The Shaman Papers

The Soulkeeper - Jung And Sabrina Speilrien

2012-01-31T19:33:00.000-05:00

During a discussion on A Dangerous Method on the Asheville Jung Center, the movie The Soul Keeper, was mentioned and given a review by David Thompson. I found the movie broken up into six parts, of 14 minutes each, on you tube in English. The original is in Italian. It depicts Sabrina Spielrein and Jung's relationship without Freud, and I think better represents their relationship than does A Dangerous Method.
I don't think both of them are historically accurate and wonder why each movie would change some of the scenes which were dramatic in the histories. I felt neither film addressed Sabina's strength as a psychotherapist following her graduation and her work with the Analytical Society. Not once did they show her presenting her work (some of it quite revolutionary) in a meeting. So now these films represent her, almost as badly as the male analysts of the day did. The Soul Keeper did have a scene where she breaks into a meeting where Jung is speaking but shows her more as the betrayed lover than as a fellow analyst, researcher and analytical writer.
Although, in other ways, I found this movie to be much more to my liking and mostly what I had hoped to see in a treatment of Jung. It is not so flat or clinical, but is richer in atmosphere, emotions and the acting of Ian Glen as Jung and Emilia Fox as Sabina are far better than that of Keira Knightly and Michael Fassbender. Both of the latter seemed flat and lifeless, and didn't represent two emotional people in the midst of a pivotal and ultimately traumatic relationship.
In Soul Keeper, there were a number of little touches that I recognized coming from other books on Jung, such as the oblong dark stone, which Jung called his soul, which he gave to Sabina, telling her it was his soul. I don't know if this is historically accurate, but it was a nice touch, obviously by someone more versed in Jung's biography. In Jung's mind the stone was his soul. He'd kept the stone in his pocket when he was young and then later kept it in a little box with the a small figure of a man he carved in black coat and hat, who he called Philimon and who he later considered his #2 personality. His "self" as opposed to his ego, the Seigfried of his his heroic ego journey as opposed to the self he came into later in life.
At least The Soul Keeper tried to document Sabina's symptoms when she entered Burghölzli,better and even though they shied away from her playing with her feces, they did show her sitting on her heel, although the regular movie goer won't get what she's actually doing and they at least implied she played with her feces with the small little sculptured animals, which may have been dirt or feces. But they shied away from the reality on that too.
I also like the part where Jung was drawing then carving a head on a stone and then later smashing it. I wonder if it meant to represent the Seigfried, the ego, he needed to smash up to make way to unleash his true self. I took it that way and wonder if anyone knows if this is historically accurate? I thought his stone carving came later when he worked out at Bollingen, can anyone tell me the timeline on this?
While The Soul Keeper, showed Sabina in her work with children once she had returned to her native Russia, they once again neglected an opportunity to show her greater influence on the field of psychology. They didn't show her offering analysis or training other therapists when she was the first person to introduce in person the joint works of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy of Freud and Jung to Russia, as well as train new analysts.
And while I think The Soul Keeper showed more of her strengths and more of the "poetry" between she and Jung, it didn't show why or how "the poetry" occurred, such as how they thought alike, prodded each other explore other avenues of their field and came to same conclusions.
However, A Dangerous Method did attempt this, although too briefly and too subtly I think, for anyone who had not read John Kerr's book or the letters of Jung and Spieilrein. I wanted to applaud at the scene on the bench outside her apartment when Sabina (in her true Athena style, as Len Cruz on the Asheville Jung Center discussion so beautifully put) spoke of her ideas on the death instinct in the sex act, as well as laying groundwork for Jung to consider which would bring him to some of his most fruitful concepts.
I do think, however, that both films did psychotherapy an injustice in the way they depicted the sexual scenes. Event though I expected that be overblown because it must appeal to the general public, wasn't it enough to show them having a private affair, especially since we don't know for sure if it was ever physically consummated? A Dangerous Method totally blew my believability in the film, with it's emphasis on the spanking and the scene in The Soul Keeper after the Wagner concert in the lobby of the Opera House is unbelievable. No way would the affair have been kept secret until the discovery of Sabina's journals if they'd had sex in the lobby of a Zurich opera house. And there was plenty of drama in their real life missteps and experiences, to have to use these shallow methods to make a point.
I guess I shouldn't expect such historical accuracy in a movie, but the letters, journals and biographies to me seem such a goldmine of material, that why bother making anything up? I know they had to cram a lot into less than two hours, but still, I'm waiting for the ultimate movie to reveal the truth of the birth of psychotherapy.
And I have to wonder, which audience were either director appealing to? They way they both dropped only subtle hints that those who read up on Jung, Freud or Spielrein would get then why gussy it up? And if their audience was just the general public, why bother with the subtle hints?

Shaman Circus, Jung, Sabine, Freud

2012-01-29T11:41:00.040-05:00

Just having seen the movie "A Dangerous Method" in addition to devouring John Kerr's 600 page book over a period of ten or twelve hours, has taken me round on the spiral again. Thank goodness. I need to be here, due to the change happening around me, some of which is due to my own change-mongering nature.
I saw the movie in the best of circumstances, with a great friend who is addicted to the concepts of the mind, the ethics of the individual ) not quite the same as the morals of a society) and the amazing potential for the individuation and growth of the Self.
It was sad there were only five people at the 2 pm matinee which we attended. Especially since the film is not even playing in Greenville, but by some odd synchronisitc moment, I found out about the film only the day before it was released (having thought it had already gone by) when Westgate Mall in Spartanburg popped up on a Google search.
As I mentioned in a previous blog, I attended the Greenville Chautauqua lecture where Dr. George Frein spoke about Jung's Red Book. His lecture also offered me the gift of the movie, but even better the book, A Most Dangerous Method on which the screenplay and movie were based. Now in addition to get to see Dr. George Frein as Carl Jung in the Chautauqua series in June this year, I am lucky to be offered a long term study of Jung, learning about an entire treasure load of new books including one made into a documentary on Sabina and Jung, My Name Was Sabina Spielrein, and an additional film, Soul Keeper and even better the two webinars and the very passionate and enlightening discussions offered on the The Asheville Jung Center's website. I read the discussions, take a breath, then go and read a chapter of the brilliant and user friendly On Jung by Anthony Stevens and finally stop to sit and think. I now see so many correlations between the inner aspects of my characters in my novels, Shaman Circus (published in 2010) and Shaman in Exile (nearly finished) in the concept that a trinity is helpful in individuation in the form of the animus in a female's case, the shadow and the self.
Even though I knew I employed a great deal of Jungian thought in the two books, I hadn't quite come up with the concept in such simple concrete terms.
I'm not going to do any spoilers here. I have a feeling the film will be viewed by a lot of people interested in Jung when it comes out on DVD. Many might not here of it until it's already out of the theaters. But of course it is lacking compared to the book. You just can't jam that much info into a film. But it did not have to be so inaccurate. I think there's plenty of drama which could have been played up with the real dynamics and emotions between these three entangled real people. Sabina was not honestly portrayed as the very strong woman she had become after her therapy and education. Instead of the film showing her present her powerful paper in front of the Freud and his Vienna pyschoanalytical association, a very brave thing for the first woman in this group, they simply show her in Freud's office discussing her work, as if she is still simply a student or follower.The film doesn't reveal much about how her work impacted later analysts and therapists, either.
And the way the relationship between she and Jung was approached was very shallow and surface level, hardly intimating the "poetry" between them as she called it, that mystical union of min, spirit and archetypal power. I still leave it open in my mind as to whether Sabina and Jung physically consummated their affair. The letters and diaries don't tell us this. And I'm a enthralled with many of Jung's alchemical correspondences with the process of individuation. The stages of solutio, sublimation, calcinatio, etc. and how when viewed through the alchemical lens, the libido, when unable to be enacted in the physical world becomes more powerful in the inner world leading to the same "destruction/death" aspect Sabina offered, leading to a rebirth in some form of creative initiatives such as both of them going through the alchemical stages to deliver (as Sabina wrote) "their son" in the form of papers and books they wrote as they they tried to deal with the consequences of losing each other. I regret it was more as a common affair and not the very complicated connection it was.
Even the relationship, the powerful, father/son aspect between the two fathers of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy , let alone the lover aspect, followed by the public and personal break up was downplayed in my view. I could see it downplayed if the film focused on Sabina but instead, I felt it focused more on Freud, who I think could have been played better by Viggo, who has long been a favorite actor of mine. I would have love to have seen him rip into the anger and angst which attended their breakup and the following vacancy in both of their lives.
While he is more of a scientist than I, highly knowledgeable of neuroscience and a student of many more life experiences, as well as someone who leans towards Freud's developments of the actual brain, while I lean towards Jung and the explorations of the soul. I wouldn't want to see the film with someone who had not read some of the literature by and about either of these major influences of the world psyche.
We have already begun the enlightening series of discussions, disagreements, conclusions, realizations, conclusions, which I hoped the film and book would offer and I can see they'll now become an integral part of how we learn from each other - a great gift indeed at of course, a synchronisitc change as we both go through very real transitional periods in our separate lives.
I'd been looking for more books about the trinity of these three great psychologists, one could say, the father, mother and holy spirit of the psychoanalytical movement when I chanced upon the notice the movie was playing in Spartaburg but not the larger city where I live, Greenville. And I find it wonderful and strange that after 29 years of searching for another Jungian, I should find a friend and mentor, who is not a Jungian but a Freudian, more versed in various aspects of the brain and unconscious than I am. But I see it as a gift that he tends towards the pragmatic and I towards the mystic, since this is how we best learn - through our opposites, the homeostatic way we achieve balance.
I hope anyone interested in Jung will read the book first, then see the film. And then check out the Asheville Jung Center's website to fully round out their experience of the film and book.

Synchronicity and a A Dangerous Method

2012-01-19T07:18:00.000-05:00

Synchronicity has been an underlying them for decades of my life. I always see it as a sign to follow a particular path, being a voracious student of Carl. G. Jung's works. Recently, I experienced another one of those exhilarating moments, some of them minimal, some of them life changing which I see as synchronistic. Too many of them over time for me to ignore. This one falls in a the high end. And at a primal time when I've been trying to achieve balance in my life. In one afternoon, one swooping series of realizations, thank so Dr. George Frien's Chautauqua presentation of Carl Jung at the Greenville Art Museum, the series was set into motion.
I've been struggling over the past few months with my writing, not so much that I couldn't write, but more than I couldn't find a way to end either of two novels, my steampunk novel, The Foxglove Broadsides and my 3rd magical realism novel, Fireworks, Interference Equation, when two I witnessed two seemingly unconnected experiences within the span of less than two weeks.
I have not been out much in months due to work, the holidays, making Christmas presents, writing and the birth of my second grandchild. Now that I've begun to socialize again at the insistence of my friends. The first event was an art show at the Village Studios. Mark and decided to go at the very last moment and I'm so glad we did for in the marvelous show, way beyond what we see as far as risk taking, was one by a brilliant young artists, Jeromy Ross, who was given a show as a present when he graduated from Winthrop. The works are anthropomorphic, human bodies, bearing animal and bird heads. I've been attracted to this type of art ever since I saw my first example at an Art Fair a few years back, research it, and found the Victorians even did it using the bodies of their family members and various animal/creature heads as commentary.
After the show I started writing a new piece, another section to my ironic whimsical tale about the West End, Two Ruffians and a Rat, and was using the concept of this type of art in my work. The scene was very Jungian: a maze, a descent into darkness, revelations. It is a them I enjoy exploring as it presents to me the very act of venturing into one's own subconscious.
The day I wrote the scene was the day I found out about the Carl Jung appearance. That is not sheer coincidence.
And then last night I came up with the true ending, the only ending for Fireworks, which has fooled and eluded me, some ideas were to simple and shallow, others too complex requiring another entire volume and each one crafted to simply end the book, not tell a tale that only I could tell.
And then last night it came to me. In my job as a rehab support specialist for adults with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, I am learning how to be an efficient advocate for my clients, especially two of them, one man in his 30's with a brain injury and the other in his 40's with a spinal cord injury. Despite their traumatic injuries they are struggling to build new, productive, meaningful lives. Both of them are fascinated with philosophy, one of whom earned a degree before his injury, the other working towards one now.
And I realized that I must speak to this issue. The whole purpose of magical realism to me is to introduce a societal/political issue to the general public in a way that is easily accessible The current most crucial issue I struggle with everyday in my life is my work with adults with brain and spinal cord injury who cannot find accessible housing in the community where they can live productive and rewarding lives.
So now these recent meaningful coincidences remind me of my how I can use my writing (as well as advocacy) to inform the public of this huge and often unknown issue.

More Olde Curisoty Shoppe goodies from Graphic 45

2012-01-19T07:02:00.001-05:00

I am really feeling the temptation now that Graphic 45 is unveiling more and more of their wonderful items form the new Olde Curiosity collection. Okay - these are the ultimate teases - and more goodies in the form of rubber stamps from Shoppe collection. I must have all of these to make a curiosity cabinet! And more goodies in the form of diecut tags.
I've loved the Victorian method of storing all sorts of odd items in curiosity cabinets and the way a wall of apothecary jars looks and now those looks come together in this great collection.
I talked about the papers in a previous post and they've also shown more of what the papers include - all of this as they prepare to head out to CHA to reveal all their latest designs. I only wish I had a shop which carried them nearby!

I know already that I will be making a curiosity cabinet and one of those trays with the moveable dividers and a trunk and a spiral bound mini album as well. I think these are my favorites. I love them even more than the steampunk collection. Only with in the last tow years have a come to a strange interest in science (astrophysics, quantum physics, chemistry (although I've read books on alchemy for years) and botany and this collection ties all of this together. I think the scientists were the real trailblazers at the turn of the 1900's!
So what will you make out there? I can't wait to see the you tube videos when this line is released for sale.

Graphic 45 - Olde Curiosity Shoppe

2012-01-17T07:25:00.002-05:00

Okay all my altered arts and steampunk friends - Graphic 45 has once gain come up with a collection of papers you will not be able to do without. I'll be sure to post this to the Upstate Steampunk facebook page too because I know so many of you love to work with altered arts and scrapbooking.
Take a peek at the Graphic 45 Olde Curiosity Shoppe collection! It's brilliant and fun. Charles Darwinish with a Victorian and steampunk angle. I can't wait to use this on a trunk I've had waiting, as well as one of those sectional trays. Yippie! Just the incentive I needed to try out some new concepts for a new year.

Happy Holidays Christmas mini album

2011-12-04T10:07:00.000-05:00

For a different approach to saving memories for Christmas 2011, I went for a contemporary/romantic design using Tim Holtz's wonderful technique of using an embossing folder in my Sizzix on recycled plastic packaging to givce it an icy look on the cover. In addition I used his flower die cut to make the flower petals. They are so much fun to make, so cost effective and the designs are unlimited. I dabbed them with Ranger Distress inks.

. As usual, I added a variety of photo mats, journaling spots, pockets and tags.
Throughout this chipboard album I included special accents, die cuts, fragments, and embellishments, including an ornament which opens into a photo mat, a gift which opens to photo mats and an envelop folder holder which offers five additional photo mats.

For some of the embellishments I made a chimney and a small bird and used the Tim Holtz die cuts of deer and tree which I purchased from Vintage Prims on Etsy. The pr- made embellishments are from this years line from K and Company.
Tools and techniques were inspired by Tim Holtz, K and Company, Recollections, Martha Stewart, Perfect Pearls, Ranger Distress Inks and more. Embellishments include handmade flowers, handmade mulberry papers and tags, ribbons, chipboard elements, aux Swarvski crystals, Prima bling and embossed rubber stampings. Word sentiments add another facet to the album. This chipboard album measures 5 inches by 6 inches and the pages are bound by two metal rings accented with ribbons and handspun yarns.

Christmas Tag Frenzy!

2011-11-23T15:37:00.000-05:00

Now that I think I've finished making Christmas mini albums - (although one should never say never, right?) I've caught the Christmas tag frenzy from folks like Kard Crazy and Vintage Prims. Here's an example of the ones I'm working on. I'm trying to duplicate a few, but most of them will be one of a kind because of the added words, and other embellishments such as handmade paper, copper tape, die cuts and fragments.

I'm used the excuse today that I couldn't start the real baking until I the Chex Mix finishes baking. And the excuse was so I could work on tags - shame on me! But in addition to the ones I've made for mini albums, I created a few more even as I was baking the the pumpkin roll, pumpkin pie and other goodies for Thanksgiving - tomorrow - hurray!!!

I used some Tim Holtz die cuts of the tree and deer, as well as his flags edge make die, Tim Holtz letters, musical paper, and used Ranger Distress inks for most of the backgrounds, along with some other odds and ends from my stash and then tied them off with either pretty ribbon or my handpsun, hand dyed silk and wool yarns.

Deer in the Forest Chritsmas Mini Album inspired by Tim Holtz

2011-11-20T10:09:00.000-05:00

I decided to really go all out with the Tim Holtz treatment on my fifth mini album. I used a number of Tim Holtz techniques, embossing folders, edge die cuts, Ranger Distress inks, Perfect Pearls and thanks to VintagePrims on ETSY, some of the deer and tree die cuts. I don't own the dies yet, but she does and makes items others can purchase! I was so thrilled to try a variety if ways to make them my own with embossing powders and pgiment inks. This album turned out to be another blend of contemporary with traditional aspects using some of the K and Company embellishments.

I think this mini album is a great way to capture those moments and magical in the 12 pages which offers plenty of photo mats, journaling spots, and tags.

Cover includes Tim Hotlz die cuts ofpine trees and a deer, as well as a Tim Holtz metal card holder stating 2011. There are special accents, Tim Holtz mini fragments of Santa and a snowman, and cool options for photos which include an ornament which opens into a photo mat, a gift which opens to triple photo mats, and a pullout envelope folder which offers five photo mats. In addition to Tim's product line, I used Recollections, Martha Stewart, K and Company and open stock papers form A.C. Moore and Michael's. Embellishments include handmade flowers, handmade papers and tags, faux Swarvski crystals, Prima bling. Word sentiments add another facet to the album. It's always a final step for me and one that;'s lots of fun and sometimes a challenge! This chipboard album measures 5 inches by 8 inches and the pages are bound by two metal rings accented with ribbons and handspun yarns. I think this particular album harkens back to my New England heritage more than any of the others I've made so far.

This album is up on ETSY for sale. I hope that whoever purchases it or gives it as a gift sees it as a way to start a new tradition or continue an old one with a mini album the family will pass down from generation to generation.

I only have one more to post for sale and the rest will be gifts for my family but I'll do blog posts on those as well because is one turns out so differently.

Missing the sea and New England

2011-11-16T08:06:00.004-05:00

At this time of year, I can't help but to reflect back to New England. Back to New Hampshire and walks on North Hampton or Rocky Beach with Boar's Head in view. I borrowed this photo from the Queen of Arts blog, a fellow altered arts creator and lover of North Hampton.
While fall in South Carolina lasts longer and is balmier, it's the grey November skies I'm more familiar with as they're punctuated by the stark branches already bereft of leaves. It's a time of withdrawal, a time to return to the inner landscape of memories, hopes, dreams. A time to step out of the hustle and bustle, the playful summer days, to turn our thoughts to deeper meanings found in the quite in- between spaces, the duende moments and the themes of our lives. As a New Englander, I enjoy this aspect of life, the quieting down to allow the deeper thoughts and resonances to rise to the surface and add a powerful and profound coloration to our lives. As the vibrancy of summer and then the fall colors fades, it allows us to break free from the clutter and noise of the world to those very still places where our true soul leanings lie.
The countryside and coastline of New England on those brusque November days, bittersweet, a tad lonely, slightly melancholy are a type of prerequisite for New Englanders as they prepare for the harsher clime of a northern winter. But beyond such a sense, within it, is a rich enchantment, a call on less frivolous powers within us, a summons to our resourcefulness and creativity in dealing with whatever may come, a Nor' Easter, weeks of isolation, a solemn but valuable aspect of life many people are afraid of, but which I feel makes me live even more vibrantly, more fully alive on a day to day basis than the more carefree, fun and social aspects of summer.
I welcome this time. This liminal time, a very portal to remind me of what's valuable and too often forgotten when things move at a hectic pace. A step aside reveals how temporary and surface pleasures don't last as long as those rich and vital stores of meaning only revealed when we dig deeper.
Layers of meaning and numinosity are found in the quiet gray places. The fire in a hearth burns more brightly against such a contrast, the pleasure of small things: a cup of hot cocoa, someone hands warming ours, a light in a window... all offer warmth, closeness and connection with the subtle, simple, yet crucial times which enrich our lives. A few brief words spoken on a windy day on the seashore, our breath visible in the cold shimmery gray light, are deepened in meaning, when heard away from the clatter and pace of civilization's demands.
This is when I love the ocean best. In the fall, in one of those halfway places, those transitional times when a certain kind of subtle magic ripens and adds depth and dimensions to our lives.

Christmas Angel Mini Album

2011-11-12T12:44:00.001-05:00

I couldn't think of a way to save those magical Christmas memories than in this lovely vintage styled Christmas angel mini album. As I like to do, I love to include many photo mats, journaling spots, and tags to save photos and record memories, traditions and family enjoyment of the 2011 holiday season.

Throughout this 14 page album I tired some new special accents including acetate photo holders and pockets.

I used open stock Christmas and regular papers in addition to papers from my stash and I also used some handmade papers, embossed papers, gold accented papers from the Once Upon a Time collection. The cover angel comes from the new K and Company Christmas embellishments/tags. I made the letters om a piece of copper carstock using Tim Holtz Vintage Market die cut alphabet and made the large flower using his Sizzix flower die. The other two flowers were made with some of the flower paks I found in the dollar baskets at Michael's. I just layered, added Sitckles and added a pearl or a faux gem for the centers. I added some Prima blign and went on to the inner pages.

Tools and techniques were inspired by Tim Holtz, 7 Gypsies, Recollections, Martha Stewart, Perfect Pearls, Ranger Distress Inks and more. Embellishments include handmade flowers, handmade papers and tags, faux Swarvski crystals, Prima bling. Word sentiments add another facet to the album.

This album measures 5 inches by 8 inches and includes 16 pages, bound by two metal rings accented with ribbons and handspun yarns.

Four of the pages are half size pages. One of them is an envelope page into which the mini tree fold out photo flap is stores and the other is a photo mat I repurposed form some packaging. And then there is the green page above which features and acetate photo holder.

K and company papers form the small paper pak were used, in addition to their tags for this year.

They weren't quite as vintage as some of the other collections and a vintage look which wasn't quite so Victorian as some of the other popular collections this year.

Joy Christmas mini album

2011-11-10T10:41:00.005-05:00

The more I make Christmas mini albums , the larger they get and the more techniques I try. Of course I often refer to Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas series going as far back as 2008. He outlines every step of the techniques he uses on his tags in his blogs and even has a 30 something page pamphlet you can print out for some of the more recent years. My second treasure trove of ideas are the You Tube videos of other altered paper arts crafts folks who also give lots of info and come up with some amazing concepts about fold out and accordion pages, waterfall photo spots, journaling spots. I'm still learning like crazy and may be at the moderate range of trying some of these. They can get complicated but are so beautiful and offer more space for those treasured memories.

So my newest album, The Joy Christmas mini album offers 14 chipboard pages which feature many photo mats, tags and journaling cards in addition to pockets, fold out photo mats, library card holders, and a present which opens into a photo mat. There is also mini scrapbook, which adds further record keeping. I used open stock Christmas papers that I found at Michaels and A.C. Moore this time since I was focusing on reds, greens and blues. In addition I made some of the photo mats from the mini paper pak from K and Company's Christmas paper pak of this year. They are the perfect size. My chipboard embellishments and some of the papers came from the Once Upon a Time line, items form the dollar baskets at Michaels' from years past, 7 Gypsies journaling tags. The entire book is accented lavishly and embellished with Prima pearls, faux Swavorski crystal, chipboard accents, handmade papers and handmade flowers. This photo album is a 6 1/2 X 5 1/2 inch mini album and is bound by two metal rings accented with ribbons and handspun yarns.And of course, I used my Sizzix Tim Holtz edge dies to make the edges more interesting and then repurposed the cut off pieces. And to finish off some of the pages, I added color to the edges with Ranger Distress Inks in green, red and black. The gorgeous matte copper cardstock I found at a wholesale paper supply house in Raleigh a couple of years ago for use in my book printing business, Shadow Archer Press. But they may be available this time of year at local office supply stores like Staples and Office Max.

On the cover I used some K and company chipboard elements, copper cardstock numbers cut with my Tim Holtz Sizzix Vintage Market alphabet die (I love making my own letters and numbers), a handmade flower, Prima bling, vintage Christmas postage stamps and large chipboard letters for Joy. These letters I layered and layered with paint and pigment to get a more vintage look.

Yule Christmas Mini Album

2011-11-07T08:07:00.002-05:00

For this Yule Christmas Album I tried to combine a offers a unique flair mixing vintage elements and traditional Christmas themes with touches of contemporary styling.
Since my mom was from Britain, Yule was a term we used often around Christmas time so I used the traditional green, red and gold colors, added the tans and brown for that vintage effect and added a mixture of accents which include chipboard, metallic embellishments, vintage Christmas stamps, faux gem bling,ribbons, and more. I also chose to use papers that were not Crhrstmas but were more historically flavored form both the Baroque and Medieval eras. One of the paper paks I used was the Once Upon a Time pak which has a medieval theme. a regular vintage one I've had for three or four years, the recent small Christsmas small paperpak for the photo mats and even a beautifully gold embossed page from the Mariposa butterfly pak - all from K and Company. Throughout the ten pages, there are lots of photo mats, tags, pockets and journaling spots so you can record your family's Christmas for future generations. The cover is accented with a handmade flower accented with sparkles and a metallic ornament I found a few years ago in addition to two foam glitter Christmas trees a couple of foam snowflakes and typewriter key numbers 25.
I'll try and include some photos of the tags too, because they can't be seen once they are stuffed into pockets or folds. I used a variety of techniques on these too, including some mini artworks using Tim Holtz fragments.

I had fun playing with my Tim Holtz edge die cuts and both Sizzix and Tim Holtz embossing folders. And as I love to do, I accent my embossed pages with Ranger Distress inks and Perfect Pearls. Album measures 8 1./2 by 6 inches and includes ten chipboard pages, bound with three metal rings adorned with ribbons and handpsun yarns. Although I'm tempted to keep this one - I decided to put it up for sale on ETSY! Four more books to come -so stay tuned!

Christmas mini albums 2011

2011-11-06T17:25:00.000-05:00

It seems I can't stop making mini albums1 so now that Halloween is over, I turned my attention to Christmas. This will be the first time making Christmas albums but once again, I have a stash of items from making Christmas cards for many years.
The first one I tried was a Christmas Memories album perfect for capturing those magical holiday moments. I decidewd to make one that would be appriate for the entire family. The five chipboard pages are combined to feature layouts for both young children, older children, adults and even extended family. Each page has either a photo mate or journaling square or tag and the snowman book on the last to second page is the perfect place to write up memories and gift lists, whatever suits a family.
There are handmade papers and flowers, chipboard and metallic embellishments sprinkled within the album along with faux Swarvski crystal bling, pockets, tags, and photo mats.

I used my Tim Holtz edge die cuts and a number of different K & Co. paper paks and embellishments, as well as vintage stamps.
I hope that these albums will be keepsakes with writings and personal touches, be handed down from generation to generation!
I've made six of these approximately 6 x 5 inches to 6 x8 inch albums so far. Four of them will end up on Etsy and I've made one each for my granddaughters including the one which will be born within the next two weeks!

More Halloween mini photo albums

2011-10-28T07:51:00.003-04:00

Here's the second installment of my Halloween mini album frenzy. What a great time I had inspired by all the artisans and scrappy crafters on Etsy and You Tube. I learned some new techniques and enjoyed reviving some old ones from my cut and paste layout days on The Howling, a Gothic magazine I published in the late 1990's and early 2000's!
Of course once again, I used techniques learned form Tim Holtz and altered artists and used materials from Holtz, 7 Gypsies, K and Company, Martha Stewart as well as vintage items from my Halloween stash (you can't take the goth out of this woman, even if she does enjoy steampunk now). Since these mini photo albums are meant for young- to pre-teen Halloween Trick or Treaters I didn't pull out all the heavy gothic, but tried to make them more fun and whimsical. We all have to break out of our regular zones from time to time and I guess having a new granddaughter on the way and a nine year old granddaughter, that helps. (although she will be a gothic fairy for Halloween - I can't wait to make her album!)
I start out cutting my pages from cereal boxes. To cover the pages I sometimes emboss colored heavy card stock with Sizzix or Tim Holtz embossing folders and texture fades using my handy dandy Sizzix die cut machine. I love that thing. I use it all the time. And glue them onto the cereal box pages. o
Next step involves gleing on adding scrapbook papers in Halloween colors to each page and I always use Golden matte gel as the glue because it sticks and stays - a little messy because I use my fingers but it is the best adhesive for paper and embellishments in my eyes. Once both sides of the cereal pages are covered I cut the whole sandwich with Tim Holtz edge die to create beautiful interesting edges.
For my photo mats, I sometimes I use the background cards from the packing of scrapbook embellishments s because they are just the right size. Or I use heavy card stock for photo mats or more cereal box pieces.
I often make my own tags now using heavy cardstock in parchment or tan colors, just tracing one tag and cutting them out and then adding the hole with a hole punch or gromet punch.
I love distressing the edges with Ranger inks in Distress colors to make the pages look more finished and vintage. And then the fun starts with embellishments!
I make an insert lots of photo mats and tags for journaling so parents can go back to previous Halloweens or add photos of more than one family member. I love adding lots of photos and writing in my journals for posterity - wondering how my grandchildren will view these when they're grown up and hopefully share their stories and memories with their own children.

For the last album I tried a different approach and made a vertical album which will stand up as it's own display with the pages and photos being changed from time to time.
This was fun but I had to remember to flip the back pages upside down - took me a few tries to pull that off, I'll tell you! Good for the brain though and it's always fun to try a new technique. I did make a steampunk vertical album for my friend Cindy last year around the topic of The Orient Express but had already forgotten how to pull off a vertical album. Now I have it down, I need to make a few more.
I was also lucky to find older goodies at Big Lots and other odd places. As much as I love to use the new lines of my favorite altered arts designers - I also like to include items that aren't currently popular. And after Halloween I will stock up on as many half price items as I can to combine with next year's new designs.
I have already sold the Boo album from the last post so perhaps I'll make a few more on Sat., not sure. I'm eager to make some baby girl and baby boy albums after making the baby girl one for my soon to be granddaughter!

Halloween mini albums frenzy

2011-10-24T08:40:00.001-04:00

When one of my friends asked if I was going to post Halloween mini albums for sale on Etsy, I hadn't thought about it since I'm caught up in the baby girl mode waiting for my second granddaughter to arrive. But Halloween is my favorite time of year so thanks to Elizabeth I went into my usual obsessive mode of creating and made four books in less than a week. I love to see a variety of styles and colors, was always that way with weaving scarves and shawls, making beeswax collage etc.
But this had to beat them all in productivity. And I only spent $3.59 cents. I already had enough supplies form collecting Halloween items for years in my stash.
I was very fortunate and kind of went into the zone watching British TV shows, favorite movies (Firefly, "9", The Englishmen Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain) and cluttered up my living room with scrappy goodies until one could not sit or walk, except for my narrow place on the couch.

Since I've been making these for a few years now, I have a system of steps. First I apply all the background pages to chipboard or cereal box cardboard, often cut with Tim Holtz edge dies. Then I add photo mats, next come the embellishments, then the words and scripts. Ribbons and bling with jewel spots are next followed by rubber stamping, flowers, metal pieces, Tim Holtz additions. I love using embossing cards (Bingo and Spirals), die cuts, Perfect Pearls and other accent techniques. The last thing I do is make the tags. It's like dessert after a large dinner of baked potato, veggies and yummy steak!

Of course I love using all my favorite designers, including 7 Gypsies, K and Company, Graphic 45, Reflections. But even more fun was looking through my vintage pieces. I've been collecting these for years and I love adding them to my distressed look. I'm not a cutesy kind of gal. As a goth from way back, a VOG (very old goth) I like an edge to my work and even though these are meant as children's albums, I hope they have enough dark touches to appeal to all those moms out there who really get into Halloween. I also like to add the New England flavor. We're known for our dark sides what with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and authors like Nathanial Hawthorne and the nearby town of Salem, Mass., the witch capital of the U.S. We were brought up on the macabre even in school and ghost stories and witches tales were common folklore.

Upstate Steampunk Extravaganza 2011

2011-10-06T10:34:00.006-04:00

Gypsey Teague, organizer extraordinaire

David Merrit: The Art of Absinthe

As one of the best steampunk only cons in the southeast, I must applaud Gypsey Teague and Marla for another well orchestrated event. Steampunks from all over the southeast were greeted by the new sign made by Gypsey as we descended upon the Garden Hilton in Anderson, SC on Sept. 30, Oct. 1 and 2 for an event filled with 16 quality panels, 2 Victorian tea ceremonies, an absinthe pouring, 3 indie films, musical acts IFB and Valentine Wolfe , 6 authors (Gypsey Teague, Winfield Strock, Tonia Brown, K.G. McAbee, J. M. Lee and myself,) numerous artists, a silent auction, gaming, a plethora of steampunk contraptions, A Victorian bathing excursion and that adventurous spirit of steampunk.
There are so many high points, it will be hard to list them all but I was especially impressed by the variety and high standards of the panels from academic to hands on construction or experimentation.

Shane McElveen, Gail Gray, Curtis Hart

Morlowe Miles and Tina Zukaitis of Rogue Fire

I can only speak to the panels I attended which were a sort of cross section of this growing subculture. I can't decided which was the best. The Alterity of the Gypsies in and its Contribution to Steampunk Identity by Lynn Childress proved to be a fascinating was unfolding of insights by this Oxford scholar and professor. As she delved into the poem The Scholar Gypsey by Matthew Arnold and and The Golden Compass by Philip Pulman in a brilliant discussion of how once we leave the safe path to explore other cultures we cross over into a liminal zone where we no longer find ourselves in a transitional doorway. Her lecture offered revelations like a magical box or the golden compass itself, paced yet powerful manner explaining how such a path influences those who explore the various avenues of steampunk. A deep and profound lecture offering a call to personal authenticity.

Christine and J.T. Thorpe, Cyndra Woods

And now for something completely different: The Art of Absinthe lecture, pour and tasting by David Merritt where fun was had by all. David is an extremely charming speaker who can explain as well as pour, while at the same time offering a history. He gave us all the opportunity to learn and sample the various methods of imbibing the Green Fairy such as the bohemian method as well as the traditional techniques for attaining a louche offering first hand tastings and interesting stories gathered in his travels and experiences.
One not to miss was J.T. Thorpe fascinating Steampunk Influences form France which took us into steam technology and machinery of the late 1800's and early 1900's. It was a shame only ladies were in attendance and highly interested. The men really missed out.
I was very fortunate to have a standing room turnout for my presentation, The Psychology of Steampunk, which was great fun to address, thanks to the participation of the attendees. It was my first time ever using Power Point and I found it to be a valuable and fairly user friendly tool (blowing up all my previous assumptions). I was thrilled to see the crew of the airship Serpah in attendance and enjoyed the participation of Dr. Gus Dayafter in the discussions which could have gone on for much longer if we'd had the time.Thanks to all who attended. And if anyone did not receive a survey to fill out, please email me or leave a comment and I'll get one to you.

Karen White, artist

Gypsey also had the great insight to start a new feature of the panel this year - Independent Films. She showcased Aurora, an Australian production, Nickel Children, a film directed by Kevin Eslinger and Browncoats Redemption. Gypsey announced that next year we will have a full indie film festival with a $100.00 to the best film of the con.

Steampunk tech by Dave Lee of Hatton cross

Jet pack wings by Dave Lee

As with events such as this, part of the overall pleasure is seeing old friends and making new but it's so much more fun with steampunk because your friends always look different. It was great to spend quality time with my dear friend, Cyndra Woods, watch Ben's performance, have more time than normal with Tina and Morlowe of Rogue Fire and Savage of Savage Emporium and enjoy the company of new friends. Everywhere I looked, the level of creativity was so high, I spent a great deal of my free time taking pictures of the amazing steampunk gear, technology and costumes. Including this awesome jet pack with wings made by Dave Lee of Hatton Cross.
The vendors were a creative and varied bunch and it was fun to see new artisans breaking out their wares.
I also had a good time during my stint at the author's table while promoting my upcoming steampunk novel, Orchidelerium, since I was joined by Tonia Brown, author of Railroad and Wilhemina Thomas, who presented a panel on gentleman's steampunk gear and clothing earlier during the day.

The silent auction brought in $196.00 and the Mr. and Mrs. Steampunk contest gathered 330 plus cans for the Clemson Community Care food pantry!

Upstate Streampunk Extravaganza Prep

2011-09-26T08:32:00.001-04:00

I'm taking a break form writing Dragon Con Reports to get ready for Upstate Steampunk Extravaganza 2011. All Steam Ahead! AS with last year, it's crazy getting ready, updating my presentation, trying to do Powerpoint for The Psychology of Steampunk panel for Saturday morning at 10:00), getting swag and samples of my steampunk novel, Orchidelirium, ready for my stint at the author's table at 2:00 pm on Saturday, getting together items for the silent auction to benefit the Clemson Food Bank, not to mention garments and accessories and packing. But this year, I'll mostly be playing instead of vending . I've been a hermit a good bit this past year, working on the novel so I'm looking forward to seeing old friends, meeting new friends, taking my survey for next year and taking photographs! Maybe there will even be some dancing at the ball.
It's been fun making swag: chapbooks with sketches of the characters and part of the first chapter of my steampunk novel, promo cards, greeting cards, bookmarkers and small handmade booklets. I only wish I'd had a dirigible stamp to add to the cover art since as it stands it's hard to tell the book is a steampunk novel. But then, there's always something else that could have been done.
By this point before a con, I'm giddy with excitement and frazzled with things still unfinished and unpacked. I need to add finishing touches to the Powerpoint and figure out what to bring as far as steampunk gear. It's like getting ready to attend a grown up type of Disney World with all sorts of creative wonders awaiting us. There's no predicting what other steampunkers will come up with and the sights are always astounding and inspirational - plus its been a long time since we've had a meet up and I've had a chance to talk to everyone. Now I'll have the time. I know other people have been working hard all year, especially if they're merchants and Gypsey and Marla have put in untold hours of planning, emailing, and organizing.
So come on out and see me at the author's table, chat a bit, pick a piece of free swag and have a great time with upstate steampunk.

Dragon Con 2011 Debriefing/Postmortem Part 2

2011-09-23T08:42:00.000-04:00

So what's the treasure at the end of all the trudging?
It's Four-fold and more, first of all there's the spectacle, over and over again, always surprising, always different. Secondly, there's the panels, the author tracks, the comics/ graphic novel tracks, Brit track, Dark Fantasy Track, Alternate History/Steampunk track, and so much more I didn't investigate personally, then the vendor and art rooms, and last but certainly near the top of the list - those serendipitous meetings and moments.
For me I had two surprises: - The Brit track was one of the highs of my con, seeing all the DR. Who's and Tardis' (how do I make this plural?) walking around or standing in full life size 3-D reality in the Brit Track room, was a highlight. (Here's the life size Tardis in the Parade, photo by Tracy V. Wilson).
But then to see panels on all my favorite BBC shows, Being Human, Torchwood, Dr. Who and even the brief but amazing, Primeval. Unfortunately I didn't make all of these panels due to getting lost or attending other panels, but to know they available was a gift to save for next year.

I did get to the panel where all the Canadian stars of Being Human, Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington and Sam Woodward, spoke. Wow! What a blast. Before I went in, I had my doubts. I don't have cable so hadn't seen the SYFY version and was a bit disheartened that my old friends from the BBC weren't doing it anymore. But these three actors totally swayed me. I still haven't seen their show, but onstage they were so likeable, so invested in the characters and script and such a great group who obviously already have amazing chemistry. They offered hints about future scripts and talked about the pros and cons of the show, for example how Megan, who plays the ghost was not only stuck wearing the same costume every show, but was also restricted to shoots in the apartment and not able to go on location like the Josh, the werewolf and Aiden the vampire. Both Sams agreed her being able to act with them in the outdoor scenes. They sold me on the new version of one of my favorite shows of all time, and it was great to see them cut loose, trash the stage, knock each other all over it and then...clean the stage up.
Also, I discovered how fascinating the academic comics track was fascinating. Riveting erudite presentations and vibrant question and answer sections with audiences highly invested in this milieu Even for me an infrequent comics collector (I own a signed faves: The Crow, Sandman, The Girl Who Would Be Death, a number of items by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean) but I'm not a collector or even an avid reader.

Dragon Con 2011 Debriefing/Postmortem Part 3

2011-09-23T08:38:00.002-04:00

I made a saecond eventful trip to the vendors room where I saw many items I could barely live without but must due to finances, such as this Gears corset. I
'd have to say one of the highlights of my Dragon Con 2011 experience was meeting Kimberly Richardson, editor of Kerlak Enterprises, a small active publishing house. It was my second trip to the vendors room. The first two times were very crowded, first time Brian and I left after a few steps due to claustrophobia and the 2nd time we toured around with John, who kept prompting me to talk to the editor at Pyr about my steampunk novel, Orchiderlium, but I was too nervous. It was only my first time at the con and I hadn't prepared anything to say, just had some cards to publicity cards to hand out about the book. So I didn't speak then, just handed one of the cards to one of the writers.
But as I looked around for myself, I saw the book Drams of Steam on a table covered in books and had to go over since I knew one of my favorite authors and a great all around guy had a story in the anthology. I'd wanted to get it for a while so I asked the woman at the table if Nick would be there since I wanted another autographed copy, like with Thomas Riley. She told me he wasn't and then we just jumped into a conversation about Nick, writing and small presses and I asked if she was a writer. She then introduced herself as the editor for Kerlak Enterprises Inc.. Wow, that was cool and instead of being nervous I just told her how I knew how much work she did because I was an editor too. We talked about how we loved reading new submissions of steampunk stories and how the quality was so high and how different they all were and went on to speak about other aspects of the field and I suddenly remembered my cards and handed one to her. She stopped and took the time to read the blurb and then commented on how beautiful the card was. Wow, that was cool. And instead of being a needy author, I just went on talking to her about books and steampunk. It was so easy. She then grabbed her business card, wrote her personal email on the back and told me that next time they opened up to steampunk submissions to send her a story. Wow! That was unexpected. And she was so nice and knowledgeable and appreciative of the authors she works with. She's an author of The Goth Librarian, so knows the business from both sides like I do. So it was great to walk way with signed copies of Dreams of Steam and The Goth Librarian as well as with an editor at a publishing house which loves steampunk like I do!
I met a number of authors, editors and attended a number of author's panels. I can see there will be a future dilemma as to whether I consider Dragon Con as a business trip and focus on networking with authors and editors or whether it's a vacation and I attend the Brit and Dark Fantasy tracks. There is only so much time in a four day weekend. Brian and I attended the Neil Gaiman panel. This was on the Brit Track since Neil wrote a script for Dr. Who which aired this past year. First off Neil was not there - it was a track about Neil. This was the only panel I felt lacking since it didn't go into as much depth as I'd hoped. Brian informed it was a fan panel which is different from an academic panel. I know a good bit more about a number of Neil's books then some of the panelists, and the panelists didn't quite know how to engage the audience, but once the audience jumped in a lot more. And after I spoke about the awesome button key marketing for Coraline where amazing boxes of memorabilia were won by people all over the world, I was surprised in a room of 200 or 300 that I was the only person to take a child to see the Movie (my granddaughter, Kendall and she loves Neil as much as I do).
I also attend the Pyr Books panel as John suggested and it was well worth it with a number of the authors and a highly invested editor/publisher who knew the complex plots of over twenty of his releases in the dark fantasy and steampunk genres. It was a fascinating talk with a number of the authors present and the editor gave out lots of sneak preview info on upcoming releases, even cover art sans titles. I was even more impressed when the editor explained how Pyr uses only original art, no Photoshop on their covers, and hires models if a figure is part of the artwork - and the artwork is gorgeous. As a small press publisher with Shadow Archer Press, I always used original art too and believe it makes for more collectible books.

Dragon Con 2011 Debriefing/Postmortem Part 1

2011-09-20T06:57:00.001-04:00

I've decided that Dragon Con is a mini quest, sort of along a geek/freaky hero's journey with many trials and rewards along the way. My friend and author, Brian K. Ladd, found an apt metaphor for the first trial which requires standing in a ticket line as it circles and snakes around the Sheraton Hotel in order to start the adventure. The first treasure - a valuable 2011 Dragon Con 25th anniversary pass. When he called the line an ouroroboros, I should have realized we were in for major character building adventures and mishaps, despite the rush of getting that pass.
I was graciously invited by Megan and Brian to join them at the con. Brian was presenting a panel for the Academic Track on how women were depicted on comic book covers by three companies, so our first mission was for Brian and I to set off in search of the academic lunch at at Ted's Montana Grill. This proved to be quite interesting in many ways and I met a variety of presenters and their significant others and we shared rambling conversations. The man who started the entire concept of the academic track is the well known Professor Awesome who regaled us with stories and by the entire evening asked about purchasing the entire catalog of Shadow Archer Press books for a second publishing line he's developing. Alas, this is probably not in the stars, because I don't own the copyrights, I just obtain one time rights and then they revert back to the poets and authors. But it was an amazing offer and a very good omen. And something totally unexpected.

After lunch we set off again on another trek. Megan, who chillaxed at the hotel was our personal oracle looking up directions etc. A great help since I'm a first time Dragon Con novice and Brian had only been once.
Dragon Con is 50% trudging, along with 40,000 to 65,000 other people during the four days, spread over 5 hotels and 4 downtown Atlanta blocks. At this largest Sc Fi/Fantasy Con in the world, there are numerous subcultures and genres trudging up and down hills, around, in, between, over and under hotels, up and down escalators and elevators and staircases, out the wrong door, back in, channeled through the airwalks, burrowing into the lower levels, all while suffering dehydration nourishment. Dragon Con is heat and sweat, the din of 40,000 excited or exhausted voices punctuated by a spectacle like none other on earth - a freak show extraordinaire and a test of your senses so complete, you're in sensory overload within one minute after stepping into the lobby of the Hilton, Hyatt or Marquee. (The Sheraton and Westin being more staid and peaceful, until the Sheraton staff decides to perform their dance routines).
My first impression is the costumes, of course and the first hour or so of walking is spent in a sort of trance looking this way and that simply following Brian through the labyrinth of lobbies, hallways, and vendor rooms. I learned getting lost, many times for hours, (I heard of one person lost for 4 hours) is a common initiation stage for the novice. All due to watching costumes and not which entrance to which hotel I had started at. The glassed over airwalks where you shuffle in a congested but polite line over the roads, gives you a better view of the scope of your mobius strip journey, but offers few clues on how to avoid getting lost.
Being late is another initiation ritual. Finding that panel or fellow traveler (frequently dislocated as if they'd been kidnapped by the wooden Tardis stationed in a corner of the Brit room) is part of the gauntlet flung at your aching feet. Suffering, travail and at times, panic, are prerequisites before you can be fully assimilated into the Dragon Con mindset and able to appreciate the full smorgasbord of freaks, monsters, scantily clad women, steampunkers, super heroes, Dr. Whos, Darth Vaders, Transformers, mechanical creatures, cutsey and villains.

It occurred to me, thanks to a valuable discussion with Brian and the night before on comics and graphic novels, how these creations are similar to myths, and the acting out a passion for discovery of all creatures, human and otherwise is part of our own journeys, even to the point of acting it out. When Brian explained to me that Joseph Campbell was one of George Lucas' professors, it started to all make sense. As a student of Carl Jung, I knew how the various archetypes are always lurking just below the surface in our subconscious awaiting recognition and release. In the Bacchanalia/All Souls/Dragon Con Disco/ there are times they erupt. We must respect their oddities, quirkiness or terrifying appearances as sublimated parts of the human psyche.
Every culture has held festivals of a sort to let these creatures run free, or even amok, lest they harm or control us the remainder of the year. So is it any wonder, that the only photo of me from the con is one I begged from Darth Vader? Anyone who has worked with me on Fissure or Shadow Archer Press, would not be surprised.

Vintage/Victorian mini album

2011-08-24T07:55:00.002-04:00

I'm still completing the finishing touches on the Vintage/Victorian mini album I'm making. It will be one of the items I donate to the Upstate Steampunk Extravaganza.
I used a good many random pieces including handmade mulberry papers, Graphic 45, Tim Holtz, Bo Bunny and 7 Gypsies items, some of my own art and hand dyed handspun yarns, a photograph of my collection of alchemy type bottles, metal findings, envelopes, vintage stamps. The first page includes a photo accordion foldout and there are a few photomats and journaling tags throughout. Not as many as I should have included, perhaps. I included a page made from papers embossed by Tim Holtz embossing folders on my Sizzix Big Kick and then accented with Distress Inks and Perfect Pearls.
This book took me two days of constant work to do the bulk of the book and accents, but I'm still adding metal tokens, vintage stamps, ribbons and charms.
The theme is "Secrets" and the album has to do with secrets, mystery, alchemy, longing, absinthe and temptation.
I've included four little reproductions of my own art, the drawings" "The Potter" and Nude form the Back" as well as the painting,m "Francois Burgogne" and a pull out ATC of the collage "Temptation."
I accented the cover with Tim Holtz grunge board elements - the placard holder and the scroll, as well as with a handmade flower made with Tim Holtz tattered flower die cut and then accented with distress ink and Stickles. Most of the papers I found at Big Lots and can't recall the maker although they always come in packs of six coordinated one sided papers and are always pretty. Sometimes I find these packets at the dollar store.
I made a few of the tag and ma making more, simply because I love to include lots of opportunities for journaling and I have so many vintage style rubber stamps I enjoy using on these shabby chic, grunge style albums.

The White Light of August

2011-08-24T07:34:00.000-04:00

The white light of August showed up last week. It's funny how I'm trained to notice it after coming to know the poem, August Light, (from the Arrowhead Scholar) written by SC poet laureate, Bennie Lee Sinclair, who was one of my writing teachers at Furman University. She was an intelligent and kind teacher and I learned much from her by osmosis as opposed to a strongly opinion-oriented approach to teaching poetry. I now view the August white light as a shift, bittersweet that carefree summer will end, and an indication of the transition from outer play to the deeper more internal days which lay ahead.

As an introvert, I welcome these days - the hermit times. I prefer them to the light and airy (and this year's hot) days of summer, perhaps because I'm from the north and am more used to cloudy, rainy days and cool breezes. So it was with great relief when I happened to be doing some early morning garden maintenance that I looked down, and there it was, the golden summer light changed to white. This shift totally changes everything in my garden, making it feel cooler. It look more mysterious for some reason. At this time, my garden is a throng of powerful green growth, the trees and shrubs heavily laden with leaves, overhanging the entire perimeter, most of the statuary and garden beds buried in hidden bowers and secretive shadows. The air is a bit crisper in the mornings when I wake up before dawn and I can take a deep breath and not feel s if I'm being smothered by a sweat soaked glove.
I took more hermit time as well as a break from the novel to start making some of the items that will be available at the silent auction at the Upstate Steampunk Extravaganza the end of next month. I started a Victorian/Art Noveau themed handmade book using 6 Gypsies, Tim Holtz, Graphic 45 and lots of odd bits and pieces.

Preparing for Upstate Steampunk Exravaganza

2011-08-17T07:51:00.000-04:00

This year's preparations for the Upstate Steampunk Extravaganza are not so frantic as last year's when I was making costumes, procuring hats and accessories, producing art, altered art books and journals, etc to sell. I also had a lot to learn about steampunk. Now, I'm a good bit more knowledgeable (it helps to immerse oneself) and have an oversupply of garments and hats even though I hope to procure a few hand-crafted accessories by some of the amazing vendors who will be at the con this year.
So I had time to play around with beeswax encaustic while sick and mostly housebound this weekend. I'm throwing around the idea of producing an ashcan size graphic novel type of advert for Orchiderlium. I was inspired by the graphic novel, The Black Ibis, Book 1, The Secret London by Bethalynne BeBajema, one of the crew of the stunning magazine Insects & Angels, and the Black Ibis Tarot. (I'll write a review of the 1st installment of their graphic novel as soon as I finish it. I'm reading it in small snippets in order to make it last, like with a box of chocolates.

The Orchidelrium chapbook size ashcan might do well as a teaser handout at the Upstate Steampunk Extravaganza the last weekend in September during my stint at the author's table. It will include a little art, graphite sketches of the characters and a brief sneak preview of the storyline.
Since I'm not vending this year, and am only offering one presentation, The Psychology of Steampunk, I'll have a lot more time to play and socialize with old and new friends and folks I've met on facebook but not in person. I'm really looking forward to the amazing array of panels, the new movies being unveiled and of course, the ball.

Saved by Torchwood and Insane Botanists

2011-08-15T07:43:00.001-04:00

While the 10-weeks of running and oppressive heat continue here in South Carolina, I write away on Orchiderlirum, despite a recurring double ear infection and a broken air conditioner. The novel is at such a point that when I sit down to it, I'm so totally immersed in the world, drawn rapidly through scene after scene by the characters, that I forget all the abysmal aspects of everyday life here in the south. I long for the breezes and beaches of the New Hampshire Atlantic but try to put such thoughts out of my mind and am surprised at how much I can write under such conditions. Over 6,000 words the weekend before last, although the heat has taken its toll and I had to finally give in to a trip to the doctor.
In between the writing and sitting in the dark house where the air is so dry the roof of my mouth is peeling, I watch Torchwood, Dr. Who and Being Human,(which happily will now have a 4th series) all found at different county libraries. Since we can now borrow up to 10 DVD's at a time, I gather up a series and watch all the episodes in one week in between four to five hour writing sessions on the weekends. It's just too hot to write after work, but on the weekends its a go and I'm now at over 71,000 words and believe I will finish the first draft by the end of this year, hopefully sooner and can jump right into editing. Just as with my other novels, the characters are now in total control.
While I watch the series I do art or make pages for the handmade botanical and steampunk books. Now I'm even digging out 20 year old photos from way back when the idea of being am amateur botanist first entered my head.
I'm also returning to my love for odd , beyond eccentric and quirky botanists and naturalists found in British novels by A.S. Byatt, Iris Murdock and John Fowles.

Adventures Above The Aether

2011-08-14T11:39:00.003-04:00

Although Winfield Strock III and I both attended a gathering with the Upstate Steampunk folks at the Velo Fellow, we didn't get the time to speak. Since then I have learned a bit about Winfield and what amazes me on one front is the fact is is the survivor of a brain tumor. Since I work in rehab with adults who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, I know how rare his accomplishment is.

I'm excited to showcase his forthcoming novel and will be even more excited to meet with him in person when he and his wife attend the Upstate Steampunk Extravaganza just as the same time as the release of his steampunk novel.

About Adventures Above the Aether:

What secrets justify hiding from history mankind’s first foray into space? In 1881, in an age of steel steam and innovation, an eclectic collection of adventurers gather. As resources pour in and hints at breakthrough technologies leak out, one man is sent to investigate.

Follow Solomon ‘Hap’ Hanson, Civil War veteran and Pittsburgh reporter as he uncovers a maze of mysteries. Deeper and darker events become. As his story unfolds more dangerous the perils become, more rewarding the venture grows.

An enigmatic message along the way keeps Hap focused on his task: “Save this adventure from itself.” Who will be this voyage’s downfall? Will it be the swarthy terse soldier, Claude? Surely the sallow British doctor, Henry Wells, and his beautiful, brave, resourceful wife pose no threat to the voyage’s success. The most obvious danger lies in the expedition’s most brilliant member. Nicolai’s nihilistic views come to the fore as tensions rise and crises converge. But as Hap joins the chaotic crew he wonders, will he see the crew and voyage to its doom?

Worlds beyond our own, Earth’s nearest celestial neighbors, beckon to be explored. Join in the voyage textbooks cannot know happened. Learn why such an epic event goes unwritten until the dangers of our past no longer threaten to destroy the future. Discover the lessons learned on distant worlds a century ago which serve as harbingers of horrors hanging above our hectic globe.

Winfield Strock III is a brain tumor survivor and submarine sailor who wrote Adventures Above the Aether following brain surgery, a coma and a change in spirit. He realized the importance of making the most whatever life offers. "Now I hungrily pursue my passion to tell a tale perchance to sing in the hearts of others as it did mine" Winfield states. "The rudder of my heart makes tighter turns, leaving a larger wake. The biggest, the best alteration in my life’s perception came with a deepened desire to pursue my passions. My love for my wife ran deeper and my drive to write burned brighter."

Adventures Above The Aether will be available September 1, 2011 in both print and e-format from Rebel Ink Press.

Nickel Children released on DVD

2011-08-05T07:53:00.000-04:00

I've been waiting for this one for a long time. The Weird Wild West indie steampunk film, Nickel Children, seen at cons and indie film screenings everywhere is finally available in limited edition copies on DVD! I've only seen the previews since this little write up is not a proper review, but gleaned from the previews and press reviews. Full review to come after I receive my copy!

Synopsis from the film company: "In an alternate 19th Century, dust bowl Kansas, a young boy witnesses his parent’s murder, and is forced to survive in an underground child fighting ring. Only the wealthiest are invited to attend these secret communities to bet on the children for their own amusement. However, one among them, is determined to find her abducted son ... whatever the cost. Nickel Children is an award winning international sci-fi steampunk adventure! Scary, innovative, with great costumes and strong female lead."

The previews are amazing - great costumes, set design, location shooting and direction by Kevin Eslinger. But what really gets you are the performances both of the adults and children.

Amanda Bailey who plays Anastasia, airship captain and mom turned vigilante is brilliant, While Jules Charlemagne plays the ringleader for the underground child slavery ring, is an incredibly visual and visceral character, in a Rob Zombie style and he really creeped me out, especially when interjecting a sort of Amanda F. Palmer style with of his the young girls victims. And to top it all off, Easton Lee McCuiston puts in a strong yet touching performance of the young boy, Jack.

So far, Nickel Children doesn't look like a low budget indie film, thanks to the fact Eslinger surrounds himself with talented and passionate crew and cast, inlcuding his brother, Justin who handles the Visual FX. Kevin used a number of companies from the Maker community to create the feel - including: gear and props by Justin Stanley (Red Fork Empire) and Hans Meier (PH Factor), amazing state of the art costumes and accessories in wild west, steampunk, and saloon girl burlesque styles by Kaitlyn McClain (KMK Designs), including her Etsy page as by Jill Osborn, and Christian Matzke at Silver Leaf Costumes not to mention Aria Durso, for production design, with Keith Stacey and Ian Quinn handling stunt coordination (which had to be tough). .

Be warned - even from the previews, I can see it's a strong film with a message about the sex slavery of children.

Rusdie, Ramachandran, Synesthesia

2011-08-02T07:39:00.000-04:00

I made an interesting synchronistic discovery as I've been reading, Salman Rusdie's novel about the invasion and takeover of Kashmir, "Shalimar the Clown," and realized that Rushdie must read or watch neuroscientist, V.S. Ramchandran. In the novel, one of the antagonists has synesthesia, an oddity in the brain such where one smells colors, sees numbers as both color and number or tastes emotions when eating certain foods. What some would call a brain dysfunction is often found in artists, poets and writers and was first explained by Francis Gaulton, a cousin of Charles Darwin back in the 1800's. Gaulton , a polymath, anthropologist, eugenicist, tropical explorer, geographer, inventor, mproto-geneticist and psychometrician developed a number of statistical methods to discover inherited psychological traits and one he came upon was synesthesia.

It's not unlikely that Rushdie and Ramachandran may have met of even know each other, given that they are both of Indian descent, but I found it odd or perhaps its Rusdhie's sense of black humor, that the character who displays synesthesia is crippled by it and in no way is an artist, poet or writer, but instead a warrior.
As far as synesthesia goes, I've talked to some fellow artists, actually quite a number of them and a good many exhibit some of the characteristics and are grateful for them, while a few do feel the genetic trait as a curse.
As Ramachandran explains, the brain in the fetus is a mass of connected cells. As it grows the embryo eliminates portions of the brain, cells structures, as it carves out our personality, qualities, limits and awareness. In some people the organism forgets to disconnect various senses from each other leading to an automatic way of perceiving reality which is combined in the individual. Some people with such a c9onnection don't even realize other people don';t have it, others feel different and outcast, yet even others capitalize on it in their creative work through perception, metaphor, expression that is unique and often found strange or intoxicating and intriguing.

Doctor Fantastique's Show of Wonders in Print

2011-07-28T08:27:00.003-04:00

Mathew Delman, previous contributor, to the steampunk issue of Fissure and presenter at last year's Upstate Steampunk Con has announced the first print release of the Doctor Fantastique's Show of Wonder,
This joint effort has previously only been available online.
Issue 1: Volume 1, Issue 1
Come Join the Show! Doctor Fantastique's Show of Wonders is a steampunk magazine chock-full of features on movies, comic books, conventions, and stellar short fiction. This month theh serialize two novels for the first time.