michelle ward

mark your calendars

Album release date:  February 9, 2010.  *squeeee*

Get your calendar HERE.

ruby tuesday number three and a half

Ok, so it's not Tuesday, but I worked in my RT journal today.  Sunday is my rock star crush's birthday.  11/22 Ville Valo will be 33.  Doesn't that portrait stencil rock?  

 
Hyvää Syntymäpäivää!  It's going to be an exciting year.  The new HIM album comes out in February:  Screamworks - Love in Theory and Practice.  Thirteen track names have been revealed.  Cover art is still a mystery.   Our fan friends in Australia and England already have tour dates scheduled.  We can't wait to learn about the U.S. tour!  The first single will be out soon...and a video?  *faints*  

revealing...

Some recent updates.  (If you are reading through a feed you'll notice I don't approve full posts or graphics to appear so click on in.  I appreciate feed services as a way to be notified that a blog has been updated but it's my preference to limit the excerpt and invite you to come on over.)

 

New crusade is up, come over and play!   I've been working behind the scenes on assignment for my friend Lynne.  She had the impulse to try a slide show and before I knew it she had created 28 new pieces and some banner graphics.  We not only launched a new web page featuring these but we also got her set up with an Etsy shop where you can purchase her original art.

 

And because you asked for it.....

 

When I went in for my Shannon tattoo in May there was time for a quickie 2nd one!  The ankle ink is a repeat of a much larger one on my lower back but since I don't reveal that one too often I thought it would be fun to have it in a more visible place. 

 

 

I'm not going to apologize for showing tattoos on my blog....I know some people don't like seeing ink so I should probably have posted a warning.  I don't like food photos but people never warn you before they visually assault you with their dinner do they?  ;)

 

They say once you start....Of course I'm kidding with these.  Besides, no time for a tattoo, I'm hitting the road.  I've packed some pink socks - I know you are with me.  See you next week.  xoxo

m.i.y.o.

Tomorrow is the last day for the current GPP Street Team Crusade.  We've been Making It Our Own and many artists have come by to share their inspiration and interpretations as we strive to add an authentic and personal touch to all that we do.  Often we turn to custom tools to keep things original and unique - like carved stamps or cut stencils.  There have been many times where I have created an element simply because it didn't exist and I needed/wanted it.  THAT is how I began designing and selling rubber stamps.  I made images I wanted to have that weren't available yet.

 

As you know, we are huge HIM fans in this house.  I have an entire drawer of HIM shirts, at least 5 hoodies, several bags, and countless accessories with heartagrams thanks to Hot Topic, Spencers, Heartagram.com, and concerts.  In the early days there was not alot of merchandise with the heartagram on it....so we had to Make Our Own.

 

I carved these stamps and we used them with fabric paint or even cooler: bleach, to make tshirts and stuff.  I cut stencils too.  And the heartagram pendant came by request of Peter and his friends (they all wanted one), made from pink wire.   It's awfully primitive but pretty cool of me don't you think? 

 

A couple summers ago I made these for my NJ/NY HIM Street Team.  Super quick and easy and inexpensive.  Great party favor.  

The heartagram selections at Hot Topic these days are kinda scarce again until the new album comes out (too long from now!) so I may have to go back to Making My Own HIM merch.  (Very closely related to Make It Your Own is Do It Yourself!)  Stop in at the Street Team to see what we are doing....and then come back later in the week to see the new challenge and play along with us.

bursting

Some days are better than others.  Today is Sam's 17th birthday.  I can't believe it.  Lots of calls from family.  But there won't be one from her, his God-mother.  I sometimes need to listen to sad songs on mornings like this.  Afterall, music is what feelings sound like.  THIS ONE makes me cry.  Everytime.  After listening about 3 or 4 times I latched onto the phrase....and quick went outside for a look at my still-covered garden.  It brought more tears, the happy kind.  A sign.

 

And when I'm in that place, I have to make stuff. 

 

And another page from the WN, because I found the perfect size Ville Valo photo.

 

so lucky

 

  

A package arrived from Hanna yesterday. Check it out...hymnals #3 and #4 have arrived!  Tack (thank you) Hanna!   You confirm that I am indeed a Lucky Girl.  And such a dear note from her - she has even named my book, should I ever write one *wink*.  (Hanna has written her own book - check it out HERE.)

 

Maybe you won't be getting Finnish hymnals from your Swedish friend today, but may the Luck of the Irish be with you.  You know I'm jigging my green boots :)

*cracks self up*

Ok, follow me on this one....Do you know The Humument?  (I wrote about it on Lisa's Gypsy Bonfire.)  While trying to locate myself a copy (when they were still hard to find) I found out there was a miniature version called The Heart of the Humument, seen below.  Well, I had to have that one too.  Not sure they are for sale anymore but you can easily get yourself a copy of The Humument on Amazon.

That's the first part - and the second part is that the hymnal I got from ebay arrived today (thanks Aimee for the heads up).  It was teeny, and filled with lyrics only, no music.  (Heli's hymnal is way better!!)  One might think - how many Finnish hymnals does one girl need?  Apparently more than one!  AND LOOK!  Do you spy The HIMnal and the Heart of the HIMnal? 

I'm also beginning to wonder, if I'm altering the books, should they be called HIMuments?  No, HIMnal is much better - but can you see why I crack myself up?!!!!  Good grief, I make myself so happy.

Kiitos Heli!

OMG!  Can you STAND it?  It has not even been a week since I posted about wanting a book of hymns from Finland, and Heli offered me her real, like check the postmarks, hymnal.  AND IT'S HERE!  She told me the sweet history of her church and I've even seen pictures of it.  HCIT?

  

How cute, and clever is that message?  Heli, I AM THRILLED!  What a most generous offering.  Kiitos!

 

Did you spy the deer in the cool postcard she enclosed?  It's a very special sign.  *wink* 

The one I got off ebay isn't even here yet.  BUT THE ONE FROM FINLAND IS HERE!!!  THAT is going to be THE HIM-nal.  *faints*

kirjakauppa

Huh?  Exactly.  Have you ever tried learning Finnish?  The only recognizable word for most of us is sauna.  Kirjakauppa is Bookstore.  If I was in Finland I would ask the hotel guy where to find a bookstore, or even better, a used bookstore.  (I already know where the concert venue is so I wouldn't have to ask about that.)  I'm on a quest to find a hymnal in Finnish.  I think it will be really clever to turn it into my HIM journal.  Recently some friends were in Finland and they visited a beautiful church - a hymnal was probably within reach.....I wonder what bad karma you would get if you stole one?

   

Laura alerted me to the Finnish bible on ebay, and that's when I found the English hymnal, which I will alter and settle with unless a Finnish one surfaces in the next few weeks.  When I was with Judi last weekend I scored the dictionary - it has tabbed letters, really cool.  Speaking of old books - I wrote a little story about books for Lisa, found on her second blog: Gypsy Bonfire. 

Speaking of second blogs, I've posted a new crusade on my Street Team.  Congrats to Hanna Andersson for being the Top Hat Pick for No. 28.

 

And back to my visit with Judi....had a blast!  We tried really hard to get a good myspace-type photo of ourselves and giggled 'til it hurt when we broke her glasses.   I've sworn to delete most of the photos, (incriminating evidence - too much valkoviini*) here's what is left:

 

*valkoviini:  white wine 

ta-da!

Whew!  Got a few things moved from to-do to ta-da.  I've been wanting to carve an elaborate X and O so I started with a sketch.  Since I like to make coordinating images I just kept drawing.  Then I lifted each portion of the composition by tracing over it - I have a trick to insure the best symmetry - I draw an x/y axis on the trace, then copy only one quadrant of the image.  Next, I fold on an axis and trace the tracing.  It doesn't matter that you are drawing on the back since you can see through it.  Repeat across other axis and you should have a pretty symmetrical design. 

     

Here are the test prints...tomorrow I'll get out the paint!

Since I had these photos of my sketch I decided to open in photoshop and erase bits out of it to make custom brushes and mess around with how these will look with color.  Squeee!

Last weekend I finally finished and mailed the Pink Wink thank yous.  It feels so good to move that task over to the ta-da list.  And as I said before, it was great therapy to revisit the project and bask a while longer in the pink glow.

  

And one more ta-da from this week - our NJ/NY HIM Street Team gathering for HD!

 

HD09

 

I know, you probably already had it on your calendar, but just in case you forgot, Heartagram Day is the first Saturday in February.  Last year we were treated to a full-theater-screen preview of the dvd.  *swooooned*.  This year we will meet up with our Street Team friends, following a LIVE interview broadcast.  *squeeeeeeeee*  What are your HD plans?

#15, #24

I just noticed that O is the fifteenth letter of the alphabet, and X is the twenty-fourth.  Are you getting what I'm getting?  1 + 5 = 6 and 2 + 4 = 6.  HCIT?

 

Tuesday night I took Fallon to a local record store so she could see Leathermouth.  They performed, and then signed cds for the fans.  (Fallon's favorite band is MCR so she had to go meet Frank!)  Can you imagine my face when I saw the title of the album - XO?!!!  I flipped it over and pointed out to the band that XO became OX, and of course they recognized it for the Year of the Ox.  Aren't I such a goon?

  

I wouldn't have known about the event if it wasn't for my friend Leci who kept us in the loop.  We had a fun night with her and Jess, and guess what she brought me?  A t-shirt from Finland!  Yes, I was a jealous wreck that she and three other friends got to see HIM in FINLAND on New Year's Eve, but I got a t-shirt!!!  Not just any t-shirt, it's a badge of honor for any HIM fan that goes to Finland.  I won't tell you what it says because if you don't know then you don't need to know.  (Shhhh, don't tell if you know).

A few other X&Os on my table.....with Valentine's Day around the corner there is much bounty, it's hard to resist.  But do visit Pacokeco on Etsy if you need some of the cool tags.

 

In the current crusade we are looking at shapes.  I love obsessing over them because once you have an awareness of a fave shape you tend to see it everywhere.  Trying on a new shape is like putting on new glasses - oh! the things you will see.  Like the shapes, these letters are finding me.  Love that.  ox

   

scoop

  

It's been a while since I've posted about some cool finds from ETSY.  Here are a few things I've gathered as gifts for birthdays and Christmas.  Shop now and scoop up some terrific artsy items for your loved ones.  Maybe you'll find something (like lists of somethings) you can suggest to Santa for yourself.

 

LOVE these little plates.  They are 3-1/2" inches and Caroline packs them so beautifully.  Visit PalomasNest to find a message that speaks to you or have one custom made.  And look at these lovelies from DGordon.  She has a clever thing going on - I can't wait to send!

 

My wish list from DownToTheWireDesigns is long.  Santa, are you listening? 

 

And check out these earrings from SmilingSoul2 and Gingeroni1.  Pretty earrings make you feel pretty don't you think?  Such yummy beads.  Browse both of their shops.

 

Someday I may learn to knit and felt, but for now I appreciate being able to buy handmades from others.  How about these roses!  I bought a red one to pin to my beret.  I think I need to go back for a pink one too.  Check out GoldiesKnits.

 

SCOOP of another kind.... Judi discovered this Depp photo which was leaked earlier this week.  A few sites have removed the image so I may be in trouble for posting this.  I was hoping Burton's Mad Hatter might look like V.V.  I'm just relieved it isn't Wonka-like, as in the Burton-Depp-Wonka.  It almost looks Wilder-Wonka-like.

 

Anyone see Twilight at midnight?  Me neither, but it's on the agenda for the weekend.  A quick look at the soundtrack:  no HIM.  What were they thinking?  Come on, at least use Vampire Heart.

 

Mad Hatter, yes.  Vampire, yes.  Hippo, what?  I have been watching this trailer with great amusement.  Check out Moto Moto, the large male hippo.  You HIM fans have probably already seen it. 

 

Ever the chameleon, tomorrow he's a birthday boy (32).

 

And congrats to Ingrid Dijkers for being the Top Hat pick for Crusade No. 24.  We're playing with gesso now.  Lots of cool stuff being shared by the teamers.  Come see. 

mayday, mayday

Can you stand it?  We are on the new HIM dvd, Digital Versatile Doom.  When they told us to send in photos I thought maybe they would print them out and post on a bulletin board and do a quick pan of the camera across them and we'd have to rewind and pause and get out the binoculars.  But it's way better than that - they flash each picture across the entire screen in slide show format for like 5 seconds.  (I counted....5 seconds is a long time....it's not like if you blink you will miss it.)

I have plenty to do in the next two days.  I've been packing, editing, packing, editing.....for my trip to Valley Ridge Art Studio this weekend.  I can hardly wait to have two whole days devoted to making cool pages with returning friends, friends I know online only, and friends I haven't met yet.  Time spent with Kathy and Bill is always a treat too.  Mom is coming again and then ......shhhhhh ........I'm sneaking to MN for a visit with Shannon.  I am beside myself with glee to get to see her.  I'll check back in after I get back on Tuesday.  Behave while I'm gone.  Come on....you're squeeing with me about being on the dvd aren't you?

FIELD TRIP

Not far from here is this place - the Fonthill Museum, former home of Henry Chapman Mercer.  The entire place is constructed of concrete.  Don't let that fool you - it's not the cold gray variety.  It's much more - a very organic interior floor plan that would take weeks to learn to navigate with the meandering arrangement of rooms and random stairways throughout.  Every surface is embellished with embedded tiles - from his Moravian Pottery and Tile Works factory as well as tiles collected from places around the world.  You have to see it....astonishing!

And anyone claiming to be a HIM fan should know this is the site of a video shoot, and must be visited.

Let's take a minute and watch it HERE....and then click over and see "the making of" HERE, ff to 5 minutes.

So we behaved and didn't get our photo-op shot....earlier we traveled into the woods to see this:

When the lighting is better tomorrow I'll show you the tiles I got - the factory still makes stuff!  They didn't let us use our cameras inside....so you'll have to watch the HIM video afterall!  Mr. Mercer was many things - an archeologist, architect, tile-maker, and collector - and his accumulation of books look stunning - piled high in the two library rooms we were shown (the tour only takes you through a portion of the home).  It's worth the visit....and if you're one of my HIM fan friends, *winks* because I know you're jealous.

EDIT:  here's the tiles we got.....I don't know the significance of the "AVALON" image to Mercer, but we saw it embedded in a fireplace, and it's significant to us as Avalon is Fallon's middle name (for the Roxy Music song and album!)....and IF you look closer.......AVALON......do you see what I see????  *giggles*

element of surprise

What gets your attention when you are looking at art?  Or magazines, or books, or blogs?  Isn't there a hope that you'll be surprised?  A desire to be impressed by something that is new-to-you, or something that is clever, or inventive, or just different.  You want to be surprised.  We all get bored from seeing more of the same don't we? 

I read an interview yesterday (or was it the day before?) with my favorite rock star and he was talking about going back into the studio and what keeps him inspired.  As a musician, who is also a fan of many kinds of music, it was a simple thing to say....."I want to be surprised by a melody I haven't come across yet."

Isn't that what we strive for too?  Not a melody, but a something.  We want to be surprised by something we haven't come across yet.  Notice he didn't say he wanted to go into a music store to hear something he hadn't heard before....he's going into the studio to discover that melody - that combination of notes that might be the next hook or lick.  Eight notes and time spent at the keyboard or on the guitar.  Experimenting, exploring, unearthing, failing, succeeding.

In the studio.  THAT is where you will make your discoveries, the best-learned lessons.  Putting in the time with messy hands and dirty brushes is where you will find the most rewarding surprises.

Now that my taxes are done (whew!) I can being the final preparations for my upcoming workshop.  This is the funnest time (yes, I said funnest). I rehearse in my head all the things I want to remember to share with the artists.  I scribble notes, make playlists, overpack supplies, and try to contain my giddy-ness that I am about to spend studio time with other seekers-of-surprises.  Each artist will learn something different, and hopefully surprising, depending on their accumulated experience.....and no matter what is on my lesson plan, we will all learn something from one another.

Here's hoping you plan some surprise time for yourself this week.

crusading, cutting

We wrapped up the month of March with a record number of participants who shared links to their custom cut rubber stamps.  We took a vote and bumped cutting stencils to April.  Congrats to Susan Warder for being the Top Hat Pick for Crusade No. 18.  I made a little tutorial on stencil cutting over on the Street Team blog, and will continue adding to it as I did last month with the carving tips.  I'm still obsessing over roses...had to make stamps and stencils yesterday.  WARNING:  It's Addictive.

The only way to know if you have cut a good and useful image is to put it to work.  These are the beginnings of journal pages using both acrylic paint and spray paint with my new stamps, stencils, and masks.  Give them a test run before cutting more because you'll learn what you might have done differently, or what additions you'd like to have:  for instance, a solid image of your stencil to create a foundation to make it *pop*.

I don't often use people or faces in my work so I've stayed away from attempting a portrait stencil.  But I've been wanting to do a Valo, and a Poe, and finally starting working on them.  I had an a-ha moment when I decided to take this design which wasn't quite working, and turn it into a half-face.  I got so excited with it I had to make a PS brush and take it for a test ride digitally.  I think I'm ready to cut HIM out now.  *grins*

 

Wanna join a fun community of artists?  Come see what we're doing on the Street Team.  We have new players every month, so don't be shy.  We have artists who share their time and talent, but most of all, their enthusiasm for making cool stuff.  Seriously, *we rock*.

loving it

You know that saying:  Do What You Love.  It goes hand in hand with Love What You Do.  From the same words is What Do You Love.  I love making real art, but I'm totally in love with exploring things digitally.  As I've said before, I'm self-taught, and I'm still working in PS DS.  What's DS you say?  It's my comical reference to DinoSaur era.  That would be PS 5.5.  I have a later version here but I'm reluctant to load it since I nearly passed out and threw in the towel when I made the switch from 5 to 5.5.  If you've seen the new Stampington publication Somerset Digital Studio (I don't have a copy yet!) you'll see I wrote a tutorial on making custom Photoshop brushes.  My apologies to those of you who have left the Dinosaur era and are working in a current version because the steps might not be exactly translatable - but hopefully you'll still gleen some value in my tips. 

So what's my point today?  I guess it would be that having an interest in learning is just plain good.  Know what you love, and Do It.  I don't know where I'm going with my digital skills but it really doesn't matter - I'm learning many cool things that can be interpreted in my 'real' work, and I've been able to make graphics for myself and others that is not just playtime stuff, it's a paying gig, so that's something.  My other point would be that when you know what you love, and can spend time doing it, it doesn't matter why or what for, ya know?  In looking back at the evolution of my digital playtime I realized that much of it can be blamed on my favorite band.  Yes, that's what I said.  I can attribute my growth in developing my digital skills to HIM. 

 

If you aren't an avid fan like me, you may not be aware that many bands have message boards.  When you participate on a board you have the option of creating an avatar and signature for yourself - graphics of a very small size that show up on your posts.  I've made a habit of not only making my own, but offering my services to other online friends on the board.  I also participate in the graphics contests that are posted monthly.  I can proudly say I won this month for designing a wallpaper below (meant for your computer desktop) and have won honors a few times over the years.

You may recall seeing the journal pages above - this time they have been layered, with text added.  I love the combination of real work and applied text.  It's a great learning tool that leads to problem solving - like how would I get that text onto my page in the real world?  Toner transfer, carved lettering, printed transparency maybe?  Below is a partial portfolio of some of my messageboard graphics made for me and some friends, as well as assignments for the monthly contests.  It won't look like much to you, but to me it represents the hours of homework learning how to manipulate images and text.  The canvases are so tiny you would hardly believe how much time they took - but to me it's time well spent because it got me to where I am now.

Know what you love but haven't tried it yet?  What are you waiting for? 

This month we are Cutting It Out on the Street Team.  We are carving stamps and cutting stencils and sharing the results.  Soon I will post a tutorial on the stencils.  Interested in making a custom stamp?  Come play with us on the Street Team.  Congrats to Pam McClung who was the Top Hat Pick for the Pandora's Box Crusade! 

H D 08

Fallon and I road tripped to Philly for the official location of Heartagram Day 2008.  Friends from NJ and NY joined us for the ride, and we met up with friends from MA, RI, and PA.  We were treated to a pre-release screening of the forthcoming dvd that featured a live concert.  The event took place in an old theater, and it was like being in the front row.  Great day, lots of loot, including the coveted wall piece above, and stuff below - Fallon even took some decorations.

Thanks to everyone who came by for the Polar Festival and your generous comments about my Winter White post.  Fun to meet so many new people!  We actually had snow yesterday, and today!

i crack myself up

Last February I had a DUH-moment as I was chomping away on candy hearts and reading the messages.  You have to eat quite a few bags to collect this many LOVE HIMs.  Fast forward to last week - I was tooling around on ETSY, as I like to do, and saw the photo below (on the left). 

Duh!  I had to order a custom pendant.  HAD TO.   So I placed an order with Shannon @ rubygirl, HERE.  "LOVE HIM" arrived yesterday.  I knew she must be thinking that it was to honor my husband, or maybe the Lord, but I'll bet she didn't expect that it was about a band.  Love all of them - him, Him, and HIM. 

And love this!  Thanks Shannon. 

everything's coming up....well, you know

EDIT:  Oops.  Made this post and this journal page was missing.  Often I will take quotes from my journal and give myself a digital assignment to continue teaching myself process.  The journal page started on craft paper, striped gesso, rose stencil, watercolor pencils.  The digital piece below incorporates a topper that is from a frame I photographed.

 

So it's been a while since I talked about our favorite band HIM.  This weekend is the official day to celebrate the Heartagram....unless you are lucky like us and get to attend the NEW dvd preview and party in Philly on the 9th.  Road trip!  Who else is coming?  This will be the only preview in the country!!  And how about that logo?  Roses!

EDIT AGAIN:  this rocks!  Just got these promo posters from Warner Bros.  Time to be a good Street Teamer and put them up.....I'll save you one Judy, and Paula, and Carrie, and Cindi.....who else?

I AM SO MUCH MORE PSYCHED NOW!!!!!!!!

Last class

Does your apron look like this?  I used mine as the tester from my graphics....looks so cool with acrylic and spray paint evidence, and now silkscreen don't you think?  Aprons, like the scratch paper on your work surface, tell alot about us.  (I hope you're saving your scratch paper for your journal - that stuff is priceless!!)

Are you making stuff for the holidays?  Every Tuesday for 9, or was it 10, weeks I've been taking a silk screen printing class.  I finally got good at it and it's over!  At the beginning I made a real mess of the printing.  Might sign up for the next session because I have so much more stuff I wanna make.  I may even get myself one of those desk top screenprinting things so I can keep making these shirts.  We used a photographic process to make the stencils.  Lower left one was made last night.  Before you ask, I'm not going to sell these....but I might be giving some away *wink*.

I took these with my cellphone because I forgot my camera again!  Check out Susanna measuring and making her print all even and perfect.  I was a little less precise.  Bill, our instructor, said he'd never had students (like me and S) who turned out so many shirts.  Hey, we knew how to make the most of our time.

I wish I would have made this one bigger.  I put it on the back of a hoodie and it looks a little small.  Note to self for next session:  GET BIGGER.

still burning........

Wore one of these last night.  The concert rocked!  Fallon and I had a great time.  We caught up with Seppo who confirmed delivery of the GD and thanked us for the chocolates (offered as thank you and bribe).  It was really special to witness both the opening night (10/18) and the closing night (12/2) of this tour.  Ville was very charming and chatty.  We were even treated to an impromtpu very brief Poe poetry reading after a fan passed off a massive book of Poe's work. 

Bracelets shown above were custom ordered from Mindy Kuen @ Etsy.  Maybe there is someone on your gift list who would love one of her pieces?  Or maybe you have just the perfect word to have custom stamped on a charm to show someone you GET them. 

Congrats to Jodi Barone who was the Top Hat Pick for Crusade No. 14!  We shared the many faces and forms of MUSE.  Tonight I posted Crusade No. 15 ~ Where in the World?  Come over to the Street Team and see the mosh pit we've established. 

I'm a ................

Last night was the best concert ever!  Ever!  It was utterly freezing....ran from Penn Station to Times Square with frozen throats and feet.  Was too cool to get to the famous location in New York where lit up signage must be viewable from the moon.....and in the center of it all is a large flashing "HIM" with a big red "SOLD OUT" across it, followed by video clips on the Nokia Theater marquee.  HCIT?

I thought this would turn out crummy so I didn't record very long, but here is footage of my favorite track, taken with my digital camera of the screen:  Soul On Fire!  I'm off to get ready for tonight!!

G.F.

What is G.F.?  Short for Girl Friend?  Maybe.  Good Food?  Great Find?  Got Fries?  Gab Fest?  Try this:  Get Factor.  Isn't it cool when you know someone Gets you?  Don't you love when someone says You'll Love This, and you do?  It doesn't have to be related to things you receive, it's about so much more than that.  It's when your people know you are passionate about something, and they feed you by sharing information, by sharing enthusiasm, by acknowledging your YOUness. 

I want to share a few recent arrivals.  This just in from Julie.  It's not even December and like a child I ripped open the lovely package.  You've seen it before:  page 43 of Sept/Oct Somerset Studio.  Isn't it dreamy?  I am so lucky to have five pieces of art by Julie.  She is my idol, my mentor, my dear friend.  I keep moving it from room to room to see where she'll be most at home.  I adored it when I got a sneak peek for the article.  She KNEW I'd spaz when it got here.  Love it, thanks Julie!

Judi took a swoon-worthy voyage to Paris and London.  She came back bearing gifts.  Gold, frankincense and muhr?  No.  Curd, clip, and dirt.  I'll take THAT, thanks!  She got me dirt, can you stand it?

And how is this for clever?  Judy blew my mind with these....and she spray painted the package, almost too good to open but when it has Judy's return address on it I know that contents will be even better!  Won't those tabs be perfect in my HIMnal?  What you don't know what that is?  Scroll down a few posts.  You can barely see it but the brads she uses to hold the tags in place spell H I M. 

This arrived yesterday.  If I hadn't spent the day pampering myself I might have run off to the framer.  I had to dye my hair, and try my new eyeliner.  Have you ever used the liquid stuff?  I hadn't until today and wanted to make sure I didn't become a raccoon within a few hours.  I'm liking it.  May use it tomorrow night.  I think I'm all ready now.  Palpitating Heart.

I KNOW I'll have a good weekend.  Hope you do too.  And if you're still making out your gift list, be sure to remember the GET Factor.  Be clever and creative and make your selections so that your gift recipients know you Get them.   

Just when you thought......

....that I might be done talking about Grave Dirt, I have more to tell you! 

Seriously, I was sure my chatter about cemeteries and dirt might have my readers dropping like flies....but you have surprised me in the sharing of my enthusiasm.  So many great comments and private emails related to the whole dirt thing has really touched me.  It's turned out to be a really cool thing and I'm glad I shared it with you.  First up, me collecting a specimen from Washington Irving, author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

This weekend we ventured up to Tarrytown, New York, to visit the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, resting place of many famous people.  It is a stunning place with it's beautiful headstones and incredibly hilly terrain.  On the backside, down a steep slope, there is a small creek and some eery woods.  The chilly late afternoon left us wondering if we'd indeed see the headless horseman take a ride.  My parents were good sports to be led on our little mission.  Actually, it was a day enjoyed by all.

Both Fallon and I took turns digging some dirt.  There were people around but we didn't care.  The earth was loose and just begged to be dug.  In the first or second scoop I came across a penny so set it back on top of the stone, which is where it must have placed by another visitor some time ago.

Here are some of the interesting tombstones.  If you are into walking beautiful cemeteries, especially on a late fall afternoon, when the wind blows and the leaves are falling, and crunching, and making you kinda jumpy, you should visit this one.

The one on the right was coming right out of the tree!

 

Other activities:  saw Enchanted.  ADORABLE!  I was very impressed with the pop-up book thing they did at the end.  Here is the crew in the cute town of New Hope, PA.  Hope you had some quality family time this weekend too. 

And to my fellow HIM fans.....this just in:  Bleed Well (directors cut video).  We see them this Saturday and Sunday and I will come with gifts, of course! 

Day 3 & 4: Dead End, New Beginnings

Trying again.  Have had two posts eaten up.  My goal yesterday was to get some cork wall tiles for Sam's room.  He has about thirty wall calendars hung in perfect lines around his room and each month when he flips the pages he has to re-push-pin back in the wall.  Cork makes sense, yes?  Do you think Lowe's or Home Depot had them?  No!  I did find an online source, just waiting for confirmation of the thickness - need them to be push-pin appropriate.  Crossing fingers it's not another dead end.

Continued working in my Himnal.  Not Hymnal.  HIM lyrics + Journal = HIMnal.  *cracking myself up*

One of my favorite new things is this paint dabber.  Works great on alphabet stamps over a painted page.  Sometimes ink just doesn't cut it.  These are just the trick! 

Watched Corpse Bride with Fallon last night.  It's a good thing to watch a film over and over...you see things you might have missed the first or tenth time.  Found this photo of the puppet guy settting up a scene.  How about that staircase?  My uncle is a Construction Coordinator in the movie industry.  Before I was married I thought about moving to CA to work for him.  How fun would building sets have been?

And now for new beginnings.  I have had this doll for years.  How hideous is that attire she came with?  The collar, yes!  The rest?  No!  I have a gigantic clock case she will reside in - so grungy and weathered it looks like it came from the floor of the Titanic.  I'll be painting some tyvek clothes for her - in black and white of course, and we'll have to do something about the purple on her head.  Bleh! I know, spray paint!  She'll look perfect on our red bedroom wall.  As you know, Pierrot is my Muse...should be fun.  Stay tuned.

Next up:  The Mall, by request of the kids.  Here's out routine:  in through Macy's to navigate the Lucky Brand jewelry, then Hot Topic, Vans, Journeys, Pac-Sun, Spencers, Claires, Sephora, food court, home.  Band merchandise will be involved, twist my arm.

Mission: Accomplished!

Report from Thursday:  Terrific show!  We passed off our precious cargo to the band's manager.  It was a success!  Thanks for all your heartfelt and enthusiastic well wishes.  We are so thrilled!  Details below.

 

The box - found at Marshalls.  (Bought myself the matching smaller version, of course!)  I was first attractecd to it by the colors and handsome brass details.  There were a few like this one that were slightly different in pattern - but I liked how this one had a cross-like emblem...but the clincher:  do you see "V"s?  Me too.

Here's how the bottles looked in the box.  I made a journal to chronicle the tales, past and present, of the gathering and gifting of the dirt.  It was a rush job....wish I had 24 more hours.  I typed out a quick summary of how the grave dirt gift evolved and all who were involved with as many pictures and extra details I could pull together in one day.  (Chris you'll see yourself in the journal....I wrote about how you gathered the California dirt for me!!  And Maj, you're in there too!)

 

 

So here's how it went down:  After the opening band played Fallon and I were standing near the other Street Teamers....and it didn't look like there was going to be any kind of meet and greet....when all of a sudden I see the band's manager, Seppo.  He was just walking right past us in the club.  (He's a recognizable dude...come on, you know we're fangirls and we should know these things!)  So I grab his arm and pull him over.  I explained that I had this gift and he was aware that something like this was coming as our leader had emailed him to try to arrange a hand-off.  I pass off a black messenger bag for Ville, filled with some books and The Box.  He says he'll go deliver right away and said they would be leaving directly after the show as they were really tired.  Fair enough, and mission accomplished!  If I wasn't able to give the bag of goodies to Ville, Seppo was the man!  He was kind enough to hang for another minute so I could get a snapshot of Fallon with him.  It was a Rock Star Moment for Fallon to stand with Seppo. 

So maybe like less than thirty minuted later HE COMES BACK.  He was all glowing and smiling and purposely came to tell us that the gift was well received.  Ville loved the gifts and was impressed with additions to the collection.  I could tell by the way Seppo was talking to us that he was sincere.  How cool was that to have him come back out into the crowd to share that news?  We were giddy.  Of course we had hoped to present the gifts ourselves but this was a terrific experience too!  Because he returned I was able to get an additional photo of myself with him.

The concert was fantastic!  Great to her some of new Venus Doom tracks live for the first time.  Starland Ballroom is a great place to see your favorite band.  It's general admission but there isn't a bad place to stand....feels like you're up close anywhere in the venue.  Ville was very animated and laughing and you could tell it was a perfect nght kicking off the new tour.  Looking forward to seeing them again in December when they wind it up in New York City.  We did stalk the bus after the show but security made us leave before we spied anyone from the band coming out.  (Did you notice I forgot to lean forward and my chin got caught on film?)

EDIT:  these just in from another teamer......Suukko4 (aka Sue from the PA Street Team)

One more EDIT:  Gossip from London: 

MetalHammer announces:  The people who sort out the James Bond music have apparently approached Ville Valo from HIM to record the theme for the next Bond film. Might this end the speculation that Amy Winehouse would be asked to record the next Bond theme?

Reportedly, the Bond soundtrack writers David Arnold and Don Black approached Valo at the BMI Awards last Tuesday here in London sounding him out about working on the title song for the next film. One of those sources told the tab: "David Arnold and Don Black were in deep conversation with Ville on the night. They love the song that won him an award (Wings of a Butterfly). They think he has just the right ear to write a classic Bond hit with them".  {Swooooooooon - the right voice too.}

Dig this!!

I should type this in all upper case letters so you know I'M SCREECHING WITH EXCITEMENT!  Just this afternoon I spoke with Chris who confirmed she had indeed gone and collected the grave dirt I had requested from the two cemeteries in California.  CAN YOU STAND IT?  And the girl is so dang clever, she took photos for evidence.  (Because I'm certain there are many of you out there reading my posts on this topic with great skepticism....is that a word?)  Before I start preparing the bottles that will embrace the dirt, I will share the photos Chris sent.  DOESN'T SHE ROCK?  Notice the dates on the photos - from TODAY!!!

Come on!  Can you believe how cool this is?  I met Chris on 9/27 when she wrote me an email.  Her wit got my attention and I have enjoyed conversation with her both on the phone and via email.  (Example:  when she wrote me about possibly getting some dirt her post was called Digging Around, followed by Cloak and Digger.  Who wouldn't be amused by that?)  I swear this mission was her own idea, which makes it even more special.  I'm truly touched that a new friend would take on such an extraordinary crusade.  I'm not sure she even realized that my next HIM concert is only days away.  Please join me in sending positive vibes to the postal paths that will get her dirt to me before Thursday night.  CA to NJ.  Hey, it can happen.  IT WILL HAPPEN.  The only uncertainty is HOW to get it to Ville.  There is no planned Meet&Greet for this tour.  I think stalking the tourbus will be on the agenda.  I will flash my credentials, Street Team member, and Grave Dirt Crew.....and with more positive vibes from you I will get to deliver all FIVE BOTTLES of grave dirt.  (Back-up plan:  we also will be attending another HIM show 12/1, BUT I CAN'T WAIT THAT LONG!!!)

So a 1000 thank yous to Chris for these two California dudes, to Ann who directed me to where I could get the dirt from France, and Maj who sent dirt from Denmark.  I'll be back later this week to show you the preparations of the gifts. 

P.S.  About the coins on the headstone:  apparently it's good manners to leave coins in exchange for collecting dirt (something I read on a witchcraft site....I'm NOT into THAT, but wanted to read more about those that collect dirt.)  Not to be confused with the the throwing of pennies onto Benjamin Franklin's grave.  Don't you think it's funny that he coined the phrase "A penny saved is a penny earned" and yet people toss pennies his way?  I have read about many gravestones that have been left with coins or pebbles.  Leaving pebbles is a jewish tradition....maybe the coins are a version of that?  And in another place I read about coins being a symbol of having been there, or helping to pay passage into the next world.  If you know anything about this tradition leave a comment and enlighten us all!

EDIT:  See Chris's account HERE.

the view from here

It's already October!  You'd never guess from the temps here.  Mid to upper 80s for the next week.  Lots going on this month.  I'm leaving for a weekend workshop tomorrow, then we have a few concerts, and we'll end the month with a Halloween party!  As soon as I get back from Wisconsin I'll start ghouling out the house.  Speaking of that, we've started a new crusade!  Congrats to Michelle Infantino for being the Top Hat Pick for No. 12.  We have hit the one year mark for the Street Team.  Hundreds of teamers have joined in the fun.  Come see what we're up to!

Someday I'll share a few photos of my studio.  You don't even wanna see it right now!  I'm just about packed for Valley Ridge Art Studios.  Getting ready for class reminds me of why I stopped traveling to teach.  I love doing it but there is so much preparation.  If you have been to Valley Ridge you know why we like to go back which is the only reason I'm not cursing right now.  An added bonus for me is my Mom comes to visit at VR.  Last time we made her take the class and she did great.  Looking forward to seeing familiar faces - students who have become friends, and new students who are friends I haven't met yet.

 

Tuesday Susanna and I continued with our silk screen printing class.  Above the graphic I'm working on for a tshirt.  We are working on Macs, yikes!  I'm not going to get into a debate about which is better, PC or Mac, because we know what we know, and love what we love.  It's just hard to be Mac-ing because I'm not familiar with it.  During a lull in class we visited our blogs....and yikes again!  My blog looks so different on a Mac through Safari.  Like, it is all scrunched and you can't see the full pictures.  So heads up as you are doing your blog thing, especially on typepad:  make sure you set your photos to be clickable so they pop-up, otherwise your visuals might not be seen as intended.  The view from here, as I design the layouts on my blog, is that I can see the whole thing.  My blog fills the screen edge-to-edge and there is even white space between the photos and the sidebars.

Lisa is an endless sender of "check this out" and "don't miss this" kind of bulletins.  She's an "I got your back" kind of friend.  Recently she called on a Sunday to demand I go get the New York Times.  In the magazine they featured Scott Campbell - a dude I wrote about back HERE.  There was a one page update on all the cool things he's working on.  A tattoo artist who is widening his canvas.  Here are a few peeks from his website.  Check out that book!!!  And the ostrich egg, and the furniture......these would be the perfect things for Crusade No. 13.

Poe dirt is no longer needed for the GIFT.  I must have missed the post from my friends on the Massachusetts/Rhode Island HIM Street Team.  They already gifted Ville with cemetery dirt from Poe's grave while at the Projekt Revolution tour in August.  Here are Lani and Deb, and Ville!  (you'd think they might look a little happier, wouldn't you?)  Deb reminded Ville about giving him the dirt last year and he said he had it with him on the bus!! 

Here's a link to youtube where there is no video but it's part 3 of a phone interview from September 2007, where he mentions the grave dirt AGAIN!  (3rd time!).  Forward to about 4:40 HERE.  He says the "grave dirt in the little glass bottles with name tags and labels is great for inspiration". 

I still would like Poe dirt for myself so those of you have offered, stay on task!

Thanks to Ann who shared a link to a gal on ETSY who sells cemetery dirt.  (You'll remember I posted about Ann's cool tags, also on ETSY).  So I have purchased graveyard dirt from the two cemeteries in France that I needed.  I couldn't pass it up....it was so serendipitous that Ann found the listing just after my post.  And the seller, ALDETHA's real name is Michelle.  It was a sign.  (And they have arrived so I can check two off the list!)

There have been a few generous souls who have offered to get the dirt I need from California.  As soon as I know it's a definite thing I will post here and the crusade will be complete (for now). 

Some of you have asked about Edward Gorey and why don't I have him on my list.  First, let's acknowledge the recent project headed up by Sylvia Luna.  Many of my friends participated in it - you've seen excerpts in the recent Somerset Studio, and may have been fortunate enough to see the display in Arizona (soon to be revealed in Colorado!)  Mr. Gorey's ashes were scattered off the coast of Massachusetts - no dirt to be had. 

I got so much feedback about this post privately.  Thanks to all of you who wrote to share your interest in beautiful graveyards and the idea of the grave dirt gift.  Many of you 'get' how thrilling it's been for me to be part of The Grave Dirt Crew.   

And since I'm talking about my band AGAIN I will just mention that I have photographic evidence that Ville has worn the shirt I gave him.  (Remember the one with the top hatted crow?  He wore it during an interview in Finland!) 

See ya naxt week!