Check out my article in the September issue of the Bay Area Puppeteer's Guild newsletter. Scroll down to the page 4 and 5 and see what I have to say about designing for Giant Bones.

First peek at Giant Bones photos!

Finally got my first peek at Giant Bones photos! Thanks to Tim McGrath (http://www.tcmcgphotography.com/)for such a fabulous selection. I've got some work cut out for me selecting which photos to put into my portfolio.

Here's a photo of the Giantess. I designed it so that when the first scene is over, her light goes off, her arms fold into her body and disappear and her face is nearly invisible--it just looked like a knot in the wood, almost--she became a post that was always on stage, but just a hint of the Giantess she was in the first scene. Her face lit again for the final moment of the play.

In this photo, you can just barely see her hands folded in front of her. Selsim (who is in mask, and I hope to get up photos of that soon)is holding his hands up to reach her. You can also see the people manipulating her hands in the background (they were not meant to be hidden).

finally have wool again!

I finally found a place to get wool in Sydney, so I don't feel so home-sick anymore, now that I have something to do to keep my hands busy. I've been needle felting like mad, but I'm making myself take today off and I have to remember more stretch breaks! This little critter is an old favorite project: a little mouse finger puppet. He fits perfectly on your finger.

As soon as I figure out shipping costs from Australia, he'll be up for sale on Etsy, and hopefully I'll have a few more critters finished soon, too. I'll post the link when I have him up.

Little kids love needle felted creatures. But they aren't the best for young kids to play with. My niece and nephew have always been alright with them, and I have needle felted them several larger animals to hold and cuddle, but it's because they (more than most children I have encountered) seem to understand the value of hand-made crafts that they treat them with enough love and respect that they last.

I spent many hours on this little mouse, and I think he is sturdier than some of the brothers and sisters he has waiting for him back in San Francisco, so he would probably stand up to a tougher kid.

What I love about making wool puppets, though, is that they look so cuddly, furry and real. Even if I can't pass them around the classroom or party (but really, most puppets aren't to be handled by anyone but the puppeteer and the chosen few), the wool brings something very life-like to these creations, and they are just wonderfully cute!

I use the little finger puppet mouse in nursery rhyme songs, like Hickory-Dickory Dock. I'll pretend that I am the clock and make the mouse run up my arm and up on to my head. I'll make a big production about how much the little mouse tickles when he reaches my neck and my head, and the kids just laugh and laugh while they sing along.

glittery things

I'm making so many things look silver and gold for Giant Bones! This crown is reminiscent of the spears I made but don't like the photos of, so I am not putting them up yet. It's a little small for me--made to fit the actor's head. I hope, anyway....! Find out tonight and can (semi) easily fix if not.

I've been working on the instruments for "Giant Bones"--decorating them with metal leaf inlays. It's fun and I'm glad I learned a new skill--I'm not a master (it would take me many more hours of practice for that), but I the stuff will look great from stage.

Here are a few shots of the harp. I forgot to take photos of the guitars before handing them over to the actors--I had more phone with those, so I'll have to snap a few shots at the next rehearsal they all attend.

Ochlos

Tonight (and every Monday or sometimes Sunday evening), I met with the other participants of the Ochlos Theatre Lab. The pieces we are working on are heavy subject matter--Andrea Hart is writing about some serious issues and the 4 of us are diving in. Location of performance will likely be a house space, if we are lucky, where we can stage a performance that travels from room to room and even out in the garden. It was a hard day, in general, but I always enjoy sharing the end of it with the other women participating. Pot-luck dinner and some serious work and (serious or not serious) discussion with the others makes my Mondays a little more OK, I have to say.

paper puppets (for kids)

I taught 3 kindergarten classes today....whew, it's hard work! They're so young and even cutting can be a challenge. The first 2 classes, the teachers wanted small groups (4-6), so only a few kids got to go at a time and we'll take 3 weeks to cycle through everyone (class size is 30 kids in each class....yikes! Too many kids!). The third teacher insisted that we all work together which was much less fun for the kids (she insisted that I made them all sit in a circle and wait their turn to go to the scissor station, the google eye station, the puff-ball station, etc....) At least they did not have to wait until week 2 or 3, though.

To start out the lesson, I did a puppet show adaptation of "Caps for Sale," using puppets made of paper and paper plates....so they could get an idea of the kind of puppets that they could make with paper. Here's a photo of my monkey. I decided to only make a head and an arm, since that was all they could get to today, anyway.

I love watching their personalities coming out when they are making art. And I also loved how much they get into the story....little kids LOVE the monkey and the sound that he makes in this story. They giggled soooooo much! cute!