Time Marches On, But Family Always Remains

It's strange to think that in February 1995 we welcomed my baby brother, Kenneth, into this world and our family was complete.   

In some ways it seems like only yesterday Kenneth was still small enough that we could fit him inside of a pumpkin, and young enough he made an adorable pumpkin for Halloween!

As I recall he was also put inside a large number of cannons when we visited historical sites.  And we visited a lot of historical sites, so there were a lot of cannons!

But now, my younger brother and youngest sibling is not so little or so baby.  And I think his leap from the nest seems stranger to me than that of my sister because he is 8 years younger than me, rather than the 1 year, 10 months, and 10 days that separate Debbie and me.  (No, two years would not suffice!)

But we've all grown a lot over the last 18 years, we're no longer the small hooligans we once were.

 

Now, Debbie and I are out of our parents' house, and out of college and Kenneth is about to leave the nest and start his own journey.  Where did all that time get to?

But this is all just a long way of saying, Kenneth, I am so very proud of you.  I wish you the best of luck when you start college this fall, and I'll even try to get you that crocheted something I promised you all the way back in February!

But, along with Kenneth's graduation last Saturday there came the influx of family to cheer him on, including our sister, Debbie!  When everyone else packed into their cars to head to Georgia for another graduation on Monday, Debbie and I had a Sister's Day.

We tried out some crayon art: 

Admittedly, we didn't finish any of the pieces we started.  Though, I do intend to finish the piece that I started, it just may not be until next Saturday!  And I think the heart that Debbie set up against the darker background has a lot of potential to be AWESOME!  Maybe I'll have to borrow her idea...

Debbie did a little Painted Zentangle:

We made some magnets:

(So all the magnets pictured are mine, but Debbie made some very pretty magnets too!)

And we went up to the Star.

And we made Rolo Cookies from the Six Sisters' Stuff Blog.  The only real change we made was that we substituted Mini Rolos for the regular sized Rolos.  And they are oh-my-goodness divine.  I took some up to Terry at B&D Comics and I was told to keep them away because she doesn't have the will power to resist their delicious caramel and chocolate temptation.

These are from the batch I made after Debbie left, because the first batch disappeared too quickly!

They are soooooo easy, and sooooooo delicious and I think I've found my new potluck dish.

It was a good weekend with lots of family, chatter, crafts, movies, and fun.  So, I'll leave you with a couple pictures Debbie took of Harlequin and Trousers and remind you that early next week I'll be sharing an interview with Beck from Beckadoodles The Art of Cute!

Long Time, No Post

Oh me, Oh my, It's hard to believe it's been over two months since I last posted.  Which means that I never did share news about the Roanoke Craft Blast I mentioned in my last post or share any of my projects since.

Sadly, and one of the reasons I never posted about it, the Roanoke Craft Blast had a very small turnout.  We didn't teach anyone to crochet, but there were a lot of logistical things going on this year.  We have high hopes that next year we can be placed in a better location and get more advertising out about the event.  But, we did have a nice table set-up/display.  And we had a good time among ourselves.

More recently Hookin' Around made an appearance at B&D Comic's Free Comic Book Day Event.  

 We had a blast and the event took on the feel of a mini-con in the parking lot.  Our guests included Hookin' Around, Black Market Buttons, Matt Roberts and daughter Holly Roberts, Vendetta Comics, and Heroical.

The pre-event guest promo I designed

And of course B&D's own Baroness was at the store all day taking photos with customers and warding off attacks from Harley Quinn.

Thank-you again to Heroical for their involvement in bringing heroes to our events!

We had about 300-400 people come through the parking lot and store throughout the day, many in costumes, and all with giant smiles on their faces.  Some people came through for their first visit and others came through because they are loyal and supportive customers.  Regardless everyone had a great time.

We even had a bit of excitement when one of the canopies decided to blow away and plunge down the hill towards the train tracks. Luckily for us we have our own home-grown superheroes in our B&D Family who raced down the hill to retrieve the canopy (and yes, Neil, I'm looking at you).

Notable events from our Mini-con include the second appearance of Holly Roberts and her pony art.  Holly has some major talent and we can't wait to see how far she goes with it!

And I've seen some more of her polymer clay creations.  She's pretty darn awesome!

Matt Roberts and Holly Roberts

The B&D exclusive special release version of Vendetta Comic's first Comic, Biscotti Jones.

And of course, just having our own Black Market Buttons, available year round through B&D, is always a pleasure.  If you can't find at least one button that fits your personality then you can always place a request or Make Your Own Button. 

And, just in case you haven't figured it out already, Roanoke Doesn't Suck. And we love when Jason, Brenda, and Schnozzle join in the fun with us!

But I haven't even mentioned the heroes who kept things running inside the store!

Where would we possibly be without Terry and Neil who dealt with the crush of people trying to fit inside the store all at the same time?  No where, that's where.

Here's the post-event wrap up picture

You can find all of our special guests on Around the Web at the following

B&D Comics:

www.banddcomics.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/B-D-Comics/172615899420112?fref=ts

@BandDComics

Hookin' Around:

https://www.facebook.com/HookinAround

@HookinAround

www.etsy.com/shop/HookingAround

Matthew Roberts:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shinolahead/195457577161503

@Shinolahead

Black Market Buttons:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Market-Buttons/545363992174954

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Catlore?ref=seller_info

@BlackMarketBtns

Vendetta Comics:

https://www.facebook.com/VendettaComics

@Vendetta Comics3

Heroical:

https://www.facebook.com/Heroicalphoto

Things in Roanoke That Don't Suck:

https://www.facebook.com/RoanokeDoesntSuck?fref=ts

@RoanokeDsntSuck

It shouldn't be two months between posts this time.  I have a busy weekend with my brother graduating from High School, my extended family visiting, my sister lingering a day for a fun sister's day of crafting and goofiness, and then an entire week off from work.  So you can expect a post about my brother's graduation and the awesome crafting day with my sister, and an artist interview.  So, that's two separate posts right there that you can expect to see next week.

And here's hoping that once the ball gets rolling again posts will, once again, become more frequent!

Crazy Busy and Crazy Happy

I know, I know, I know I have been absent from this space for a little over a month and I am sorry.  I have missed writing in this space, but I have been Crazy Busy and Crazy Happy.  BUT before I tell you what's kept me away I just want to let everyone know that all three of the projects that I mentioned in the last blog post were fully funded!  Thank you to everyone who stopped by, re-tweeted  in anyway passed on the word or donated to these projects.  Your help and your support are what make these projects possible!

Now, as to why I have been away from the blog.  I have been on a crazy schedule with a con every other weekend starting with Shevacon (Feb 8-10), then on to Mysticon (Feb 22-24), and ending with Roanoke Valley Comicon (March 9). In between and around all of these cons I've been putting in Overtime at work, and it's not quite over yet, because this weekend I'll be teaching a group how to crochet with Beck of Beckadoodles.  Also, I have my first original amigurumi on the pattern board.  By which I mean he's been designed, made, and a pattern will be released after some kinks get worked out.

But, back to the cons!  I had a blast and I wish you could all have been there with me!  Shevacon kicked everything off.  I worked the Black Market Buttons tables for the very talented BC Brandt while B&D Comics graciously let me display and sell my items at their table.  It was a stressful weekend, but my parasprites were a hit and went to very happy homes over the course of the weekend.  I was very happy to see some success at my first in-person sales event.

The lovely girl you see drawing with the Rainbow Dash plush and parasprites is the very talented Holly Roberts, daughter of the equally talented Matt Roberts.  She came to the con with her dad and started doing some My Little Pony Sketches that really caught fire.  People were actively coming over to get her to draw their favorite pony or original pony.  I got a Derpy hooves sketch and a pony in a fedora (made into a personalized button, thanks to Black Market Buttons and their design your own button setup).

I should probably also mention that Shevacon saw the introduction of a collaboration between myself and Dan Silverman.  I should note that the inspiration came from Dan, but he needed a little assistance with the execution.

So, meet the Tom Baker Scarf button.  Available for $5 at any con you can find Dan in attendance, at least until supplies run out!

Check out this Schnozzle video to get a feel for how Shevacon was. Side note, the crochet items you see right away in the background are all my creations, so yay!

Mysticon was even more exciting because we got to meet a Doctor!  Peter Davison, the fifth Doctor, was in attendance and caused quite a stir.  There were several panels that had security outside the doors because you could not fit more people in the room.  He was a very lovely man and when I met him he seemed genuinely surprised and a bit flabbergasted that I have never seen a Doctor Who episode.  But I figured I should still take the chance to meet him.  The Batmobile was also at Mysticon, though it appeared the Thursday before at B&D Comics, and you should take a look at the awesome pictures from the Heroical photo shoot.

If you don't believe me about how nice Peter Davison is then check out this video interview he did with Schnozzle.

I did not take as many pictures, but I had a great time.  Though, amusingly, one of the most exciting things to happen to me that weekend actually took place outside of Mysticon when I went on a lunch run to Hardees.  The cashier complimented my earrings which were made by my Aunt Cathy. I thanked him and chatted to him about Mysticon which he was not able to attend and led to a discussion about Shevacon which he did attend.  I mentioned I was with B&D Comics and he mentioned that he bought a Rarity parasprite at Shevacon.  Oh my goodness, my heart leapt.  No, forget, leapt, it jumped and danced in excitation.  I told him that I made them and he instantly started telling me how much he loved the parasprite and it sat right next to his [something I can't quite recall].  So, I'm kind of glad that James wanted Hardee's for lunch, and Mysticon put me in the vicinity and the right frame of mind to enter into this conversation that I otherwise would not have had the opportunity to engage in.  And of course another big thank-you to my Aunt Cathy who made the earrings that started the conversation!

This picture does not do these earrings  justice.  They are truly awesome!

 James was very excited to meet Larry Elmore because his art graced the covers of his favorite Dragonlance novels when he was younger.  The funniest things was we kept wondering where they set up Larry Elmore and when we finally inquired we learned that his table was directly behind ours the entire weekend.  But, in our defense, he spent quite a bit of time away from his table at panels!  So, James took his old beat up copies and got them signed by Larry Elmore, who was a wonderfully gracious and kind man.

But the local cons wrapped up this past weekend with Roanoke Valley Comicon.  Roanoke Valley Comicon is a bi-annual con put on by Untamed Worlds and is my favorite of our local cons.  Shevacon and Mysticon are great, but they are very much geared towards the Sci-fi and Paranormal fans, but RVC is about comics.  It's pretty much one big dealers room with an artist alley down the middle.  So, really a sort of Artists Island.  The dealers are great and wonderful people and the attendees just keep increasing each time!

This time around I met several female comic fans who came over to talk to me as one of the only female dealers in the room.  It was great.  I chatted with one girl who was experiencing her first con and we discussed, among other things, the glory that is a con specifically dedicated to comics over those that have a different focus.  I discussed books and characters with several girls, and one particular young girl even talked crochet with me!  I loved having the opportunity to discuss comics, crochet, and all things geeky with these girls who seemed to gravitate over to our booth.  Then again I was attention grabbing since I was wearing a bright pink wig and matching ensemble as will be explained below.

You may, or may not, recall this past fall they started their first ever costume contest.  That was followed up at this con with the second ever and it was fantastic because there were entirely new costumes this go around.  I'm going to post some of my favorite costumes below, but don't forget to stop by and like the Hookin' Around Facebook Page.

 I was Izabel from Saga.  I have some long term plans for the costume so that it will look truly awesome.  And next time I plan on dyeing my hair pink so that I can have the proper hair style as well as hair color.

I will let you know how the National Craft/Crochet Celebration goes after next week. I also have my first original amigurumi design to share with y'all, but it's not quite done yet.  So you may have to wait a bit longer to see him appear on the blog, but I don't think I'll be able to resist posting pictures of my first try on the Facebook page, so be sure to keep an eye out.

From the Heart: 3 Causes That Need Your Help

There are always so many good people and good causes that need our help whether it is financially or through donations of our time and resources.  It just so happens that three groups that I think deserve support are asking for assistance at the same time.  So, rather than writing an individual post for each and risk wearing you down through a repetition of the same I want to share all three.  If you can donate to all three then that would be amazing.  If you can only donate to one then that's still super awesome.  And if you can't donate money then please spread the word.  Just getting the word out to people who may have the finances and interest is half the battle.

I've organized the three fundraising campaigns presented here in order of finish date.  Of course I'll give you a run down of relevant details, provide links for the fundraising pages located on Indiegogo and Kickstarter respectively and I'll let you know why I think you should support each cause.

The Keepers

Maliki and her mother, Marilyn

Goal: $15,000     Progress: $9,827
Time Left: 42 hours, ends Thurs Feb 7 at 11:59 PM PT

As a volunteer at the Memphis zoo The Keepers Indiegogo campaign is very near and dear to my sister's heart.  As such, I'm going to let her tell you about this project.

"The Keepers is an independent film being made by True Story Pictures.  The filmmakers have been granted unprecedented access behind the scenes at the Memphis Zoo.  They have been allowed in areas where most people don't get the opportunity to go.  What I love about this project is it gives the average person an opportunity to see how much work goes in to making the zoo what it is.

From the outside looking in, a zoo is just a cool place to go and see lot of exotic animals.  However, from the zookeeper's perspective it's a place to learn, to teach, and to strive towards conservation of the world's endangered animals.  I truly admire the work that these people do.  zookeepers don't get days off.  There may be 3 feet of snow on the ground and they still have to come into work because the animals need them.  They also don't do it for the money, because let me tell you - they don't make much!

Unfortunately, it takes more than a lot of heart to keep a zoo alive. It is a business and they need income.  Many areas haven't been changed in years because the money simply is not available for those big updates.  My hope is that once this film is completed and people can see what goes on behind the scenes they'll want to contribute more to the zoos.

The campaign isn't just about the people who work with the animals; it's about the animals themselves.  The Giraffes, The Elephants, The Pandas, etc.  If you have a few extra dollars this is a great cause to support"

Being a volunteer, Debbie gets a bit of behind the scenes access herself.  She's a photographer and shares amazing pictures of the animals at the Memphis Zoo.  She has been more than generous in granting me full access to share some of those pictures with you. 

 Hook to Heal

Goal: $2,000     Progress: $1,309
Time Left: 23 Days, ends Thurs Feb 28, 11:59 PM PT

Depending on how in tune you are with the crochet world you may, or may not, have heard of Kathryn Vercillo's book Crochet Saved My Life: The Mental and Physical Health Benefits of Crochet.  Published in July 2012, Crochet Saved My Life has proved to be an inspiration and point of connection for many crocheters and crafters.

Kathryn Vercillo is back with an Indiegogo campaign for her project Hook to Heal a multimedia project designed to teach people to use crochet to improve their health, wellness, creativity levels and total quality of life.  Sounds pretty awesome if you ask me.  It doesn't hurt that Kathryn Vercillo's Crochet Concupiscence Blog was the first crochet blog I stumbled upon that really started getting me interested in what it means to be a crocheter and to participate in the crochet community.

From the Indiegogo page:
Hook to Heal with have three core products all coming out in 2013:

• Creativity Exercises Book. My next book, due out 10/1/2013 is a book of creativity exercises for crocheters. It will show how crochet can be used to achieve mindfulness, release artistic fear, push to the next level of creativity, celebrate life and more. Many topics of creativity will be explored in this book that challenge you to find new ways to craft yourself to wellness.
• 12 Week Online Creativity Classes. Beginning in the fall I will also be launching online creativity classes. These will be weekly classes with chat/ video components that offer detailed lessons and guidance exploring the core ideas presented in the Hook to Heal book. 
• One-on-one Email Support for Crochet Creativity. I am going to take the lessons that I've learned about using crochet to get deeper into your creative self. I'll be your personal creative crochet coach armed with hooks to help you get to the next stage of your personal growth.

Hook to Heal is a comprehensive program for people who want to use crafting to better their lives. However, each of the three parts will be available on their own so you don't have to commit to the total plan if you don't want to.

At a time when debate in this country is increasingly about the state of mental health and mental health services, can we really afford not to encourage and support a crocheter who is trying to assist people in improving their mental health through creative endeavors?

Aw Yeah Comics

Goal: $15,000     Progress: $22,793
Time Left: 29 days, ends Thurs Mar 7, 9:58 AM EST

Admittedly the Aw Yeah Comics Kickstarter campaign is fully funded and then some at this point, but that doesn't mean they couldn't still use your support!  Art and Franco are one of the best duos in the comic world in my humble opinion.  Their all ages comics are truly that, all ages comics.  As an adult without children I enjoy every book that Art and Franco puts out and I am always waiting eagerly for the next book in any ongoing series they are working on.

One of the best parts of Aw Yeah Comics, is the ability to let Art and Franco loose with their own original creations.  Plus, they're bringing in their friends from all across the comic industry to contribute to the comic.  Mark Waid, Brad Meltzer, Chris Roberson, and so many more.  They'll even be bringing in new talent!

The campaign is seeking funding for the first six issues of Aw Yeah Comics, but additional funding will help to ensure that we will see more than six issues of what is sure to be a great book. At $30,000 the first 12 issues will be fully funded!

There are some great incentives to receive prints of the art from Issue #1 of Aw Yeah Comics.  There are even a few opportunities for original art still to be had, but those are going fast.  All 26 original pages of the digital exclusive are already claimed!  I'm proud to say that we are looking forward to receiving a 2"x2" original mini-painting by Art Baltazar.

And don't forget to let your Local Comic Shop Owner know about the Dealer's Incentive.  For a $60 contribution your LCS can pick up 10 copies of Issues #1, #2, and #3.  Let your LCS know that you will purchase copies of the issues they receive, because our LCSs need to make a bit of money too in order to help further support our need for comics and geekery of all sorts.

If you can't afford a donation to any of these great causes then please, take a moment to spread the word.

Thank you from the very bottom of my heart,

     Valerie
          aka The Super Nerdy Hooker

Listen Up: Secret World Chronicles

I don't talk much about my day job here.  There are a couple of reasons for that, but mostly it boils down to Social Media Policies.  I've signed social media policies for the last two jobs I've worked at and they always boil down to the idea that because you work for the company you are the face of the company in all your interactions.  Yeah.  I prefer to keep my personal and craft business world separate from the day job that pays my bills.  So, I can, and will because it's relevant, tell you that I am a "Data Entry Specialist" in the billing department of a medical lab.  If a more tedious and boring job has ever been invented (and I'm sure it has) then I have never done it and I'm not currently aware of it.  This means I have a lot of time to listen to audio-books and podcasts. You know, something like 40 hours a week, sometimes more.

While surfing through my regular podcasts and downloading new episodes, I followed various sidebar links to other shows and stumbled across the Secret World Chronicles.  First, I will say that Mercedes Lackey is the creator and collaborates with other authors to tell a truly intriguing story.  I love Mercedes Lackey and I haven't read any of her books in, probably, a year or more.  I've never been disappointed by a book bearing her name, or at least not so disappointed that I can't admit it was a good book.

Second, the website describes the books as "firmly in the realm of superhero science fiction." Oh man, if that wasn't enough to intrigue me.  The website doesn't give a very good description of what the book is about, but I can sum it up in three words.  Superheros/Meta-humans, Nazis, and Time Travel (shhhh, we're counting Time Travel as one word because it's one description). Are you intrigued?

I've read books that dabble with Hitler's obsession with the occult and with the creation of the ubermensch and genetic-alterations.  I think we're all aware of Heroes, even if you didn't watch it (or didn't watch past the first season because it spiraled out of control into pure confusion and far-fetchedness).  But, this book isn't them.  This book combines all the best part of superhero and thriller fiction.  In fact, it is so good that it caused me to lose track of time several times!  An especially important quality in an audio-book when you're working overtime and ready to go home.

But that reminds me, have I mentioned the best part?  I mean, the best part beyond this book series existing?  The entire thing is available in the form of a serialized podcast for free.  Yes, you read correctly.  The first five books are completely available online as podcasts for FREE.  But, it gets better, the sixth season is currently being produced.  In fact, the newest chapter was just released Jan 28, 2013.  Of course, the books are also available in print and would be 100% worth the purchase.

There are only a couple of things I can even think to complain about with the podcast.  The reader doesn't always leave a long enough pause to indicate a page break.  This is especially annoying when you switch between characters and locations.  One moment you're chilling with John Murdock in New York and the next minute you're in Echo headquarters in Atlanta with very few cues as to the change in location and characters.  There are also a few places where it would appear the reader lost his or her place and repeats a line or a fraction of a line.  But overall, these are minor things when you consider the entire book is being pumped into your ears for no cost to yourself.

The Secret World Chronicles is a great fiction series that is worth picking up whether in print or audio form.  Honestly, how can you resist a series centered around Meta-humans, Nazis, Time Travel, and more.

While you check it out, I'm going to head off and download the second book, and maybe the third, because I just can't turn it off!

~Talk at you later,

     Valerie, the Super Nerdy Hooker

Like a Bee

Much like a bee I have been busy, busy, busy lately!  It has made me incredibly sad that I have not been able to post for the last couple of weeks, and may not have much of a chance for another couple of weeks either!

I have been working overtime at my day job and working my fingers to the bones with preparing for Shevacon.  Yeah, you heard me.  I'll be at Shevacon this year.  My items will be available through the B&D booth, unless something clears out and I get a little space of my own.  Either way I'll be working the booth for Black Market Buttons.

But what about accountability?  Well, I have been keeping a Daily Craft Log where I keep track of what I accomplished each day.  It's been really interesting and I love doing it.  There are some days where I only have an hour to crochet and I can only finish one glove, or something else small, but there are other days I can get a ton of stuff done!

Sadly, that's all for now folks!  Time to eat lunch and get back to work >.<

New Year, New Goals

Happy New Year!

Unfortunately, I started the new year with a bit of a stomach bug that slowed me down a bit, but it didn't keep me from thinking about what I want to accomplish this year.  All my thoughts on the matter can be boiled down to two words: Growth and Accountability.

Growth in my craft, business, experience, and knowledge.  Accountability for costs, actions, and interactions.  So each Goal I set for myself this year will have a Growth component and reflect Accountability to myself and others that I will follow through with creating and acting upon goals.

The first firm Growth Goal I have set for this year is to do at least one stash busting project a month.  This will encourage me to look at the yarn and supplies that I already own and think of ways to use them in fun and interesting ways.  The Accountability side of this goal is a "Weekly Report" either here or on the Hookin' Around Facebook Page that shows what I've accomplished during the week.

The second firm Goal is to post to the blog more frequently.  This will help me to continue to grow as a writer.  As for Accountability I have made the declaration and you will see whether or not I posted.  I have several ideas rattling around in my brain, but often feel like I have little to no time to spend actually writing them down or typing them up.

I plan on writing myself an ideal and a realistic schedule of how I would like to spend my time.  Maybe, I'll even realize that there are hidden pockets of time that I didn't even notice I had available!

Weekly Report for Jan 1-5

My first project of the year is also my January Stash Busting Project.  I received the variegated Fall yarn for Christmas a year (maybe two?) ago, and I just didn't know quite what to do with it.  It was lovely, but I didn't have a specific use for it so it stayed in the stash getting pushed down and to the side as I searched for the Cherry Red or Royal Blue to create new Hero Designs.  I paired it with some Hunter Green that seems to have multiplied, though I did use much of that in the Turtle project I reported on before Christmas.  The colors were complimentary and they were both long time stash dwellers, though not the longest.

I've had to admit that I'm a Brony.  I've seen at least 75% of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic episodes, and I receive the monthly comic.  I've even set things up so tat I can watch MLP on my phone via the YouTube app at work!  So, of course I had to make some MLP crochet goodness in the form of parasprites.  They're cute and they're fun so I'm sure that you'll see more of these popping up in Weekly Reports.  It's hard to tell but the white has a bit of shimmer in it which really makes these little guys pop when you see them in person.  As you can see, even Trousers got in on the Parasprite love this week!

So, now I'm going to run and finish up my pre-Christmas painting project so that I can come back in the very near future and share both the results and a tutorial with you!

 Here's to a year of Growth and Accountability, may we always strive to improve ourselves!