Busy Busy!

Oh boy...I hardly have time to breathe, let alone blog. *shrug* Oh well...these things won't write themselves and I really need to document what I've been up to.

First of all, I've been terribly busy working towards Chibi Pa. I need to have plenty of Japan-centric designs & I'm banging out the masks as fast as I can. Turning to Kyogen theather for inspiration, I made several new kitsune.

Those were all fun, but I wanted something really spectacular so I designed an "Oni". It's a really large mask depicting a Japanese "oni" or demon, & I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. Very traditional-looking & a bit scary too!

Aside from all the maskmaking for Chibi Pa, I'm also preparing for the feature "Weird Tales" is going to publish about me & my Etsy shop...aaaaaany day now. It's issue #350, I'm told, which is supposed to be released at the end of the month. I have no idea what to expect. I want to have doubles & tripples of everything available at my shop, ready to go, in case there's a mad rush. On the other hand, it might lead to nothing at all. Who can tell? I've never had an article about me get published in a national magazine before. It will be a learning experience, that's for sure.

I'm working out every day & so pleased with my results so far. In about six weeks I've noticed a marked improvement in my stamina & I'm seeing some real changes in my body. I lift for an hour every day (abs & upper body one day, lower body the next) and then I ride on the bike trails for at least another hour...sometimes two. Tonight was arms & abs & then, 23 miles on the Tonawanda Creek trail. I fairly flew...it felt great. The bicycling is nothing new for me; I've been a cyclist for years now. The addition of the weight lifting, though, has added a whole new dimension to my workout. The greatest part is, as a woman you do NOT bulk up...you just get leaner & stronger. I don't know why I never tried this before...it's a wonderful feeling.

Back to work. I have another oni to finish & two wolves waiting for paint. Busy busy busy...

New!

As if I don't have enough things to keep me busy...I decided to start a new journal. Basically I'm here 'cause I've been lurking & reading the blogs of a few folks that are active in this forum so...hopefully I won't be too tedious & I can make a few friends. About me: I'm an artist living in New York State. I make masks for a living (which is weird I know!) but I really enjoy being self-employed and I have to say, my life can get pretty exciting sometimes. I've done work for Cirque Du Soleil and "Weird Tales" magazine is writing an article on me as we speak (it should be out in next month's issue...more to come). You can see my masks at this site here: Merimask's Etsy Shop. This is me, by the way. Also...How 'bout a picture of my newest creation? That swan is brand new...something I just made for Etsy.

Oh, this IS fun! I have so many fun stories I want to share, I can hardly wait! *spazzes like a nerdgrrl*