Dizzidragonz

As the title suggests, I have been experiencing an incredibly heavy work load over the last several months. As much as I have focused on my work, it seems I'm never getting ahead of it. This is why I haven't been on DA for so long. I did manage to complete the cross stitch for my sister however, I forgot to take a picture of it before giving it to her. Otherwise, I would have at least posted that. Unfortunately, I was more concerned with just giving it to her for her birthday and it didn't even cross my mind to take a photo until after I did. All well, that's just how things go some times. Another reason why I haven't posted any work lately is because I'm working on much more complicated projects. I'm currently working on hoof shoes for my sister's costume for the Renaissance Fair this fall. I will be posting photos of them once my work is done. They won't have any fur on them since that will be completed at a later time. We are waiting for the materials to arrive and will be completing the shoes at my sister's place.

Once the shoes are done, I will work on my own costume. The most important part of the costume is the mask which is what I'll be focusing on next. Once the mask is done I will them work on the rest of the costume which will be comprised of a leather. This will be my first time working with leather so I'm preparing myself for some mistakes to be made along the way. I will also be making some adjustments to my own shoes to make them more unique. As each piece of the costume is completed, I'll post my work here. I don't like doing "in progress" deviations if I can avoid it. I prefer to show the end result when ever possible. After I have finished my costume I will then start working on my mom's fairy wings and headdress. Thankfully, that's all I will need to help her with. I will also need to help my sister with making her tail and legs. 

All of this work must be completed by this fall so time is certainly running out. It's very overwhelming considering I'm doing all of this work on top of my job and everyday chores that must be done. I'm also involved with my church so one of my days off is practically spent. The only time I have to work on these projects is after work and 1 day of my weekend. I'm not really certain if I can do it all and I don't think I'm going to get much help with it. My sister has helped quite a bit but, there's still so much left to do that she may not be able to help me with. My mom may be able to help me with the leather work but, I'm not sure. I'll have to ask her at some point. The only other thing I'm concerned about is my fiance's costume. We haven't even started on that yet but, I'm hoping it won't be too difficult since most of what he'll need we should be able to find instead of making it ourselves. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there. 

So, that's pretty much what's been going on as of late. It's been hectic and complete chaos, that's just how my life is. One giant project after another with little time to finish them. I hope that I'll have time to start posting again but, I have no idea when that may be. I just wanted to throw this up so none of you think that I've dropped dead or something (although I may be getting close to that...ugh o.=.O'). Anyways, I'll try to keep you all posted as best I can while trying to retain my sanity. I hope all of you are doing well and that you keep being awesome.

Love to all,
Dizzi ^.=.^

So, lately I've been experiencing an issue with receiving spam reports for thanking people for llamas/favorites. These instances were due to mistakes on my part for not noticing the rule on their page. I only found out about them after the report was already made and I never had a chance to apologize or explain that it was a mistake. They enforced their page rules as they saw fit. I have my own set of rules on my profile and when they are not adhered to, I inform that individual. I was expecting that some responses would be negative while others positive. Today, I experienced extremes of both. One was very respectful and understanding of the issue. We discussed the matter, came to the understanding that it was just a mistake and went our separate ways on a positive note. The other was incredibly rude and insulting. They even went as far as to have some of their friends jump in the middle of the matter when it was none of their business.

I adhered to the rules on their pages, I did not thank them for the llama as they requested. However, I did inform them of my rules. The polite one, was able to relate because they had a similar problem with unwanted "thanks". I respected their rules, they respected mine and all was good. The rude one, on the other hand, didn't seem to understand the concept of mutual respect. They directed multiple insults towards me, stated that I can't enforce my rules because I don't own the site, then blocked me from being able to respond. I could care less that they blocked me. Their actions tell me they're a coward and likely, a troll. I did end up blocking them and their friends that decided to send their own rude comments.

I want to make something perfectly clear, this is my profile and I will do what I please with it. It is no different than anyone else on this site, as long as they are within the guidelines of DA they can do what they wish with their profile. The one thing that will be required on my profile is mutual respect. If you can't take the time to review and follow my rules on my profile, don't expect me to do it for you. It is that simple. If it was a mistake, just say so. I'm not heartless or unforgiving. I understand that mistakes will happen. However, I will not tolerate people insulting me or telling me what I can or can not do on my own page.  

On that note, I may make some changes to my profile to make things simpler, more organized and to eliminate possible future issues. I'm not certain of what changes I'll make just yet, I have many things to consider. Some suggestions have been to periodically post group thanks in a journal or on my profile. Another suggestion is to update my profile with a "pre-thank you" for future favs, llamas, ect. One other suggestion is to turn off my badge notifications. Personally, I like giving thanks to each person. To me, I'm acknowledging the individual rather than ignoring them or just grouping them up with everyone else. However, it seems that doing this is causing more problems than it's worth. I'll have to weigh the pros and cons of each option before coming to a decision. I may put up a few polls to help get insight from others to help in making those decisions. I'm pretty torn about what to do because I want people who visit my page feel like they're not just a number but, it seems that it may be the only way to prevent confrontation.

If you have other suggestions that may help to resolve this issue, please feel free to either send me a note or leave a comment on this journal. All help is greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,
Dizzi
 

Okay, so things have changed quite a bit since my last journal. I have decided to not participate in the state fair or the Comic Expo. I have been enlisted into a Mardi Gras krewe and they need a lot of help with getting things ready for the many events that will be coming up. We have a costume contest, Halloween party, and silent art auction during the last week of October. All of the events will be on one night, but we don't have a definite date yet. We also have a small parade on the 6th of January and the largest parade of the year will be in February. We are currently working on the items that will be sold at auction as well as props for our float in the parade. I'm hoping to contribute 3 to 6 of my own pieces for the auction. Half of the proceeds from the event will be donated to charities and the other half will be split between our krewe and the other krewe that is helping to pull off the event. Costumes are also being made by our seamstress, Anne. Joe (team captain) and I have completed our T-shirt design to help raise funds for our krewe. Lucy, our head crew captain, has been busy with creating flyers, contacting the vendor, and planning the events. She has also been making pieces for the auction and for our float. We have gotten so much done, but we have so much more to do before the big parade and the Halloween bash. 

I have been spending so much time helping the krewe that my own endeavors have fallen to the way side. I don't really mind since the events I was going to participate will happen again next year. I know that by next year I'll be more prepared than I was this year. Until then, I have plenty to do with my krewe. I will be receiving the parts and fabric I need for my costume and I'll need to make a few pieces to complete it. I will also be helping out with masks for other krewe members since I've proven that I'm handy in that department. I've actually really blossomed with this krewe. I have been able to help and accomplish so much in the last few weeks than I have in months. I feel like I have more drive when I'm helping someone.....it's kinda weird since I don't really consider myself as a people person.

In any case, I have closed commissions, requests, and art trades until further notice. They will be re-opened once the events have passed. Until then, I hope that you all will enjoy the rest of your day and the artwork the recent artwork that I've posted. 

Sincerely yours,
Dizzidragonz

Hey everyone, I know it's been a long time since the last time I visited DA and I apologize for not getting back to you if you've tried to contact me or have left any comments. Things are little hectic right now with all the things that I'm working on. To start off, I am preparing for a couple events that are not too far away. First, there's the State Fair that will be this September. I will be doing a Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron sculpture, specifically for the event. I will not lose to a "stick" this year and the judges tend to lean towards more "country" themed art. I think it's ridiculous, but when in Rome. I will be entering other pieces, but I don't think they will appeal to the taste of the judges. Any how, the next event that I'm preparing for is the Asheville Comic Expo (ACE) in October. I did attend last year to see what it was all about and this year I intend to rent a booth to sell my work. I need other ways to get my name out there so the event will be a perfect opportunity for me to do just that. The items I intend to sell will be some plastic copies of some of my sculptures, prints, custom pins, and masks. I hope to have a business card available to advertise what I can do which will include custom sculptures, masks, graphic design, and restorations. Speaking of restorations, I have completed one for my mom just a few days ago. She had a ceramic eagle that my grandmother had painted. The eagle had a few feather tips broken off, a missing toe, and a small chip in the base. My mom didn't have the missing pieces so I had to make them, attach them to the piece and re-paint the area. The most difficult part of the restoration was matching the colors. The piece was exposed to cigarette smoke for many years so it took on a yellowish tint. I am happy with what I was able to accomplish, you can't hardly tell that it was ever broken....which I guess is the whole point. (LOL) I forgot take any before photos, but I will take a few of the finished work and point out the pieces that were missing/damaged. My mom has asked me to do another restoration of one of her Indian dolls. A couple of fingers are missing so I'll need to make new ones. This restoration will be harder since I really can't do a lot of sanding on the original piece like I did with the eagle. I'll be sure to take some before and after photos of this one so that I have it for my portfolio. So, to sum things up, I have 2 sculptures to complete, a mask to finish, then make molds of my work and make multiple copies, order pins, create a business card, order prints of my work and business cards, and do the last restoration for my mom. As you can see, I have a pretty full plate. I will be absent for a while longer, but it will be good for everyone because once I'm finished with the events I will be concentrating on doing commissioned work. I appreciate everyone's support and patience. ^.=.^

If and when you decide to give me a please keep the following in mind:

1. If your page doesn't indicate that you don't want to be thanked for the then I will do so and give you one in return.

2. If you give me a and your page indicates that you don't want to be thanked then I will respect your wishes, but you will not receive a in return.

3. If you ignore these rules then you may not hold me accountable for not respecting yours.

These rules have been put in place to ensure that you understand my intentions/actions upon receipt of the and to reduce the number of s that I receive from those that don't want to be thanked for them. I don't like wasting time checking profiles to ensure that I don't disrespect someone for thanking them and then being reported for "spamming" their page. If you don't like or do not want to follow these rules then don't give me a . 

Thank you for reading,
Dizzi