Hey all! I know I've only been posting here at PandS for a short time but I've been immersed in the puppet world for about 8 years now. I've been focusing on learning how to build and perform hand-rod puppets and the journey has been exciting! I've learned a lot from so many different resources, books, videos, seminars, and of course on the internet.

Now having arrived here at Puppets and Stuff I'm very nearly overwhelmed by all of the creativity on display! Every time I wander through the photo galleries I find new things that inspire me. I have always known that I do want to learn more of the craft of puppetry (i.e. marionettes, rod puppets, etc) but I don't want to divide my creative energies yet. I need to stay focused on one type of puppetry at a time. That hasn't been TOO hard to do until I landed HERE! When I see some of the amazing things that all of you are doing it can be hard to reign in the uber-crazy creative beast that lurks just beneath my thin veneer of normal.

I KNOW that I will eventually get to those other areas of the art that also excite and fascinate me but seeing all the wonderful creations here makes it hard to wait. Patience isn't my long suit. I only hope that I can find a way to actually carve out some small portion of a living wage through all of this because I DESPERATELY want to make puppetry my life's work! I am preparing to join the ranks of folks that sell some of their creations on the internet, but I'm not quite ready yet. In the meantime I'm also working on material for some YouTube videos that I dreamed up a few years ago.

Anyway I just needed to say thank you to ALL of my fellow puppet fanatics out there for truly lighting a creative fire under me! Know that all the work and love that you've put into your craft has indeed touched a fellow artist. I tip my hat to each of you and only hope that my work may provide some inspiration to someone else as well. Well...as soon as I actually put some photos in the gallery that is. I've just been far too distracted so far reading the posts, and checking out everyone else's photos so far. 

It is almost work, watching so much here, but then: it is way too much fun!

Too true Rikka! My kind of fun. And for what it's worth I DID actually just finish putting some pics in the gallery. THAT was too much like work too! Took a while to decide which photos to use, then to resize them (as I would have used all my allotted space in the first 5 photos otherwise) and then upload them, but it is done.

But your work really did pay off! Great puppets! I don't think the lady looks like she had a stroke, she's got more like bedroom eyes. Make her a bit sexy and it will work out (I still think puppets shouldn't be there for kids only!).
I am still fighting with the new modelling clay. Once dried the stuff is wonderful, but it is the heck to mold!

Your puppets look really great!  They have a lot of unique character in them. Seems like you have gotten the hang of photographing them also so that they show well. That in itself should make your task of selling them easier. If you can't get a good photo of your puppets it can be hard to sell them.   What are you using to light them for the green screen? What ever it is it is working!

Love it! I need to set up a rack like that!

I Love your puppets! keep up the good work.

Rikka - Thanks for the compliments! Actually the photo showing her with her eyes closed is from when the mechanism was working. She can't manage to close them quite so well now. It would look like a wink if not for the twitchy way her other eye tries to close. Could work well for her performance anyway. And I agree puppetry for adults has a place too! Actually the web videos I'm planning while suitable for all ages is really targeted at adults.

Shawn - Thank you so much for your kind words! It took a number of tries to get the lighting to it's current state. Here's a link to a website that REALLY helped!
http://www.ehow.com/how_2364330_make-homemade-photography-lighting.html
Got myself a nice 500 watt halogen light on a stand for about $15 on sale at Menards and then added the daylight bulb in the aluminum reflector. I guess I also had a 150 watt halogen.

Animal - Thanks! If you have any questions on the rack I'd be happy to answer. It's pretty darn cheap and easy to build! Less than $20 and probably about an hour and a half of work.

Billy - Thanks so much! I will most certainly continue learning and building. Each new puppet teaches me more and I'm eager for every lesson. Well, nearly every lesson. The whole failed eye blink was more painful than I'd like, but I DID learn.

You're so right! Everyone here is always a great source of inspiration, advice and friendliness. One of the biggest reasons I come back every day (or at least as much as my workload permits).