After reading or seeing a good movie I am always driven to create something.

5. Where can we find your work(website, shows, blogs, etc.)
Posters for sale http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6195659
Posters in progress http://www.flickr.com/photos/29665694@N07/
Motion Graphics and Animation portfoliohttp://motiongraphicslab.com/motion-graphics-production.html

6. Anything else you'd like to share?

Yes...the 3D posters really are cool...I wish I was able to show the 3D effect on the internet!


Dean at work in his Home Office

Geeks - It's a Good Thing

I've been a fan of Martha Stewart for a long time now. I was just joking with Ric the other day that my goal in life was to be the Martha Stewart of the Geek world and low and behold doesn't Martha go and have a blog contest just for me. :)

If you visit her blog and leave a comment she will then pick some of the bloggers and check out their blogs and feature them on her site. So any of you other bloggers out there, go link up!

Here is Martha's Blog:
Http://www.themarthablog.com/

Blog on!

Geek of the Week - GirlCalledRic

I’m very excited to bring you my 2nd “Geek of the Week” (by the way when I write “Geek of the Week” I hear it in my head being announced in the same voice that did “Pigs in Space” - “Geek of the Week!” – you can hear it now to can’t you!).

This weeks Geeky Crafter is Ric – also known as girlcalledric. I’ve been in love with her dolls for quite some time now and was thrilled when she agreed to let me interview her.

1. Who are you, where are you from and how long have you been crafting?

I'm Ric, and I'm a girl. You don't meet too many girls called Ric. I'm from Connecticut, which isn't very exciting at all; and I've been crafting since I could string a licorice whip through Froot Loops. I think without crafts, I would have been a very hyper-active child.

2. Do you craft for a specific genre of geek (ie. sci-fi, gaming, horror, math, fantasy, music, etc…)

Sci-fi, most definitely. I've always been kind of into sci-fi, but recently I stepped outside myself and said, "Oh, I guess I'm a nerd." Then, I sat back and accepted it. I've been known to make math and binary things for friends and myself occasionally.

3. What was the first “geekey” craft you ever made?

I've thought about this question for awhile. I want to say "styrofoam ball diorama of the solar system in third grade," but who hasn't had to do that? So, I think I'm going to have to say that I hand-painted a ton of t-shirts when I was in high school. They all had favorite comic book characters on them. This was more than necessary because comic book character t-shirts were not readily available in girly sizes at the time.

4. What inspires you to craft?

Things I appreciate and things that others appreciate. I get so stoked when I'm making an object that I love, or when I'm making a custom order and I know the customer will be over the moon about it. I wish I could say it ran deeper than that, but I guess I just like making people happy. There are so many terrible things in the world, but if I can brighten someone's day for just a little while, then I've done my job.

5. Where can we find your crafts (website, shows, blogs, etc?)

My Etsy shop gets updated the most: girlcalledric.etsy.com
My blog, not so much. It has to get reworked soon: girlcalledric.blogspot.com

6. Anything else you'd like to share?

Wow, that's a lot of pressure. Listen up, geeks, it's about time we openly shunned proper adulthood. Pursue happiness instead. I think that's a good message.

Geek of the Week - Geek Central Station

This is a new feature article I'm starting, my "Geek of the Week!" Each week I'll be interviewing a new geek that I think is fabulous and I know you'll love them as well.

To start the series I'd like to introduce you to Sammi from Geek Central Station. She makes the most amazing chrochet figures! I love all the details she adds to her work and of course I love that she makes geeky things (the little evil Uhura is my favorite!).

So, let me introduce you to Sammi...

1. Who are you, where are you from and how long have you been crafting? My name is Sammi, I'm from New York originally (but currently stuck in Texas) and I've pretty much been crafting since I was little. My mom was a big crafty person too, so I've just been around that kind of influence all of my life. As far as specifics go, though, I have been crocheting less than a year.

2. Do you craft for a specific genre of geek (ie. sci-fi, gaming, horror, math, fantasy, music, etc…) I would say generally fantasy/sci-fi. Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are my two favorite things to craft, although gaming and TV come in a close second.

3. What was the first “geekey” craft you ever made? Well the first truly geeky thing I think I ever made was a Jedi robe for the "The Phantom Menace", followed by a Hobbit cloak for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. I didn't start crocheting until a few years later, though I did specifically teach myself so that I could make miniature characters from my favorite movies.

4. What inspires you to craft? I think it's a lot of different influences. At first just my favorite TV shows and movies inspired me, and I started crafting as a way to show how much I enjoy the work these people do. So I guess that these little dudes are a sort of tribute to the geeky things I love. At the same time, though, it's fun to come at these kind of traditional crafts (crochet, knit, cross stitch, etc.) and put a new spin on them. I love when people take something that is so cliche and trite and look at it in a completely new and different way.

5. Where can we find your crafts (website, shows, blogs, etc.) Right now I have my website: geekcentralstation.blogspot.com and my flickr flickr.com/photos/geekcentralstation/. I'm not in any art museums or anything,

6. Anything else you'd like to share? Craft on, geeky people! There can never be enough geeky crafts out there--just you wait, and we'll conquer the world some day.

Thanks again,

Sammi

Handmade Arcade

I haven't had a chance to mention it yet, but very exciting news. I found out last week that I made it into the Handmade Arcade show for this upcoming November! It's a huge 2 day show in Pittsburgh and I'll be there with my good friend Fruitcake. We're going to make it a crafty roadtrip. Think Thelma and Louise do craft shows!

Fruitcake has some fabulous vintage inspired items infused with some edgy whimsy (how's that for a description)! Here are a few of her domino cuffs just to give you a little taste of her fruity goodness!

Be sure to tune in over the next couple months and find out how our roadtrip plans are going but if any of you are in or around the Pittsburgh, PA area we'd love to see you at Handmade Arcade!

Mary Engelbreit's Home Comanion Magazine - The Etsy Ad

This is it, the ME - Home Companion ad with my spoon necklace in it!

Award Winning Spoon

Have any of you been to the Woodstock Fair in Woodstock, Ct? Well, my family has been going to it every September for about 15 or so years now. It's one of our fall traditions. We go, eat a ton of food we shouldn't (the giant donuts were the best this year), see all the animals (the bunnies are my favorite), watch a few cooking demonstrations, play a little bingo and just enjoy the day.

Last year my Niece and I decided to enter a few items in the contests. It was so much more fun to go looking through all the buildings full of things like 500 pound pumpkins and handmade quilts when you actually have something of your own there. So, this year we did it again. My Niece entered 3 drawings and won 3 2nd place ribbons for them. I entered 2 photographs of my cat and 1 spoon necklace. I won a 1st and 2nd place ribbon for the 2 photographs and a 1st place ribbon for the necklace! Yeah!

I guess I can now call myself an "award winning" jewelry designer. :) Okay, that may be a bit of a stretch but it sure would sound good on a resume don't you think? :)

Clone Wars Bring Me Home

I went and saw the Clone Wars movie this weekend and liked it. Okay, not so much for the story which was only so-so, but because the movie was able to transport me back into the Star Wars universe that I love so much.

Let me try and explain better. When I was in the dark theater and the John Williams music began playing and then the familiar sounds started like the buzz of the lightsaber, the beeps of R2, and hearing the voice of Anthony Daniels - it all just instantly transported me to the Star Wars universe and I didn't mind that I was watching a CGI cartoon - I was home, in a familiar place that I've been hundreds of times before. Sure it looked a little different, but I knew the people and the places - it just felt right.

Amazing what sound can do for a movie. I suppose it has to do with the theater experience as well, being in the dark with surround sound and giant screen. I don't know that it would have had the same effect on me if I had just watched it on TV.

So, I doubt I'll be watching much of the animated series on TV when it comes on, but I did enjoy my trip back even if it was only for about an hour and 45 minutes. Well worth the price of a movie ticket to me!

Don't Blink

Don't Blink or the season of Doctor Who will be done! Too late. I saw the final episode of season 4 last week.

I liked how it ended. Without giving any spoilers away, lets just say that it ended with just the right level of sadness and happiness combined.

Doctor Who

The Doctor Who Season 4 finale airs here in my area tomorrow night! I can't wait to see what happens! I also heard a very disturbing rumor that I haven't researched yet, but is it true that next season will really only be like 5 specials and not a full season? Please tell me it's not true?! What am I going to do without my Dr. Who fix? I heard Torchwood might be a short season as well! Ack, what has happened over in England to cause such a thing - have the Slitheen taken over?

Jumpcon - A Refund

Yeah - I received a refund today for my Jumpcon purchase but it came from my credit card company and not Jumpcon. So, still no word from Jumpcon or Shane and I personally doubt I will ever see a penny from him.

To all of you out there still waiting for refunds for the Boston Jumpcon or any of the other Jumpcon events I highly recommend you contact your bank or credit card companies to try and get refunds. If you've called and they said they couldn't help - call back and ask to speak with a supervisor. I know it sucks that we have to do all this work to get back what is rightfully ours, but no one else is going to fight for you - so call!

Jumpcon Refund Watch - Day 14

Hello Everyone,
I have made it back from a week's vacation up in Wells Beach, Maine. We only had about a day & 1/2 of sunny weather but to me a bad day at the beach still beats a good day at work!

As for Jumpcon and a refund - still nothing! Not a peep of communication from Shane Senter. Nothing new on the Jumpcon website, no updates, nadda! I did talk with Paypal again today. They still haven't opened my claim because it was over 90 days. I'm still being told that there is a possibility that if enough people log complaints they may open it for people beyond the 90 day window but they couldn't/wouldn't tell me how many complaints it takes before that would happen. The woman I spoke with (who was very nice by the way) said it is an automated process and she didn't know what the limit was. She did suggest I contact http://www.IC3.gov She said it's a place to report internet fraud. I haven't checked it out yet but will when I get a chance.

I also contacted the credit card company that I used through paypal. The 1st time I called I was very rudely told that there was nothing they could do for me. After talking with the customer service person at Paypal she suggested I call the credit card company back and ask for a supervisor. I did that and it sounds like they will be giving me a refund. They said they would credit my account in 2-4 business days and in the meantime they would be trying to contact Jumpcon as well to get the refund from Shane. Good luck to them!

So, my hopes are high that I can at least recover the money from the credit card company. Thanks to everyone who left suggestions for me in the comments of previous posts. I appreciate the help and support.

Thanks!

Jumpcon Refund Watch - Day 4

Still no refund and no communication from Shane and Jumpcon. I have emailed again, tried calling but it just rang and rang, no answer at all.

On a happier note we had a fun time at the Fancon in Boston yesterday. We had a group of about 20 people come and hang out. We had one man who came with his full size, working, handmade replica of R2D2! It was amazing!

We also had Mark Goddard (sorry if I spelled the last name wrong) who played Don West on Lost in Space come and spend some time with us. He was very gracious and kind and it was so generous of him to come (and he wasn't paid).

A big shout out to the folks at United FanCon. They did a fabulous job of organizing and getting this little con going. We can't thank you enough. You are a first class operation and it shows!

As for Jumcon Refund Watch - It's going on hiatus for a few days. I had some family who heard about me not being able to afford a summer vacation because I lost all my money to Jumpcon and they have offered to let me come to the beach in Maine with them instead. I'll let you all know when I get back if the refund is waiting for me.

Best wishes to all of you heading into Boston for the weekend!

Heading to Boston!

I'm excited that I'll at least be able to meet up with the fans that are trying to organize their own con today. See posts below for info. I'll only be able to go in for the afternoon, but I really wanted to give my support. I'm also going to be donating the handknit Spock doll (pictured in earlier post) to their charity auction. So, if any of you are in Boston or close enough to come in and join us, please meet us at the Hilton Back Bay on 40 Dalton Street in Boston!

See you there!

Jumpcon Refund Watch - Day 3

Okay, day 3 is here and still no refund from Shane Senter and Jumpcon. I've been reading different forums and blogs and I hear that a few people who had purchased smaller $ amount tickets have gotten refunds (and I'm happy that you did) but I haven't heard of a refund over $100. I'm looking for my $850 refund and it has not come yet! I have not received any other communication from Shane or Jumpcon.

So, now my question is, what recourse do we the fans have if we don't get the refund? Can we sue? Can we lodge a complaint with the police in Milford, NH? Is there anything they can do? I've never been in this situation before? Any media people out there that could help? I emalied "Help me Hank" but only got their auto reply back saying "Thanks for emailing and if we're interested in your story we'll contact you." Are there any lawyers out there that could give a little free legal advice here? How do we go about this? Any superheroes out there that could swoop in? Where is Stan Lee? We need you!!!!

Life hands you lemons, make some lemonade!

For the latest information on the efforts to create lemonade out of the Jumpcon lemon, please visit http://www.nefe.us.

Ex - Jumpcon Customers Hold Their Own Con With Help From United Fan Con!

Randolph, MA. – July 17, 2008 – United Fan Con Inc., a small not-for-profit fan-run group located in Randolph MA, has stepped up to givethe fans in Boston the fun-filled weekend that they were anticipating.On Tuesday afternoon, July 15th, the Milford, NH based eventpromotions company, JumpCon LLC, cancelled a large Science Fiction /Pop Culture event scheduled for this weekend July 18th-20th at theSheraton Boston Hotel. This is a second time in the last two monthsevents like this have collapsed at the last minute, in June Fed ConUSA in Dallas , TX canceled the rest of their show during the actualevent itself.United Fan Con has been producing fan-run events in Massachusetts forthe past 17 years and knows when events are canceled like this itleaves a bad taste in everyone's mouths; it hurts everyone involved:actors, agents, hotels, other promoters and especially the fans. Thistime it is different, a lot of fans that were planning to attend thenow canceled Jumpcon Boston have rallied together to put on their ownmini convention. It started with online forum posts discussing thesituation and then moved to the realization that many people werestill coming to Boston regardless of the JC cancellation. These fansdecided to organize and started planning a mini fan event. UnitedFan Con stepped in to help the fans make it happen, giving the fansthe funds to rent space at a new venue and use of any and allequipment and supplies needed to host an event. In addition UFC iscontacting actors, agents and vendors with the hope of making this anexciting weekend.This Fan Con will be free to all attendees and include; games,videos, fan panels, auctions, vendors and more. The event will takeplace at the Hilton Back Bay, located at 40 Dalton Street, Boston MA(directly across the street from the Boston Sheraton). The event willrun from 3pm – 10pm on Friday, 10am – 6pm on Saturday and 12pm – 6pmon Sunday.Here is what is being said about the fans efforts:"It's really cool that you are trying to help these poor fans". -Bob Catalano, Westland Productions"I hope you can make something happen with the fans, thanks for doingthis." Julie Catlin Brown – Illumina Productions,"How nice of you to reach out and see what can be done. We greatlyappreciate your thoughts and willingness to try and make somethingpositive out this fiasco Thank you". Erin Gray - Heroes for Hire.What we need is you, the fan, to get the word out! Tell all of yourfriends and tell us how you can help. This is a true FAN CON!If you wish to help plan this event please join us athttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/jconcons/

Jumpcon Refund Watch - Day 2

Well, I see that Shane has posted a very heart felt sounding notice on the Jumpcon site. I would love to believe him and feel sorry for him but at this point I need to see some action before I can do that. I can't trust you again Shane, not without some proof, and that proof needs to come in the form of my refund.

If anyone who reads this has received a refund from Jumpcon yet, please post a comment here and lets see if there are any actions to go with Shane's words.

Update on Jumpcon

A few moments ago I did receive an email from Jumpcon saying they are working on issuing refunds and they will try and update us as they can. Lets hope the communication continues and the refunds are sent.

Jumpcon is a Fraud!

I am so upset right now. This big scifi convention that I've been talking about for months has been canceled. I have not been contacted by Jumpcon even though I purchased Emperor's Club tickets (the most expensive ones they offered). The only reason I know the convention is canceled is because I happened to check their website this morning. If I hadn't I'd be getting in my car and leaving tomorrow only to find out at the hotel that it was not happening!

This is the announcement they posted:
http://www.jumpcon.com/?q=node/604

I called the hotel this morning to cancel my reservations and was told they have not had any official word from Jumpcon either. They read the same message I did and that's how they found out.

The message says they will refund the tickets, but no word as to when or how. I've tried calling them. Left 1 message and now when I call you can't even leave a message because the mailbox is full. I paid for my tickets back in March through Paypal and tried to log a complaint with them. Sadly they said they can't do much seeing their policy is you must log a complaint within 90 days. They will keep my complaint on file and if they get enough other complaints then I may be eligible for some sort of reimbursement. So if any of you bought tickets to a jumpcon event through Paypal, please go make a complaint!

So, it's looking like I'm going to be SOL on the money unless Jumcon honors their word and refunds the money.

On top of this though, I feel bad because I helped promote Jumpcon to others. I was so excited to have a big scifi convention in the area and I so badly wanted them to succeed that I did everything I could. I posted flyers and postcards around local comic shops and other geeky hangouts. I talked up the con everywhere I could and I hope no one booked tickets to Jumpcon because of my efforts now!

In the end I guess I can chalk this up to the life lesson of "if it looks to good to be true, it probably is." Jumpcon promised what sounded like the ultimate in scifi convention experiences and in the end it tuned out to be nothing more than a scam.

Shame on you Shane Senter and Jumpcon! You have ruined my summer vacation and I will not forgive you (or forget)! I implore you to refund our money and end this debacle with at least a crum of self respect left in place!

Geekery

As I mentioned many months ago, I'm heading to a new scifi convention in Boston this month. The convention is called Jumpcon and I can't wait! I get to see actors from Star Trek, BSG, Dr. Who, Highlander and many other great shows.

I even created a new line of jewelry to wear to the con. Maybe I can get one of the BSG people to wear it for me for a photo. :)

Home Companion Pictures

The pictures for the Home Companion ad were due today. These are the 2 I sent in. The final picture size will only be 1.25 inches X 1 inch - so not real big, but hopefully these will crop well for it.

Mary Englebreit's Home Companion

I'm so excited that I couldn't wait and had to blog twice in one day. I'm going to have one of my items in the Mary Englebreit's Home Companion Magazine! Etsy does something they call a cooperative ad - where they put in a full page ad in the magazine and then sell a limited number of spots to Etsy sellers to be on that ad. There are only 30 spots available so very hard to get - but I did it! I was spot #10! Yeah!

The details are: The ad will be in the Oct/Nov issue which will go on sale September 9th, 2008! The theme of the issue is Flea Market Magic! I think I'll submit one of my ancestor spoons as my 1 item. It'll go well with the theme, it's made from spoons and photos found at the flea market.

I have been reading this magazine for years now and I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have an item of mine in it, even if it's only in the ad section!

So, on September 9th, run to your nearest bookstore and pick up the new issue of Mary Englebreit's Home Companion and look for the Etsy ad! Thanks!

Vintage Aprons – Who Knew?!

Who knew that vintage aprons were so popular? Okay so probably lots of you knew but I didn’t until just recently. Back in January I bought a lot of about 40 vintage aprons. I had visions of doing crafty things with them, making embellishments, sewing cupcakes on them, etc. Well, as it happens with many of my crafting ideas, I just ran out of time and never ended up doing anything with them.

So, when craft shows started up again a few weeks ago I decided to decorate my booth with the vintage aprons strung across the sides. I already had a kitschy kitchen feel going with some of my other display items and figured the aprons would look nice. I was right, they look great strung all together hanging from my tent and within hours of them going up at my 1st show I had people asking if they were for sale. At first I said no, they’re just for decoration but I was quickly overcome with the requests and seeing I had a large stash of them from my initial lot purchase I started selling them. Would you believe they’ve become my #1 selling item at shows right now?!

More than just the sales though the aprons just seem to have some magical memory powers. Every person (and it’s not just the women) who comes in my tent and sees the aprons shares with me some story about their mother or grandmother and their fond memories of aprons! I’m having so much fun listening to everyone that I think I’m going to have to make the aprons a permanent part of my booth just so I can continue hearing the stories.

Maybe I’ll start writing them down and I’ll share a few with you!

Swaps!

A couple months ago I found a website that I have become obsessed with. It is http://www.craftster.org and it's a place for anyone who likes to craft to come and share ideas, questions, tutorials, inspiration or just chat.

One of my favorite parts of the site though is the swaps. These are organized swaps where you pick a theme (usually) and you then get a partner and you craft a certain number of items for them and they do the same for you. If anyone knows me even a little bit they know that I love themes, crafting and getting mail - so this was just perfect for me.

So far I have finished 3 swaps, a postcard swap, a Star Trek swap and a Doctor Who swap. I'm currently in 3 more; a Star Wars swap, a Jim Henson swap and one called the little visitor swap.

The little visitor swap is a bit different. I took a toy robot, made up a name and cute back story for him and mailed him to a girl I was partnered with who lives in Australia! She in turn sent me a little stuffed animal dog. So for 2 months we go around taking pictures of our toy wherever we go (work, movies, trips, etc) and at the end of the 2 months we make a scrapbook of all the pictures and then return the toy with scrapbook to its original owner and get our toy and a scrapbook back. The post below with the picture of the felt food shows my little visitor - the dog chappy. It's been a lot of fun. People look at you a bit strange when you take pictures of a little stuffed animal wherever you go, but who cares and just think, my toy is in Australia! I wish I could have gone too!

The other swaps have been just as fun! Here is a picture of one of the items I received as a gift in the Star Trek swap! A hand knitted Mr. Spock! How cool is that.
If you'd like to see what other wonderful things this crafty lady makes you can check out her Etsy shop at http://www.creationsbyteapot.etsy.com/

Providence Open Market and the Rhody Girls Art Club

Wow, life has been so busy lately. I haven’t had time to tell you about this wonderful new craft group I’ve joined called the Rhody Girls Art Club or the fact that we Rhody Girls are now managing the Providence Open Market. It all just seemed to happen very quickly but the results have been fabulous!

This past Saturday was the opening day for the Providence Open Market! We had over 50 vendors show up on a hot steamy 94 degree day! The street looked marvelous all filled up with tents and crafters and somehow we all managed to stay cool (between the frozen lemonade and canning jars full of iced lemonade, I felt like a giant lemon by the end of the day).

This is a photo of 3 of the fabulous Rhody Girls. They are (L to R) Kim from Lucky Bird Studios, Layla from Doll Face Designs and Erin from Kiddo Mio.


This is a shot of some of my felt food on display (and a little visitor in the middle).

I have made the 1st batch of ancestor spoons into pendants and I'm loving how they look. Thanks to everyone for all your suggestions and comments. I still plan on making some ornament ones as well. Don't you just love the idea of "instant relatives."

No Shirt Sulu

I'm on a quest to see how much of a comic book I can recycle into something else. I've made pins and mini envelopes before but this was my first try at gift tags. The funny part about this set is that I posted them on my flickr and got over a hundred views in 1 day. I thought it a bit strange till I realized my title - No Shirt Sulu - might have had something to do with it.

I wasn't trying to give the wrong (naked) impression, I just thought the drawing of Sulu was so funny that I had to make it into a gift tag.

More, More, More

More new items. These are Gift Tags on a Stick!

I found a beautiful deck of vintage cards that each had a different bird illustration on them and turned them into gift tags. The back of each is now covered in sturdy cardstock, stick attached and an area left for you to write a message on.

These look great inside gift bags because they stick out of the top and can be seen easier. They also look great stuck inside a plant, a cupcake, or a teacup full of chocolate as shown here.

Did I mention that I can't stop making new things? It's a problem, really!

More New Items - I Can't Stop!

Help,

I can't stop making new things! :) Thanks to everyone who posted comments for my ancestor spoons. I'll have updated pictures of that soon. I've boiled it down to pendants and ones that are bent so they prop up to look like an oval picture frame.

My new project today though is PIN CARDS! I don't know why this didn't occur to me sooner, but I was making some handmade cards this weekend and had my circle cutter out that I make the pins with when I realized I could combine the two. I just happen to be cutting up a little field guide to wild flowers from 1945 and decided to let them be my prototypes. I like how they turned out. I cut the picture out to make the pin and then cut the flower description out and glued it to the front of the card. The inside is blank for you to write your own message.

The only thing I haven't had time to test yet is how will the pin fare when mailed in a regular envelope? I don't know if it'll get dented or if the cardstock paper will support it. My mother is mailing one to my Aunt today to see how it works. She sent her a strawberry one.

Shhh, Sneak Peak!

I'm working on a new craft that I haven't quite decided how to finish it in the end. I'm taking one of a kind original vintage photos and placing them inside vintage spoons. I've then added a layer of resin to seal the photo in and give it a glossy liquid look. I think I'll call them ancestor spoons.

What I haven't decided yet is if I want to cut some of the spoon handle off and turn it into a pendant or turn them into ornaments. I like the idea of pendants but some of these spoons have such lovely handles that I hate to cut them off. Then if I go with ornaments, do I bend the handle back or do I drill a hole in the handle and hang them straight?

I've been waiting for a nice long weekend before I start playing with trying to cut and drill the spoons to see how they'd look, but the photo attached is one of the prototypes. What do you think? Handles or no? Pendant or ornament?

Out of the Closet Geek

Okay, if you were walking down the street and bumped into me you would never know that inside I'm an scifi geek. I show no outward signs, I don't wear my Star Trek uniform, I don't carry my Highlander sword around with me - but I am a geek! Yes, I'm admitting it here to the world. I love scifi and I love geeks!

There I'm officially out of the geek closet just in time to tell you about a super cool new scifi con coming to Boston in July! It's called Jumpcon and I am so excited about it. The guest list is huge and I have already bought my ticket! Check out their site for more info but let me babylon (babble on - you Babylon 5 fans get it) about it for you.

http://www.jumpcon.com/BostonConvention.html

One of the coolest features of this new con is that you have the opportunity to have a meal with the guest of your choice. You and 9 other fans get to sit at a table with your favorite star and enjoy a semi-private conversation over a buffet dinner.

Yes, I've already reserved my whole weekend's worth of meals:
Friday Lunch with Kevin Sorbo
Friday Dinner with Adrian Paul
Saturday Breakfast Nichelle Nichols (Breakfast with Uhura - does it get any better than that!)
Saturday Lunch with Robert Beltran
Saturday Dinner with Connor Trineer
Sunday Breakfast with Eugene Rodenberry
Sunday Lunch with Bruce Boxleitner

I'm sure I'll be talking more about this as it gets closer (yes that's right, 4 months of geek chatter) but for now I'll just dream of roasted chicken with Adrian Paul!

Hope to see you all there - you know you want to - come out of your geek closet and join us!

Return to Blogging

Hello,

I have been away from my blog for way too long and it's time to come back and visit with all my friends. So, today is a fresh blog start!

What have I been up to lately? Well, I'm busy crafting and getting ready for the 2008 craft fair season. As always, you can find me year round on Etsy, but craft shows and seeing each other face to face is so much more fun.

Right now I am scheduled for the following craft shows:

Providence Open Market, Providence, RI - May 31st, September 6th and October 4th.

http://providenceopenmarket.com/

Art in the Park (Beaver Brook Park in Worcester, MA) - June 1st

http://www.startonthestreet.org/start-park

There will be more shows to come so check back for updated listings. :)

I've had quite a bad case of crafting ADD this winter and I've been dabbling in all sorts of other crafts besides just my pins. The photo at the top is one of my new creations - play felt food. This was an adorable mini ice cream pint that I found at a local grocery store. I of course ate the ice cream, but the package was so cute I couldn't throw it away, so I sewed a felt version of the ice cream, gave him a little face and now you have your own ice cream friend. Isn't he cute. :)