Hi everyone!
My name is Ulrike, but that is hard to remember so I go by the name "Uli" or "Rikka" (the latter looks better, I think). I live close to Hamburg, Germany but spend a year in Canada. I just got started with puppets. I've always been into "stuff you can form" (anything from metal to wool) and I made a couple of fantasy dolls. But my husband to be is in videos (as a hobby, but he is pretty good) an that gave me the idea to do puppetvideos (we started a bit with stop motion, but I don't seem to have this kind of patience). Right now I am experimenting with cable control- all tips would be highly welcome. As soon as I finished something I am satisfied with, I'll throw some pics in, I promise. And I will try my very best in imbedding videos as soon as I made them.

Welcome to Puppets and Stuff Rikki. Make yourself right at home . If you have any questions feel free to ask. Can't wait to see pictures of your work.

Billy D.

Thanks Billy D.! Everyone is so friendly, helpful and creative- it should be hard to to feel at home here!

Welcome! Can't wait to see pictures and video! Your work sounds very interesting!!

Hey Rikka! Glade you decided to go ahead and join!  We do have other members that are from Germany here although I am not sure how often they stop by for a visit. If you ever get stuck on how to say (ok it is really type) something in English just go ahead and post in German. We can always run it through a translator or perhaps one of our other German members will translate it for us. While I was born in Germany, we only lived there for about four years when I was young so I don't really remember the language that well. My parents tried to put me in a German Kindergarten but I kept getting in trouble. Turns out that anytime something bad happened all the other kids would say I did it since I did not know the language.  It is strange though my best friend was German and we played for hours on end. You would have thought I would have retained some of the language.  

Hello and welcome

Thanks a million, LJ, but Videos take such a long time- it is even harder to learn to put together a video than a puppet! ;-). Also it takes some time for me to be satisfied with what I'm doing... But I keep going strong, even if it takes till summer!
You're so kind, Shawn! First I wanted to wait until I have something to show, but maybe it is easier to learn when I can reach more experienced puppetbuilders right away. I think I might be able to find my way, but thanks for the hint. Same here: if I can translate anything, fire away (the whole book of H-J Fettig would take a while, though... ;-))
Thanks amarionette, I've seen pictures of your marionettes and they are just wundervoll! ;-)

welcome! Can't wait to see your videos!

Great place to be if youre a puppet maker and lots of great people to make friends with.

Thanks, Rymanofsteel, I hope I find some Dungeons & Dragons Fans over here, I have a bit of an idea to make some related sketches and maybe somebody else has a related plotidea- "If this door leads to the dragons lair, should we open it?" "Rogue, get working and let the paladin work out the moralics!" But I will have to work out even the function of the props... it will take time, especially since I'm on my own.
I already noticed the friendlyness and creativity here, Sonny (Chuck Freak is absolutly awesome, but I adore the rest, too!), thank you very much for the warm welcome!