Ghost in a Graveyard

Image via Battery Carriage House

Minor Marketing Mishap

It's important to note that no eyebrows were lost in creating
fabulous art!

One of this year's goals is to start to get a handle on marketing my business; to be an actual grown up and not just hide in my studio making stuff because I'm completely at a loss when it comes to all the minutiae of marketing, website building, logo design, etc. A friend made the really savvy suggestion of offering some of my work to a few interior design blogs (as well as some who will likely incorporate some of my Hallowe'en stuff into their fall schedules.) for a giveaway. I jumped in and sent a few pics over to a (that is exactly one) design blog.

I got a polite, if disappointing, response:

"I appreciate the offer but I don't do giveaways or other kinds of free advertising. I try to keep my commercial posts limited to just my sponsors. Thanks for thinking of me though."

Now, I'm enough of an adult to realize that I'm going to get a lot of no's. I appreciate that I was treated with courtesy. I understand and respect this person's point of view. I really do! But my ego latched on to that one part:

"I don't do giveaways or other kinds of free advertising."

Free advertising? Free advertising? Sweetheart, in case you hadn't noticed, it ain't free for me!   Just because you're not getting a check in your bank account does not make it free. 

The carving on this bowl took me longer than I care to
imagine!

There's my time, the cost of my clay, the electrical bill for running my electric kiln, the glazes, and, in the case of a Raku firing, propane fuel costs. The item that I sell for $55 actually costs money and time, so if I choose to give it away, it's costing me money. And I spend a lot more time making my Raku jacks than this person does, making her little white dishes. (From what I understand, she got onto a couple of the right blogs at the right time and has, understandably, shut down all attempts to copy her item. Smart lady!)

This is work, and it. Is. Not. Free.

Again, it's all a negative ego response on my side. (Stupid ego gets me into more trouble!) I know that, shockingly, not everyone agrees with me or will do what I need them to do. That's life. I know that not everyone is going to want to make any kind of exchange with me, nor is everyone going to just leap up with hands clasped to their breast and swoon at the thought of using my work in a giveaway. Surprising, but true.

I know that this person probably makes a pretty good living with her paid advertisers, and I don't have their budget. My work, in all likelihood, does not equal one of her checks. That's just math, and that's how business goes. Business is business. Period.

But my brain is still stuck on that whole "free" thing. And I really hate that it's still on my mind, as polite as she was about it. I admit, it's stopped me from responding to her, just to say thank you for writing back so quickly, like I know I should. It's stopped me from being courteous, and I hate that. It's just life, Shell! Get over yourself and write to other blogs, already! Right?

Sheesh.

Has anyone else run into similar situations? What do you think about it?

A Most Terrifying Video

Click on the pic to watch. Beware of extreme drama and death-defying courage!

Baking G.A.L.S.

Now that I'm finally back to some sort of a regular routine (still have to finish taxes, though :/), I'm back to being a team leader for Operation Baking G.A.L.S.

I'm lucky that some of my neighbors have joined in on this venture, so the crew to whom we ship get lots of goodies, all at once! If you can, pop over to the site and sign up to support our troops deployed in a war zone. They really do appreciate getting nice things in the mail!

New in the Shop!

If you haven't been over to the ShellHawk's Creations Etsy shop for a while, now might be a good time! I've added some new things and reduced prices on some items, so it's a good time to look for gifts for weddings, house warming, birthdays, St. Patrick's Day, etc.

Why reduced prices? I'm clearing space for some new projects that look to be pretty spiffy!

Happy shopping!

The Shocktail Hour, Episode 12

Click on the pic to go download a free episode of The Shocktail Hour! This is what's in the mini-bar for you this month:

Here’s mud in yer eyes, boils and ghouls! JT and Baker return to the Last Bar on the Left and chug some pints while busting balls and babbling about horror. This month they cover upcoming events and cons, new genre TV pilots, preview new film releases and review Mama, The Sorcerer and The White Snake, Come Out and Play, and The ABCs of Death, plus an interview and music from The Gutter Ghouls.

This is the last episode that will be offered for free. For Season Two of The Shocktail Hour, you'll have to pony up a subscription to Hauntcast! (Remember that you get some amazing vendor discounts by subscribing to Hauntcast, including 15% in the ShellHawk's Creations Etsy store!)

Today marks the end of the Chris Ape celebrity photo contest. While I did hold out hope for a bigger response, the entries I got were clever and fun--and Ape approved. 

Here are the entries, both from lurker Lyndsay:

Pictured here is the mysterious Chris Ape who was the original King Kong until his scandalous affair with a well known actress at the time forced him into seclusion. He is seen here in a rare publicity photo with Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong. It was said Fay was inconsolable for days after he went into hiding.

While wandering the halls of the posh Plaza hotel Chris came upon Robert Englund and Jason admiring a rather dull seascape painting. Emboldened by the banana daiquiri he had consumed at the hotel bar Chris joined the duo and asked if they would like to join him for a drink. Chris awoke the next morning with a fierce hangover and this picture on his phone from Robert Englund. It was simply titled "Sweet Dreams and we'll see you soon".

Since Lyndsay is the only entrant, she wins all three prizes:

First Prize is one of my jack-o'-lanterns. My choice.Second prize is a trick or treat bag with a softcover edition of Halloween: The Best of Martha Stewart Living and a copy of Make: Halloween Special Edition.
Third prize is one of my mini-boos.

Halloween Home Haunts

A new documentary on home haunters is coming out this Fall! Click on the pic to watch the teaser trailer. 

Oh, and around 0:14 is someone you might know from this blog... (And all the other haunters are great, too!)

It's the Process That's Important!

One of the things that I have a hard time expressing in words is the overall feeling that "making" gives me. We are a results-oriented culture, not a process-oriented culture, so all that touchy-feely nonsense that artists talk about regarding the excitement of learning new techniques or making new things seems to mostly be lost on the general population.

Even Mr. ShellHawk, who is a genius at business, falls prey to the end-result trap. Granted, he is funding my experiment to a large degree by allowing me to stay home and work in my studio instead of having me work a full-time job (although this could change if our circumstances change), so "results" are part and parcel of my focus as a business owner. No sales=no positive result, right? So it's hard to crow at him about a triumph in the studio when there are no tangible sign of results in terms of cash flow. That's business, and it's not personal, and I get it.

Process, however, is what allows us to move forward as makers. For Hallowe'en artists or prop-builders, it's sitting down to make a three-axis skull work. For a potter or a sculptor, it's a good glaze firing. What people see is the end result, not all the struggling you did to have that finished product. And people do not seem to understand the value we place on making it ourselves, rather than buying something pre-made from a store.

I mean, wouldn't you rather own one of Pumpkinrot's works than buy some knockoff over at Spirit Halloween? To point out that it has more soul and craftsmanship is like pointing out that the Mona Lisa is lacking eyebrows; that is to say, it's obvious, once you take some time to look at it.

I was reading a blog post by potter Carter Gillies about process, called Your Pot is an Uncooked Noodle, in which he encapsulated everything regarding process that's been bouncing around in my head for a long time. 

It also brings to mind one of my favorite books, The Unknown Craftsman, which I've mentioned here before. That book was written when the industrialization of common household items was really getting a foothold, and the first signs of hand made craftsmanship falling out of favor was becoming evident.

But I digress.

Process. It's being a beginner, failing epic-ly not once but many times along the road to doing something well. The people who do well are the ones who don't quit when they realize it takes a lot of hard work to be merely competent (like I quit when faced with my stupid stirring witch project!). Judging your beginner's work while it's still in process is setting yourself up for failure. Here's what Carter Gillies has to say about it:

Judging your unfinished pot while it is still on the wheel is like deciding you don’t like a book because the cover is all wrong. It's like deciding that the film you are about to watch will be great simply because Bill Murray is in it. In other words, it is a preemptive judgment. While the pot is still on the wheel it not only suffers from the disadvantages of where and how you are looking at it then, but also from the fact that it is incomplete. A pot still on the wheel is something like a noodle before its been cooked. Sure, it will be the foundation for your shrimp scampi, your Miso soup, your Pad Thai, but to judge the eventual meal on what essentially is still an uncooked noodle just seems a bit preposterous. For beginners, at least….

Here's to uncooked noodles, my friends, and learning how to cook them, just right.

Warm Valentines

Click on the pic for the trailer

Last night, my husband proves that not only does he know me well, but that he loves me, anyway! 

He planned out a nice Valentine's evening; McDonald's and a bottle of red wine (with two paper cups!) that we sneaked into the movie theater. Afterwards, we headed over to Chops for appetizers, dessert and some nice port.

The movie? Warm Bodies! A zombie romantic comedy? Well-played, my darling husband!

If you're looking for some fun, I'd recommend you take some time out to see it. Yes, willing suspension of disbelief is a must (like, how do they start cars eight years after the zombie apocalypse???), but if you're willing to be entertained and not pick at technical details, you'll have a great time. There were some great laugh out loud moments, and I got to see a couple I believe to be the only Goths in Folsom as an added benefit!

Have a great weekend, kids!