Puppet Buzz’s very own Pasha has posted a great enrty over at his Project Puppet Blog.  He talks about how someone who used their patterns found costumes to fit over at Build A Bear Worshop.

For those of you who don’t know what Build A Bear is, it is a store where you are able to select your own stuffed animal “skin” and stuff it with polyfil.  A pretty cool idea in itself, but there is more.  The stores are packed with tons of great costumes for really good prices.

I’ve often stayed away from Build A Bear costumes because the puppets I build are a bit too large for the outfits.  Too bad for my puppets.  However, Pasha makes a really interesting discovery that he writes about in his blog entry.  Project Puppet’s Roly pattern fits the bear outfits perfectly.  Amazing bit of news it is.

I have long had little puppet short ideas that I wanted to do, but the amount of time it would take to make (nice quality) puppets and equally nice costumes always seems so daunting.  Now it is easier than ever.  Don’t be surprised if you see a short or two from me online soon.

I won’t be surprised if one or more people see how cost effective and easy it would be to do something with this news before I get a chance to.  A great discovery it is indeed.

 

Ontario, Canada’s Applefun Puppetry has been around since 1997. Mike Harding- Chief Puppeteer, has been building puppets since the 1980’s. Applefun Puppetry has posted schedules for it’s first 2007 dates. If you’re in the area, bring your kids and check out a fabulous show.

Some of the following shows may require the purchase of tickets. For more information please contact the venue.

Monday, December 4, 2006 at 7:30 PM as part of Thistletown Community Centre’s Tree Lighting Ceremony, 925 Albion Road, Etobicoke.

Wednesday, January 3, 2007 at 10:00 AM at Tansley Woods Public Library, 1996 Itabashi Way, Burlington. Show: Robin Hood.

Wednesday, January 3, 2007 at 2:00 PM at Burlington Central Public Library, 2331 New Street, Burlington. Show: Robin Hood.

Thursday, January 4, 2007 at 10:30 AM at Guelph Public Library, 100 Norfolk Street, Guelph. Show: Little Red Rocket Ship.

I am always interested by puppeteers who have a high enough level of skill to perform on Henson projects, but who for the most part are not nearly as well known as the main performers. Over the past year I’ve had the chance to meet many of these performers and I must say I am a better performer for having whatched them at their craft. Now I came across a video demo on You Tube of a performer named Michael Ziegfeld. I’ve never met him or seen him perform in person, but with some of the impressive pictures in his gallery and after seeing some of his video clips, I can see he is quite talented. I don’t get MTV so I know very little about MTV On Demand, however I am curious to find out more. To check out some of his puppeteering go to his You Tube demo or go to his website and read up on him. Sometimes we can learn a lot from simply watching the performances of others.

Enjoy.

I was surfing the net and came across a perfect gift from Old School Skaters Online. It’s a Jim Henson skate board deck worth only $49.95! Great for the kid in you, or for your kids. Check it out HERE

Goal setting is one of the best things a person can do to really make their life intentional, but so many people either neglect this practice and wander aimlessly through life or they set unrealistic objectives that are not attainable. Without goals one has no drive. I believe many people don’t know how to set their aspirations so taking a page from Spencer Johnson’s The One Minute Manager, one should set SMART goals.

S- A goal should be Specific; the more specific the better. This is where you really get to the heart of what you want to accomplish. “I kinda, sorta would like to …” is not much better than not having a goal.

M- A goal should be Measurable; how else would you know when you get there. This goes back to being specific. You have to be able to judge accomplishment.

A- A goal should be Attainable; again be realistic. Losing 65lbs by next Wednesday isn’t going to happen unless you are having a giant tumor removed or lipo or something. (FYI 1-2 lbs per week is considered a safe rate of weight reduction. Check with your physician before starting any weight loss plan.)

R- A goal should be Relevant. Does it matter? I may set a goal of changing all of the laces in every pair of shoes in my house this weekend. You’d say I’m crazy and I would agree. That’s ludicrous. Any goal you take the time to set and attain should mean something to somebody, especially you.

T- A goal should be Time Bound; have a deadline. I’ve found without a cut-off date there is a lack of determination. Set a limit and work towards that. When the time is up, assess the situation and set your next goal. (Without deadlines, there would be no procrastinators…think about it.)

As you maybe able to tell, I am in the process of evaluating a few things. I’ve been a few months without a defined fitness goal and my plan is to start a fitness blog Monday where I will chronicle my efforts to a stronger healthier me and it will start with a goal.

Amy Harder at Puppetrylab.com has posted several videos on advanced manipulation of puppets as well as tips for working with monitors. I am excited about this new web site so keep your eye on it.

Also, Paul Louis from puppetsnstuff.com has posted a series of manipulation videos on ExpertVillage.com. Pauly walks you through through tips and techniques including working with monitors.

(Aww, nuts! I’ve planned to do similar tutorials at puppetminister.com. Talk about having a good idea and someone beating you to it. Oh, well…snooze and lose. Thanks to Amy and Paul for their efforts.)

I was in a secondhand bookstore the other day and came across a couple of DVDs of the Thunderbirds. Thunderbird DVDs and other merchandise isn’t rare. A quick search on Amazon.com will confirm that. I must say I’ve been very pleased with the purchase and find the episodes very inspiring.

The Thunderbirds had a relatively short run. It originally aired in 1965, but was set around the year 2026. That part is interesting in itself, but there were a couple of things I thought were noteworthy especially for puppeteers and puppet builders today. Read more »

Well the truth is that it is soon my son’s birthday and I have been looking for cool gifts for a little boy…that have to do with puppetry if possible. Now that may sound totally selfish, and if he wasn’t crazy about puppets it would be. But the truth is that my son loves puppets.

During my search I came across a very cool company called “Juno Baby“. After reading a bit about the company and seeing some of the people involved I am convinced that the Juno Baby DVDs are a cool addition to anyone’s puppet DVD collection.

Oh, yes I collect puppetry DVDs and I am ready to order this one for myself and my son. After reading that some some Fraggle Rock alumnae were involved I am left wondering who? I think I will do a little digging to find out. If you know anything about the company or their DVDs please let me know.

The puppets are simple and very cute. They were created by a compnay called “Images In Motion” based in the US, who were also responsible for the sets.

The show combines puppets shot against a green screen with colourful computer animations. The look is very appealing to me and I can see my son loving it as well. You can see one of the seveal clips from the show on their site here.

So be sure to check out their site and if you collect puppetry DVDs like me, write this one down on your “to get” list.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - NEW!
On Display December 8, 2006 - January 7, 2007

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to see two ORIGINAL stop-motion puppets from the much loved 1964 Rankin/Bass TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Presumed lost or destroyed for over 30 years, these rare puppets surfaced in 2005 and have been recently restored to their original condition. Up until now, these characters have only made brief appearances at a few select trade shows. The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta is proud to be the first museum in the world to exhibit these incredibly rare puppets for public viewing.

There has long been the debate as to whether stop motion animation is puppetry. I will not get into that here. No, I have no time for that debate because I am fixated on this unbelievably wonderful stop motion “puppet”.

The creation of artist Mark Ho from the Netherlands. I have a strong admiration for the design and creation of puppets with a strong focus on detail and precision. It is not hard to understand why I would love this puppet.

Even the contrasting colours of the puppet sculpture has an amazing beauty to it. I hope that others can find inspiration from Mark Ho and continue to challenge themselves to make their puppets, more that just glue, foam and fabric.

I remember while in university that my art teacher once said, “Art is not just execution, but it is also intention.”

If you build your puppets as works of art, putting a bit of yourself into them, focusing your energy, if you have something inside you that you want to get out……..it will show in your final product.

Happy building everyone.