Teal dining Room … The saga continues

We’re almost done with the dining room. Cody is downstairs cutting 1/16th off some of the boards and then we’re good to go. I’ve painted them white but they’ll need a second coat of paint in the morning. The boards are the same size as the ones around the windows and doors and they cover up the seam between the paint and the wallpaper nicely. I’ll do a break down post in the morning when the lighting is better, but my dining room is almost finished and it makes me happy! Total cost was well under what we thought it would be too.

Previous posts on the dining room can be seen here, here,  and here.

Edited: January 31st, 2010

New luggage!

I started painting some luggage last night and I have one done so far. This one is one where I couldn’t decide what the bird would say so I made the speech bubble with chalkboard paint so that I can customize it. The bird needs to be reoutlined since I changed its color but I’m liking the way this piece looks with the rest of the house right now!

Edited: January 31st, 2010

Unicorn horns

I’ve been working on a couple different things today, one of which was a unicorn horn. I still need a better way to keep it in my hair and some more sparkly bits, but it’s on its way!

On a side note, not a good project if you’re impatient because then you end up with glue and paint in your hair…

Edited: January 29th, 2010

Visioncon Artist – Russell Dickerson

Meet Russell Dickerson the hand behind “Darkstorm Creative.” He’s yet another one of those amazing artists I got to hang out with this year at Visioncon. Here’s a blurb from his website.  “I have been published as a genre artist since 1999, in the UK, US and Australian genre press. I was honored to be included in the prestigious Spectrum annual (#9), and I’ve worked on projects for the British Fantasy Society, Subterranean Press, Cemetery Dance, and many others. I am interested in discussing future illustrations with publishers, editors and other interested parties. Please contact me to discuss what needs you may have.”

Russell makes art. In fact, he has a sketch a day in 2010 project he’s working on now. It’s mostly Dark and sometimes creepy art, but visually stunning art all the same He has some of his art for sale online and is opening up somewhere to sell more of it very soon (I’ll update you when he does). I won’t gush too much about him because it’ll sound all stalker fangirl, but I really enjoyed hanging out with him during the convention. He signed a copy of his piece called “Rabbitfield” for me that is already hanging up by the front door. I thought it was very creepy Alice in Wonderland, but that’s not how he meant to do it. Really though it looks like the white rabbit took part of the mushroom that makes you grow taller and is now going to frell up wonderland.

I also had some postcards and another print but they’ve been taken. /sigh The print is now in my youngest son’s room and the postcards (which were really nice little prints) have been claimed by friends. It’s okay though, I’ll buy them again later.

He’s working diligently on doing art for various projects (one of which is a webcomic so YAY!) and it won’t surprise me at all when (when not if) his art becomes his sole source of income. He’s started a thing a day project that he’ll be posting to his new flickr account. Keep an eye out for him though He’s going places. The only place he’s not going? A dance floor. HA! (edit) Okay to be fair. Yes, Russell will go on the floor if you get enough alcohol in to him. Isn’t that always the case? And to be even fairer, I did abandon him on the floor the first time because something came up. I’m a horrible person. Horrible. :-p

Edited: January 28th, 2010

Visioncon Artists – The Browncoats

First, I should warn you that I’m a HUGE Firefly fan so a band that does music from the idea of that show? Right up my alley! And since Firefly was one of those shows my kids could watch, suddenly they’re rocking out to the “Hero of Canton” too. The Browncoats were at Visioncon this year and they too were phenomenal. They’re based out of St. Louis and my favorite is their cover of “The Hero of Canton” and only because well… I heart Jayne. Their video for the song rocks. And guess what? When they play at something, they actually sing. /gasp Singers who … sing. They’ll also /gasp talk to you and not be pompous aholes about it. Which seemed to be the general mindset of the guest of Visioncon. They were all pretty much down to earth normal people who happen to write books, make music, or do art for a living.

Anywho, Dave the Slave took me over to meet them and although they signed a poster (which is being hung up later) , we only had time for a quick photo. Which was fine They were talking about something important and I was cool with that. I gave them some buttons that my other slave had drawn for them at my booth as well as some of the Firefly buttons I stock in my store and Dave and I went on our way to the next guest. Co-Pilot Miller (he’s the one on the left of the photo) came over to my booth to say hi later and apologize for not getting to talk more He seems like he’d be fun to have at a party. I wonder if he’d dress up for a Mad Hatter themed birthday party… hmmm….

I missed their performance at the con because I was manning a booth, but I did get to catch them Saturday night when the wenches led me around to various rooms to see the drinks that were available. The band sounded great and they do a wonderful live show. I now have their music on the server (TY Itunes) and my boys like to rock out to a couple of the songs. So between Jonathan Coulton and The Browncoats… I think my kids are screwed in regards to being normal. I mean, when your (then) 4 year old goes around singing “all we wanna do is eat your brains” you know you’re raising not normal kids lol.

I’m now stalking The Browncoats website to see when they play near my area again. If you’re in Chicago, they’ll be there April 16 – 18. Go check them out, it’ll be worth it I’m sure. And from talking to friends here, I may be there as well with a small group from my area

And hey, if you have photos of the browncoats at visioncon, hit up the Browncoats on their facebook page and give them a link. Their photographer wasn’t there and they’d like more pictures. THANKS!

Edited: January 27th, 2010

Kawa Kon 2010

YATTA! I received an email from Kawa Kon that they’d like me for Artist Alley this year. How frelling cool is that? I’m still deciding what I should bring with me and what to leave at home but I’m excited to do another convention. Now the debate is… do I drive up there every day (it’s like oh an hour or so away) or do I get a hotel room? Which would you do?

Watch for later posts about what I’m thinking about bringing and maybe you can help me pick out things from the geek details store. Why? Because things at Cons are always less expensive than things in online stores

I also need to figure out if I’m having someone watch the small children and bringing the husband or am I leaving the husband and home with the small children and taking a friend instead? Decisions decisions. Either way… I have paperwork to fill out and send in.

Edited: January 27th, 2010

Poisoned apples

That’s what I’ve been working on in between picking up the house and tossing things in the Salvation Army pile. I took piles of notes at Visioncon and I think I have a general direction for me to go now. Geek Details is just over a year old and I’m still figuring out where I want to take it. While I enjoy making buttons and will continue to do so, I want to make other stuff too. I have a whole list of things to work on now and it’s been a busy last couple days but I’m excited to see the things I’m making and know that *I* made them.

What are you working on lately?

Edited: January 27th, 2010

Everclear in Concert

I went to KC last night with my friend Cooleen so that we could see Everclear in concert. I loved it… most of it. The aging blond bimbo with the purse the size of an olsen twin bugged me because that purse kept hitting me. The pot smokers to the mid front and center bugged me too. Like really? Ew. We’ll just leave it at that.

They were just as good as I remembered though. I saw them in Sep 2005 when they played Octoberfest in Misawa Japan for Misawa AFB. We (the husband and I) actually took our small children to that one (they were 2 1/2 and 5 at the time) and the then 5 year old still remembers it. He was so cute wanting to join in the mosh pit and the guys there let him dance on the edge of it with them and were sweet to him. Anyway, Everclear had a special spot in my heart after their show there.

So we went last night and had some fun. Didn’t take a ton of photos because let’s face it, photos of concerts usually suck right? Funniest part of the concert? The guys are up on stage playing a cover of a song and pass the mic to an audience member who screams “WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” and then Art stops the band and says something like “Why would you take the mic when you don’t know the words to the song?” Cooleen and I were laughing so hard!

We had a couple drinks and I was carded. Cooleen was not. I’m 4 years older then her. HA! Take that Cooleen. I blame the braces. What do you think? Do I look almost 27?

And on a side note. If you know who the frell opened for them last night, can you let a girl know? I misheard it and now I can’t find the band. They were both good too!

Edited: January 27th, 2010

Visioncon Aritist – Brian Keene

So back to the visioncon artists posts. Brian Keene was there and I’m embarrassed to say that I’d never heard of him (don’t beat me). Well if we’re being honest, I didn’t know any of the special guests at Visioncon so that was a whole new book/art exposure which is awesome. Cody is currently reading one of the books I was given and said he likes it so far. Which is awesome. We’re more of sci-fi/fantasy readers. Lots of Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, Terry Goodkind etc. Basically the quintessential geek bookcase with a little bit of biography, green living, and various religious books mixed in. Anywho, Back to Brian. He was a fantastic person to hang out with at the con. Dave the Slave introduced me as his Master and explained how the slave auction worked and Brian joked that he’d have to be in the slave auction next year. Then  Brian signed a couple books for me and I went on my merry way.

Slave Dave brought me back later to meet Roy C. Booth and since he and Brian had written a play together called “Terminal The Play” they both signed a copy of the play program for me. Brian’s says that he wants to be my slave. Oh hon, you can be my slave any day… I have a half a house that needs painting and then there’s an endless supply of yard work so that my yard doesn’t look so craptastic. I mean… Anywho

Later on I ran in to “the group” (which was usually Brian Keen, Mike Oliveri, Cullen Bunn, and Russell Dickerson) at the Saturday night party. Those four seemed to go everywhere together and I probably should have lumped them in one post. Anyway, I took a photo of Brian with a Princess

And then he and Cullen danced a bit together. Now normally I wouldn’t post this photo but the bastard claimed a bum leg due to war injury so that I wouldn’t make him dance with me. For SHAME Brian. SHAME! I am a bit of a vindictive wench and since it’s not like it’s career damaging…  I bring you the following photo.

In all fairness, they posed for this. They were dancing with Cullen behind Brian pretending to smack Brian’s ass as Brian shook it at him as a joke. I busted out my camera quickly but they were lightening fast in stopping.  I had to beg and give hugs for them to do it again. So anyhow. Next time Brian, just dance with me so that the black mail photos never make it online because otherwise, what happens at Visioncon ends up on the internet.

(Added Later) So I started and finished “Dark Hallow” tonight. I didn’t think I’d like it to be honest. I don’t do horror stories. I certainly didn’t expect to shed a tear when something happens at the end of the book. I did enjoy it though (as evidenced by finishing it quickly) and yes, I even shed a tear or two. Do we have a new author to stalk and buy books from as they’re released? Perhaps. Visioncon was good for  one more thing, it opened up my reading horizons.

Edited: January 26th, 2010

Finally! New Entryway Art is hung

Cody and I hung up art in the entry way last night (finally lol). I had a general idea for what I wanted the space to look like and with the addition of some new art, the space is on its way to be what I want it to be. First I moved the dog’s kennel by the door so that I can kennel them when people come over. They still haven’t learned to not jump all over people and a kennel by the front door is more convenient for me. The plan is to put a piece of wood on the top and then a long piece of fabric to cover the top and two sides so that I have a puppy table… Right now the only thing on there is a plant my mother in law gave me that came from a clipping from her mom’s plant and it’s in a chalkboard planter.

The damask couch is the one Cody walked home from the store for me. The geek pillow is something I made and I liked making it so much, I plan on adding some to my store later. The white (ish) dog is Anni and she’s a Westie. The black dog is Mouse and she’s a golden retriever and husky mix aka a goberian if you’re in to designer dogs (we got her because she’s free. If you pay the $900 some people want for that type… you’re being robbed. It’s a mutt). Moving on.

The Ace of Spades picture is one I painted, something like it is available in my store. The butterfly was a Salvation Army find and a whole $2). The keys are up in my store but living on my wall for now. The girl holding panda balloons is from red velvet art and is in a temporary spot until I find my copy of this alice in wonderland ala steampunk piece. Panda Party will be moved to my studio because well, I like pandas and it’ll fit in well in the studio space. The top piece is called “Rabbitfield” and it’s by Russell Dickerson. It wasn’t meant to be  Alice in Wonderland ish according to the artist but given that Cody and I had the same type of reaction (“I’m late I’m late. NOM NOM NOM. When White Rabbits Attack”), I had to put it up in the Alice area.

The suitcase table moved to by the door where I piled it full of stuff I haven’t found a home for yet. This includes my copper trash can, my set of singing flower, a large nut with squirrel on it, a stack of books, and a candle holder.

Edited: January 26th, 2010