More Pics, as promised! Here's Jeff Davis getting prepped for a great seminar on how to improve your cemetery-and the guy should know!

I was glad to see the Davises had such a great turnout. Everyone was paying close attention, and since we were at the School for the Deaf, there was a gal signing the whole seminar, too. It was pretty cool!

Of course, as far as Christmas Ape was concerned, he was there to mingle and terrorize people with his mysterious caped ghost costume. I think he may have pooped himself a little when Michael Myers whipped out his knife, though.

I got a nice photo op with Freddy and Jason, pre-dance-off.

The Hauntcast crew, wiped out after a long weekend promoting the show! Ape was particularly tired.

West Coast Haunters Convention

Here are a few more pics from WCHC. If any of you have some, please contact me so I can post them.

Night one, I had the privilege of meeting up with the Davises for Thirsty Thursday. They took me to a neat little wine bar across from Dark Horse Comics, where I took this pic.

The Hauntcast booth, our little cave and home away from home.

Chris Davis and lovely minion (whose name temporarily escapes me, because I can barely remember my own name... Chris-help a girl out, would ya?),  Elyssa. (Thanks, Guy!)

Bloodshed Brother Zack kicks it in his old-school Hauntcast shirt. It was great to hang with both Zack and Jeromy. Keep an eye on these two guys, everyone. There will be great things coming from them in future years. Just you watch!

Davis minion and all-around great guy Daniel, doing the catwalk!

Hauntcast art director and winner of the Vanguard award for the Resurrection of Rose, Guy/House Bloodthorn, trying on his inscrutable look. Good luck with that, Guy. Great prop he made in the background, huh? Big thanks to him for all the help he was and schlepping his reaper into the show!

More pics tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Freddy and Jason Dance Off

While waiting around for a seminar to be finished at the West Coast Haunters Convention so some folks would come to the vendor floor, I whipped out my iPod.

It was Sunday. We were tired and hung over, but damn it! We were Haunters, most of all! I put the young cutie next to us up to talking Freddy and Jason into a dance-off. To Abba's Dancing Queen. This isn't the full video. I'll post that one later.

Because It's Funny. That's Why!

Will start posting pics and vid of WCHC shortly, but in the meanwhile, go here to educate yourself about the terrible plight of Ronald Mc Donald.

Lordy, Lordy!

Lord Vader and Lord Ape met up at the West Coast Haunt Convention.

After sharing his plans for world domination with Lord Vader, Christmas Ape decided he was exhausted and needed a snuggle.

Later, when he was recovered, he hung around with me and the Bloodshed Brothers at the Hauntcast booth.

More pics tomorrow!

I'm Here! West Coast Haunters Edition

After a long but lovely drive from my house to Oregon, I am here in the home of the new West Coast Haunters Convention, and I am flippin' excited!

I got to meet the gracious and very cool Chris and Jeff Davis last night. We shared a couple of glasses of wine and talked some shop and overall had a great time. Today promises to be more of the same, only I get to meet Guy from House Bloodthorn and possibly some of the haunters we've all been looking up to for a long time. I can't wait!

I hope to do some posting this weekend, but don't hold your breath! It's going to be busy all weekend!

Good News, Bad News

So the good news is that I have some new Raku pots out of the Tuesday firing. The bad news is that some of them cracked and a couple need some repair. The good news for people going to West Coast Haunt Convention, is that I'll be selling them there as seconds, at a discount, with full disclosure. They still look cool, and I hear that damage that happens during the process of making art makes it more valuable. But what do I know?

Come out and see them, and me, and Guy from House Bloodthorn starting on Friday. Be there or be square!

Season's Greetings, or: In the (Convention) Mood

Why, because I haven't seen this in far too long!

Datamancer's Matryshka Muertos

I ran across this the other day. It looks like a fun project to do.

Datamancer's Misc. Art page here. Matryshka Muertos are around the middle of the page.

Countdowns

As I published a comment this morning (Thanks, Jay. Wouldn't that be a great thing?), I noticed the countdown widget on the right side of my blog.

I didn't really see the thing as a whole, just the seconds ticking down: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

It gave me a bit of a start to see those seconds trickling away. While the countdown is for Halloween (which I have not even started building for, bad me!), in a very visceral way I felt certain events drawing nearer and, of course, my Lifetimer running just a little lower.

Image Source.

Don't get me wrong. To my knowledge, I'm not dying of a dread disease (unless you include life, in general, in the dread disease category), and I don't do high-risk things like skydiving or driving in Los Angeles. I'm not depressive or suicidal (except for my predilection for optimism beyond the bounds of reality).

No. I just had a moment when I realized that regardless of what I'm thinking about doing, my time to do it is very definitely finite, and I'd better get on with doing it! Regardless of what it is. (Visiting my hundred-year-old Grandma is at the top of the list.) Thinking about it does not get it done. The Countdown continues, in spite of all.

Of course, that's when nasty old reality steps in. There are only so many hours in the day, and sooner or later, sleep needs to be a part of that day. There are demands on my time: husband, dogs, family, friends, new business (and all the licenses I need to get). I'm starting to teach at the end of the month, so there will be a bit of shuffling around of the schedule to accommodate this new thing.

I know I'm not telling you anything you don't already experience on a daily basis. Everyone is overextended, and has more on their "to-do" list than can ever get done.

I'm just thinking about my Countdown.