YAY FOR THE *w00t-ness*

I am dropping weight like mad, lately. I'm not even doing anything differently so I guess I've finally edged over that plateau. Stupid plateaus. :-p Normally, I wouldn't pay so much attention to what size I'm into, but I've been over a 10 for far too long(I mean a 'real' 10, not the vanity sizing places like Walmart do where they stick a size 10 tag in a size 14). Push ups are paying off in more than just bat wing reduction. ;)

Pain

I was going to post something meaningful, but all I can feel is pain that a dear friend of mine has lost someone they love. :(  Why do the Holidays never cease to bring pain with them?

Random Tip #1

 Random tip: If you have a really thin paintbrush and you lost the bristle protector you can cut a capri-sun straw to fit over it. I have one of the sets f rom Micromark and just used a straw to replace the protector for my 20/0 script. ^_^

Sculpting.....or the failure thereof...

A while back I started a cat doll which I still haven't finished. I wanted to base it on some olde photos of my cat that died a few yers ago at the age of 10. I'm not good at likenesses....at all. Anyway, some pix of the progress and the current state of things.

First set(on my silly faerie purse with bad lighting!):

Bad pix and even worse symmetry, geez. :-p I can see so much that's off just from pix even from a bad angle. That's what practice is for.

Second set: Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Penelope.

I decided that the ears didn't look right so I broke them off and redid them.

I can't quit screwing with this damn head.

I broke these ears back off and started really sanding away at the head underneath to even out the symmetry. No pix of that, yet. I've decided that I really like the look of the batty ears, so I'm keeping them. I've evened those out a lot and they look similar, now(no pix of that, yet either). I'm not going to worry so much about whether it looks like my olde cat. I'll just give it a flame point siamese paint job when I'm happy with all of it. I may just attach the ears with a balljoint or magnets so that they are posable. Gonna have to think on that. I've found a few sites with tiny glass and acrylic eyes in the right color.

Jacques Cousteau, you were the best cat ever. I still have the claw marks on my New Rocks from that one time I caught you sharpening on them. Who would've thought that I would treasure them in your absence as I treasured your company through the years? Rest well, faithful friend.

I'm also working on making some ball jointed hands for my Unoa. Not nearly finished with them, but a few random WIP pix. All I did was laid out the palm shape, let it firm up a bit, stick the wires in(18g, IIRC) and let it cure completely. It is a bit tricky keeping the wires from sticking, I had to pry them out with my needle nose pliers. Then put then back in, lay another layer of apoxie on the top, let it cure and pull the wires out. I thought I had pix of doing the fingers, but I don't. All you have to do is wrap the wires in some apoxie, let it cure and pull the wires out. After everything was cured I took a small drill in my pinvise(slightly bigger than the wires) and widened the holes. I need to redo the thumb part since the current placement looks weird and not anatomical at all.

  More soonish, but probably after the holidays. It's not as hard this second year with Grandma gone as it was last year, but it still sucks. You think, in your arrogance as a human, that you will live forever and then the people in your life start to disappear. You recognise the cold hand of mortality on everything you see.

Humbug.

New Sopor video

Have you seen this? Dare I say that our Dear Anna still has a dark side after producing 'Les Fleurs Du Mal' & 'Sanatorium Altrosa'?



It's nice to see something more reminiscent of Hades Pluton and On Satur(n)days. Although, I'd rather see a return to this. True Darkness in music is hard to find.

It's a very Slayer Xmas!

Is that not awesome? Christmas lights done to Raining Blood.

To the person who watches me on my doll & goth boards...thank you for your comment. I appreciated it.

Heh.

Stole this from one of my friends, lol.

Edited because I'm not as much of a Negative Nelly as some people, but I hope that my original post gave some of the people it was aimed at food for thought.


Anyway, I'll be back soon with more doll stuff. Just wanted to make this post to rant a bit about some disgusting individuals and their reprehensible attitudes. I boil permed 2 of my nieces faeries today. I may do the last one later tonight. Then it's on to wings and while they are curing I can make jewelry. I need some new white paint, but that will have to wait a few more days. *grump*

Have a great evening lovies! ^_^

Playing and stuff!

I'm making a pattern for this doll for a slinky dress. I'm thinking she'd look awesome with a Morticia-type dress. I love the body sculpt on these second edition LDD Fashion Victims!!! They are a joy to look at!

I've been working on my cat doll, as well, little by little. I fixed his ears and angled them outward more. Now he looks more cat-like which makes me happy. I may work on him a bit tomorrow after I style the hair for the faerie dolls I'm making my nieces(for Xmas!). The jointed hands I've been making for my Unoa have been put on hold because of the faeries, too. I'll put up some WIP shots of those as well as some instructions after the Holidays are all over. I'm looking forward to tomorrow! Monday mournings are when I watch my Dexter and then The Walking Dead while having my coffee. ^_^ I really wish I got more than one day to decompress from the week, but beggars can't be choosers, right?

I'm really lucky at this point in life. I have a lovely husband(we will be celebrating our 8th anniversary in Feb!), beautiful children and a ton of awesome dolls! I don't think anyone could bring me down if they busted me in the knee caps. ;)

Also, my blog is now updated and my pix are all back! I rawk! ^_^

Feh.

So, I've been completely scatter-brained and don't know what to do with myself, lately.

I don't actually DO anything besides taking care of the kids and cleaning the house anymore. I'm hitting a slump that I don't like. I have ideas, I have wants, I have crafts that I can't do right now that I really, really want to!

One more week till school starts.

Also: I have to completely reupload all of my pix to photobucket.

>_<

I feel like crying...

...and I don't know why...

Security...I wants it...

So about a week ago my husband and I were arguing about whether or not his job is going to pan out for the long run and us being a one-income family. It almost looks like they may be preparing to close the store where he's currently working. :/

We were also discussing home ownership and the fact that it's extremely unlikely that the job my husband has will ever allow us to own our own home. So we talked about what I could do and I'll admit that at first I was a bit terrified thinking that there's no way that I'd be able to support the whole family by myself. I was looking at Dental Assisting, Medical Assisting and I kept reading about how you could make so much more with Nursing. So I talked to a couple of people and decided to talk to some of the people up at the local college. Things are looking good. I have to fill out some financial aid stuff online Monday, but I'm kinda excited!

I should be able to afford a modest house in about 6 years? I really want to own a house one day. I so hate renting other people's property! My own house, a teeny veggie garden in the back, my kids screaming and chasing each other 'round my own house, my huby baking in the kitchen(with his own little island), a dog laying at my feet wagging her tail, a cat sneezing in the sunlight, a tarantula named Rollo....maybe, lol. Money in the bank for retirement, for a rainy day, SECURITY!

FREEDOM!

Nursing may be a little hard, but my future, and that of my family, is worth a little(or a lot) of hard work!

Doll Pix!

So I took some group shots of most of the dolls I've collected over the last almost decade. Not such a huge collection compared to a lot of people! ^_^ I was feeling creative and inspired that day.

Top to bottom: 1/3 scale, 1/4 scale, 1/6 scale(12")

Girl Talk

My Inter-Gael-actic Predator!

I love my dollies!

^_^

Ye Olde Goth 101 Thread

Or rather....one I wrote a few years ago. I recently revised it since the jerk that originally helped me write it turned out to be a complete waste of skin and I was unable to look at it in years. Now please don't mistake this as a "this is what you have to do/like/think to be GAWTH!" manifesto. It was written by me when I was one fed-up Mod tired of the countless "what is Goth?", threads that used to crop up on the boards I was a part of long ago. I mod a different(quieter) board now, thank the Gods! Everyone who is or has been part of the Goth sub-culture has different takes on it(as a whole), but basically it started with certain bands and their fans. As far as *I'm* concerned it revolves around the music.

*NOTE~AS OF APRIL 20, 2010 SOME THINGS HAVE BEEN REVISED. THE REVISIONS WILL BE IN ITALIC*


Welcome fellow gothlings, to our Humble Abode.Our little Etheral Island

We are pleased to have you join our little community. If you've come here with questions about the sub-culture (Am I goth? What is Goth?) this thread is here to keep you from cluttering up our boards with myriad meaningless (to us) drivel.

For those of you already in the scene, you can add or suggest anything that seems relevent to you that I may be leaving out of this. The rest of you, keep it in your pants.

Now, I understand that your super-keen friends have probably told you that Korn and Slipknot are the gothest bands EVAR!!! And that shopping at Haute Topic is the thing only real goths do. Oh, how wrong they are.

But don't worry, my lovelies! Mistress Wolfie is here to set your pointed little feet on the right path!


A Bit Of History

To me, it is most important that anyone entering the scene have a proper education of the sub-culture before you start running around and calling yourself 'goth'. While it is hard to pin-point exactly when the scene first arrived, it is widely believed that it started sometime in the late 70's-early 80's. The general concensus of people who were there was that "Goth" first arrived as a softer, darker, calmer alternative to the raging underground punk scene that was sweeping the UK and the US. To quote Voltaire (the artist, not the philosopher):

While the punks were screaming "We are angry to live in this sad world!" the new wave of gothic bands were moaning "We are sad we live in this angry world."

It's very unclear as to who coined the use of the word "goth", but it's generally agreed that it came about in reference to the fans of Joy Division being described as a "...horde of goths..." by Joy Divisions producer in a magazine article circa 1978. Personally, I wasn't in the scene at the moment of conception, so I don't know if the scene came first or the music. That's a debate for the true Elders.

Gothic Music

Although it is important that you at least know the founding bands, please remember that you do not have to listen solely to gothic music in order to be gothic. Most gothic people like a plethora of music. Don't limit yourself, but certainly respect your roots.

~ Bauhaus ~ Probably wrote the very first gothic song adopted by us. 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' was written in 1979, the year I was born! If you don't know this song, you should grab a copy of it right now. Don't hesitate my darlings, I'll be here when you get back.

~ Ministry ~ More speed-metal than goth nowadays. Penned the anthem that we hold dear in our black little hearts: 'Every Day Is Hallowe'en'. Yes, we realize that the actual holiday is in October, ask us if we care...

(Wasn't Uncle Al cute when he was young, kiddies?)

~ The Sisters of Mercy ~ No, it's not a convent Cure-less Wonder, it's only one of the most awesome bands ever! Despite the fact that our love isn't returned by Mr. Eldritch, we love him all the more. Never has such a band had so great an impact on our community.

(Sure....you're not Goth, Andy...right... )



 ~ Siouxsie And The Banshees ~ There's no denying that Siouxsie Sioux is and was a goth! How many people have emulated her style over the years? You think our Egyptian-like eyes are an accident? From her over teased and crimped hair to her fabulous make-up to her olde school clothing and her haunting vocals, the woman is an Icon. She is also one of the very few female vocalists that I truly enjoy listening to.

(Note the cane. Canes are awesome accessories! ;) )

~ Joy Division ~ As of 2009, I am indeed, a true Joy Division fan. The lyrics are pretty spectacular and the music has loads of dark ambience. If you get the chance I'd suggest grabbing a copy of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' and then get everything else.

~ Christian Death ~ If you don't love Rozz's tragically goth vocals, then you don't appreciate one of the very best Death Rock bands there ever was. You should, at the very least, own 'Only Theater of Pain'. One of the best albums in the genre. Worship Rozz or piss off! ;)

So there are a few to get you on the right track and whet your appetite for more. Now, throw out all of those Nu-Metal cd's you've acquired and start listening to some real music. Or you could stroll over to the music forum and have a peek over there.


Before you even ask, here is a list of bands that are not goth/ic. It is not a crime to listen to or even like these bands, but don't even think they're remotely goth.

~ Marilyn Manson ~ I don't care if his weiner is ten times the size of yours, he's still not goth. He's a hack that can't think of an original idea. He might have a couple of catchy tunes, but so do Fall Out Boy, and I hate them too.

~ AFI ~ If I have to explain this to you, I'm gonna need a really big rock.

~ My Chemical Romance ~ Yeah, it's so cool to pretend we're drug addicts! Let's make a band name that reflects that, not only are we sad and over-processed, our music is too.

~ Good Charlotte ~ Don't make me hurt you!

~ Korn ~ I don't have anything against these guys, but they're not goth. Listening to them will not up your goth-points in any way.

~ Slipknot ~ OMFG!!1! Teh rulez!!!1! NOT! Go find a real band to listen to. Something that won't leech your intelligence....what there is of it.

~ Evanescence ~ She's a posuer, get over it.


The are myriad good bands that you will encounter as you sink into the scene. Some you will like, some you won't. It's not a requirement that you like any or all bands. What is important is you know where the bands you do like are evolved from. You like Industrial? Then why not explore Throbbing Gristle and Skinny Puppy? Prefer Neo-Classical? Try L'ame Immortelle or Inkubus Sukkubus.



And Then There's the Fashion.

Ah, the fashion! Yes, most of us do have a tendency to cloak ourselves in mostly black. While this is certainly not a requirement, I'd shudder to think of someone in a pastel polo and khakis proclaiming themselves 'goth'.There are loads of different sects in fashion that you can choose from, so why limit yourself to just one, eh? Dressing up has never been more fun!

The gothic look ranges through several catagories, each with a unique style of dress. These catagories include, but are certainly not limited to, Romantic, Cyber, Vampire, Rivet-Heads, Corporate Goth(something I have to wear when I work in the pharmacy), Perky, Deathrock, and Trad Goth. Here's a quick rundown on the general look of each catagory.



-Romantic: For men, they usually wear tight pants, billowy shirts and waist coats. Top hats, gloves, and canes are all normal accesories. For the women, they wear long skirts, sometimes done up with a bustle, and often times corsets on top. The usual accessories are jewelry, a parasol, and/or a lace fan. I have decided not to make a distinction between the various romantic styles:medieval, victorian and anything in between. If it has a long flowing skirt it's 'romantic'. Bite me. :P

-Cyber: Also known as Gravers (gothic ravers), they are usually a pretty colorful bunch. Hair is usually synthetic hair extensions in a multitude of colors. A lot of the time, they wont wear a lot of black. Mostly futuristic day glo and neon clothing with matching accesories.

-Vampire:Very similar to the Victorian goth, but with a more sinister flair. These are the people that paint their faces white, sometimes play at cutting themselves, and will usually wear sunglasses all the time or own a pair of fangs that they actually use on a regular basis. They can say "I'm 500 years old." with dead seriousness. Now be careful here. Most people in this genre KNOW they are not immortal. Don't be so naive as to ask them "Do you really think you're a vampire?!" It will only get you flamed.

-Rivet-Heads(Industrial): Huge fans of Industrial music, their fashion sense is an homage to the working masses. Big steel toed boots for kicking the crap out of The Man, flight jackets covered with military insignia to portray the militaristic nature of the world, mohawks for aerodynamics, metal things clanking and clanging in time to the music and clothes you can kick someones ass in. These guys are tough. Watch out if you anger one. They wear enough metal to do some serious damage. Pictured below are industrial bands KMFDM and Rammstein. *I had a hard time finding decent pix of Rivetheads online, but be assured that they are some scary lookin' people stomping around a dance floor!*

-Corporate Goth: These people have learned that life is not all fishnets and dyed hair in the real world. They are gothic people forced to work a normal job. Usual style is conservative with a gothic flair. Black is the main color worn, but they also lean towards dark jewel tones (emerald, sapphire, etc). Makeup is dark, but still very professional. If hair is dyed, it's usually black or some shade of dark red. These people are usually really hardcore goths. They wont even give up goth for growing up.

-Perky(Candy Goths):Pink and black everything. Perky goths are into cute faries, glitter, Sanrio, basically anything that a normal goth may find a bit offsetting. Clothing is elaborate and fluffy most times, bordering on club goth. Rather than melencholy, they are usually bouncing off the walls with energy and happiness.(Adora Batbrat, the girl in the first two photos, is really the epitome of what we normally invision when we think of perky Goth girls. Don't believe me? Look her up on youtube!)

-Deathrock:Torn fishnets and stockings, bone jewelry, mussy hair, a raging attitude and normally looking like they crawled out of the grave. These are the closest to punks the goth genre gets to. Totally teased up Deathhawks in colors other than black aren't rare to see, here. They take the fashion cues from bands like Christian Death, 45 Gave, Kommuntiy FK and Voodoo Church.

-Trad Goth: Traditional Goth, these are the fashions of the Batcave Era. Taking cues from such acts as Alien Sex Fiend, Bauhaus, Specimen, Sex Gang Children and Siouxsie and the Banshees people dressed in torn black fishnet with crimped and teased tresses, pointy boots, white faces and copious amounts of eyeliner!


(Oh yes, I sooooo went there! Even though my hair deflated to half its size...)

-Uber-Goth(Grufti in German): I only thought I was teh Ubers before I saw pictures of these people! Apparently, most of the Goths in Germany are truly hardcore and not the pathetic little mallrat, psuedo-goths that we encounter in America. White face and black eyeliner? Fuck yes! This is whiteface done right, people! The German Goths take their fashion cues from such bands as Sopor Aeternus, Das Ich, Lacrimosa and a lot of the other bands that we listen to in the states. HARDCORE!!! These are the people I want to be when I grow up! ^_^

Lastly, we have mall-core 'goths'. These normally look like their whole wardrobe is bought at Haute Topic with not a stitch of true individuality among them. Observe:

Normal people in costumes.


We all treasure our individuality. It should come naturally that many of us DIY(that's do-it-yourself for those of you that don't already know...) our own outfits and accessories. It's hard to find anything that is good quality, true gothic attire. Most outfits are crafted together from what can be found at department and thrift stores, torn up and then thrown back together in our own way.

One of the reasons I detest places like Haute Topic is because it sells 'individulity'. Right, like you can purchase your personality from a clothes rack. Personally, I enjoy the trials and tribulations of making my own things. I encourage people everywhere I go to do the same. DIY seems to have been swept by the wayside. It's time to dust the ole girl off and breathe some new life into her! It is an important aspect of our sub-culture, an aspect I enjoy very much. If you can make your own stuff you won't have to worry about looking like the rest of the crowd at the club, at least. I'd rather give people the tools to make their own things than sell them an article of mine.

What you wear when you're at home doesn't really matter. You can even belt out the Sisters in your pink p.j.s (like me). Just don't do it where others can see you and hold you accountable. ;)

Black Eyeliner and White Face Paint

When you stay in, you are still required to wear your eyeliner! Well, not really. But it is important that you have a handle on the most basic gothic makeup techniques and fashions before you go drawing all over your face with eyeliner.



You do not have to paint your face white to be Goth. The reason that most people laugh if someone does this is because it is normally done by Baby Bats who make the mistake of using greasy Hallowe'en paint. It does take practice to get right, but the extra effort is very much worthwhile if you have patience! Most people who do whiteface swear by Manic Panic's products. If you are going for it *blendblendblend*, my little Gothlings! If you ARE going to resemble a ghost you might as well be flawless.

I normally buy foundation in the palest shade I can find and top it with pale powder. As you can see from my avatar it looks almost ghostly.

~DO REMEMBER to wash and moisturize your face before applying your foundation! Dirty, oily skin will make your makeup come out blotchy and make you look like an amature! And do not over-moisturize, my dahlinks, as that is just as bad.


Any good Goth knows how to properly wield liquid eyeliner. Typically, I line my upper and lower lids in a thick ring with a tapering tail and line the inside of my lower lid with pencil(liquid if my eyes aren't terribly irritated). Properly applying eyeliner is something that comes with time and practice. If you want to try swirls you will need a potted eyeliner(I use MAC Fluidline) and a teensy little brush, go mad, practice, just don't go out in public with half your face covered or I will laugh so loud at you that you will hear it no matter where in the world you are! >:) Few people can actually pull off the 'swirly all over my face' look and look great.


Lippie is something that I definitely suggest that everyone at least attempt to wear whether or not your eyes are fully made up! I've recently really begun hating the 'done eyes with nude lips' look that is influenced heavily by mainstream 'fashionistas'. Fuck the Norm, we do what the hell we want!


I've recently begun wearing black lippie on a regular basis, so here's a tip: Line your entire lipline and fill it in with a black eyeliner that you won't ever be using on your eyes again. Fill everything in with the eyeliner pencil. Apply your lippie. *optional* Take an eyeshadow sponge and dab black eyeshadow over your black lippie(don't do this unless you want completely matte lips!). Do be careful, loves, as the eyeshadow can, and will, get on your perfect foundation if you're not vigilant! I line all of my dark lippie(black, purple & dark reds/burgandys) with black eyeliner these days.

For red lipstick, it's best to get darker, more blue based colors. A blue based lipstick is something that is a true red. It may take a while to learn the difference between blue and orange based lipsticks. If you're not sure, ask yourself "Does it make my teeth look whiter?" Blue toned lipstick has this effect on teeth. That's why all those toothpaste models have it on.

For men, makeup is perfectly fine. I would suggest some eyeliner and mascara for a simple look. You can add lipstick as well, but be warned. If you have facial hair, it's going to look like crap. You've got to pick one or the other. The beastly facial hair, or the beautiful makeup. We do encourage men to wear just as much makeup as women here! If you have a small amount of facial hair (like Myke Hideous or Patrick Mata) it is acceptable to wear make up so long as it's not a full beard. Unless you're going for the full Black Metal look.
Your face is your canvas. It's up to you whether you want to have a Monet, a Picasso, or a Da Vinci on your mug. Speaking of artists.....


On Literature and Art

Yes, we love our literature and art! Some of us are even writers. Fancy that! And not the kind that write poetry by candle light about how much our parents suck for not buying us cigarettes. Many of us are parents ourselves, and no we won't buy your cigarettes. You'll have to pay the homeless guy outside the quickie mart to do it for you like we did when we were kids. I mean....uh...

Let's talk about literature kids! Some of us enjoy our books and devour anything new that comes our way. Just a few of the authors you will catch us reading:

1.Thomas Stone
2.Shakespeare(Yes, he's number 2)
3.Edgar Allen Poe (duh)
4.H.P. Lovecraft (If you like monotony...)
5.Lord Byron
6.Shelley
7.Emily Dickinson (Not me, I swear)
8.Oscar Wilde
9. Emily Bronte
10. Chaucer
11. William Blake
12. W.B. Yeats
13. John Keats
14. Wordsworth
15. Baudelaire
16. Rimbaud ( I took out Hemingway because I didn't add him to begin with and I greatly dislike misogynists, to say the least. It's my thread, now, bitches! I mean...I love you all! :D )

Not a complete list by any means, but you get the idea. We like our writers drunk and depressed. Or just crazy.

We also love to surround ourselves with dark imagery from talented artists. A few of my personal faves are:

1. Leonardo Da Vinci (He's Da man)
2. Waterhouse (If you've never seen his dark and romantic paintings, you should look him up right now!)
3. Brom (Bondage at some of it's most beautiful)
4. Luis Royo (Just look him up, trust me)
5. Monet
6.H.R. Giger
7.Zdzislaw Beksinki

(I have recently lost all of my links or I would add a few more artists here)

We don't shy away from images of death. It's just another part of life that we will all experience one day. It is also a representation of change. And who's scared of a little change, right? After all, death is spooky and cool.

Ad Infinitum

Before you are finished, my darklings, I want you to know that goth is most of all about who you are, not what you wear or what you buy (athough we reserve the right to laugh at you for shopping at Haute Topic). Anyone can put on a costume, but if it doesn't reflect who you are you will look like a fool. The only person you should dress to please is yourself. If that new skirt or pair of boots truly makes you happy, then go for it! If you're trying to be something that you're not so that your friends will like you more, get some new friends.

Be yourself and be comfortable in your skins. People will always respect that.

Another Note: I do not mention 'GothLoli', Visual Kai, Jpop/JRock because none of that wank is in the least bit 'Goth'. Not one smidge.