BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to Raakone [2018-03-03 23:52:46 +0000 UTC]

Hi! 

I just noticed that you tell me "Happy Birthday" every year on my birthday. Even though I didn't answer in 2016, you still came and told me again in 2017. I'm sorry I didn't write back. I wasn't ignoring you. In 2015 I was diagnosed with cancer, and even though treatment was short by comparison to what some go through, it was life changing, and I haven't been writing or photographing or really doing much of anything lately. I'm thinking of coming back now, though. Anyway, I wasn't ignoring you. I hope you are doing well. 

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to operaqhost [2015-10-25 03:57:36 +0000 UTC]

Hi. Sorry for the long delay in reply. I was out with cancer.

I wish there was a way to order just one Erik. We had them made at a factory in China. I believe the minimum order is 100, and I had think I had to order 300 to make them affordable. I would love to do a second run of them, or to do a Red Death version, but I simply don't have the capital to do it right now. If you know any investors, though......?

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eklekt In reply to BldngHrtCnsrvtv [2015-12-27 10:58:55 +0000 UTC]

Hope you're in good health.

You should announce a month or two in advance here, twitter, tumblr, reddit, and such that you're going to do a kickstarter, then when you launch you'll have an army of investors.

Also let me know if you intend to do that because I really want one.

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operaqhost In reply to BldngHrtCnsrvtv [2015-10-25 19:56:07 +0000 UTC]

Ah I'm sorry to hear that, how are you feeling?

I sadly don't know any investors, but if you post a journal about it, someone might help.
I'd love for them to have a second run, and a Red Death version would be really cool.

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to operaqhost [2018-03-03 23:54:44 +0000 UTC]

Hi. It's been 2.5 years, but I'm back, at least for today. 
No progress on red death. 
That said, I'm glad we did the original plush project. At least that happened. It was a good thing.
Hope you are well.

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to Mominator [2015-10-25 03:59:03 +0000 UTC]

Barb,
Sorry. I've been off line a long time. I guess it's been almost two years since you sent this message.
I can't recall if I was in private practice when we used to talk. If not, that's what I'm up to. It keeps me really busy. Then, in May of 2015, I got diagnosed with cancer. I won't know if I'm clear until next month, November, but the treatment was the worst thing I've ever experienced in my entire life.
Sorry I've been out of touch. Let's try to catch up someday, okay?

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Mominator In reply to BldngHrtCnsrvtv [2015-10-28 00:12:46 +0000 UTC]

So good to hear from you!  

I figured you had either become disillusioned with ffn and DA, or become too busy with real life to participate anymore.

Last we wrote, I think you had just left working at the school for striking out on your own.

Sorry to hear about your health issues.  I'll pray for a positive result for you.

Our daughter is in the final year of her Master's program, and due to finish next summer.  She wants to do marriage and family counseling, though I believe she said she's required to get 3000 hours of experience before she can go for her . . . certification?  Whatever the psychology equivalent of passing the bar is.

Our son is working for the same navy base Eric used to, and loving it.  He wants full custody of his daughter, though hasn't really been saving up to pay for it.  Besides, the mother babysits for free during the week, so he'd have to start paying for childcare.  We saw them a couple of weeks ago when they came up for a visit.  Annalyn is not quite two - just the age to be the cutest thing in the world as she gets into things all the adults scramble to keep her out of. ;D

Eric and I still enjoy the retired life.  It's nice (though sometimes boring) to be able to do what we want when we want.  I keep busy making Christmas gifts and playing video games. (sheepish grin)

Please let me know how your results turn out in November.

Barb

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to stratman50th [2011-12-06 05:09:48 +0000 UTC]

Sure thing. Those pics of your daughter on the beach are amazing, especially the one... I don't know the name of it... the one where she is entirely off the ground. Great photographic catch and she's quite a lovely girl!

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stratman50th In reply to BldngHrtCnsrvtv [2011-12-06 13:15:12 +0000 UTC]

Thanks so much! Yeah, she's pretty amazing. It would have been so much better if I could have gotten lower and shot at an up angle, but the knees are trashed and once down, I could never get back up LOL!!

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to stratman50th [2011-12-06 14:20:52 +0000 UTC]

I hear ya, but it's really fine as is. I just can't imagine being able to jump like that. Was never athletic, even when I was very young. I was a stay-inside-and-read girl, and while that has advantages, it really blows my mind that anyone can do that. AND that you captured it right at that point. How many takes did it take?

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stratman50th In reply to BldngHrtCnsrvtv [2011-12-06 15:09:55 +0000 UTC]

I don't recall how many takes, a couple I guess, but I have the drive turned up on the shutter so I get several each time. Digital has made my life so much easier because it gives me a lot of proofs. I still try and frame the final shot like the days of film. I don't have photoshop so I try and shoot what I see and want. Thank you by the way for the compliments. I'll tell her. She's been dancing Ballet since she was six. She ought to be good by now
I've really literally got hundreds of ballet shots not posted.
She also hit me up for the Neon lights shots in front of the restaurant in Disney World. A little dark but that's how she wanted them, neon only.
Thank you for taking an interest in our work. I enjoy talking about it! Plus, I like your gallery and this gives me a chance to tell you again! Oh yeah, When I became a police officer in the early 80's, we used to wear mirrored sunglasses! The stopped it though because of too many complaints! LOL!!

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to stratman50th [2011-12-07 02:14:18 +0000 UTC]

I started ballet when I was 4 or 5, but after one year I wanted to drop out (because they weren't doing Wizard of Oz, actually) and my mother let me! I wish she hadn't, because that was a dumb reason to drop out, and now I'll never know if I would have ever been any good at it. It's awfully expensive, though, so maybe it worked out better for my family this way. One of my good friends from elementary school danced with the Pittsburgh Ballet and she went away to live at some ballet school for a year or two. I don't think I could ever have that kind of dedication to anything.

I'll have to go back and look for the neon shot. I don't remember it.

I didn't have photoshop for the LONGEST time. I finally got it and you know, I've never used it. It takes a lot of practice to be able to do anything with it, and I haven't got that kind of time, you know? Maybe someday. I'd like to do some fun stuff like photoshop my hair blue. I'd like to just dye it blue, but my husband thinks it would negatively impact my career.

Yes!! I remember that in the 80s when, well, honestly, EVERYONE was wearing mirrored sunglasses. There was Top Gun and then there was some guy on a TV show who wore them and in one episode he said something like "Look into my eyes and tell me what you see" while he had the glasses on. The other guy looked right back at him with a straight face and said "Money." My dad got the biggest kick out of that. But he was wearing them, too, WAY before that. They didn't really bother me. I thought it was sort of cool. Look up at Dad, check my hair, he never notices how vain I'm being. But I guess officers wearing glasses would make a traffic stop even more impersonal... That sort of makes the T-1000 in Terminator 2 even funnier....!

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stratman50th In reply to BldngHrtCnsrvtv [2011-12-07 15:22:43 +0000 UTC]

You're fun to talk to. Drop me a note any time you want to chat!
Till then, nice gallery, keep posting... you do good work!
Neon Dance in Nutcrackers-Dance folder:
[link]
[link]
[link]

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to stratman50th [2011-12-08 03:35:57 +0000 UTC]

Oh, I like them!!

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stratman50th In reply to BldngHrtCnsrvtv [2011-12-08 05:36:33 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! That's kind of you to say!

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to stratman50th [2011-12-08 15:17:13 +0000 UTC]

There's something very interesting about ballet poses outside the studio. I'd really like stuff like that. I'd like to see more on the beach, but really focus on her feet. Maybe just the feet, or just one toe en pointe sort of deep in the sand. It leaves you wondering, whereas studio stuff is sort of... less interesting.

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stratman50th In reply to BldngHrtCnsrvtv [2011-12-08 15:55:15 +0000 UTC]

Never really thought of that.. These were at her insistence, and there are several more that I didn't post. She wanted something specific and I was just the photographer. Everything we shot that day is on her facebook page, but she picked the poses that would go in here. Funny thing about these is they turned out really well even though she had sprained her foot the day before. She was in a brace for a couple weeks after.
Thank you again for looking.

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to stratman50th [2011-12-08 16:04:46 +0000 UTC]

Wow!! Well, she's got an eye for photography it seems as well. Probably gets it from her dad.

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stratman50th In reply to BldngHrtCnsrvtv [2011-12-08 16:13:20 +0000 UTC]

So, I guess it's time for something new.... Hmmmm, snow? Maybe yes...
In costume? That's a thought... I like you,Mrs Bleedingheartconservative! You turn on my creativity! I'm going to tell the kid when I get home... of course snow in Baltimore Maryland isn't something we get a lot of!

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to stratman50th [2011-12-09 03:28:45 +0000 UTC]

Aw, snow would be GREAT! In costume, too. What type of costume, I wonder, though....

You... don't get much snow? Was that sarcasm? We got lots of it when I used to live in Pittsburgh. Maryland isn't THAT far away. (Wait... you're from Baltimore? I hope you're not a Ravens fan...!)

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stratman50th In reply to BldngHrtCnsrvtv [2011-12-09 14:46:51 +0000 UTC]

No sarcasm in there at all,
You have given me ideas for new shots so, you do turn on my creative energy. That's a good thing. No sarcasm about the snow, when it hits, sometimes it can be bad, but with us it's hit or miss. Pittsburgh is just far enough north of us that you all got more than us on a regular basis.
And yes, alas I am sorry... guilty as charged on the Ravens!

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to stratman50th [2011-12-25 05:05:06 +0000 UTC]

Wow. I'm amazed. I just figured the whole region got dumped on pretty heavily.

Gah! Ravens!! NOOOOOOOOO!

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to swimmingRat [2011-11-17 05:47:22 +0000 UTC]

Yay, Red Death plushies! Tell El! She's in charge of the art.

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to swimmingRat [2011-11-06 02:48:04 +0000 UTC]

LOL. No worries. I was quite amused.

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to Livie-Lightyear [2011-07-04 00:19:32 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!!

(Sorry... I was away from DA and didn't see your post until just now!)

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to Raakone [2011-07-04 00:19:36 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!!

(Sorry... I was away from DA and didn't see your post until just now!)

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to LibraryPhantom [2011-07-04 00:20:03 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!! I'm so glad. Only 15 Eriks left... do you know anyone else who needs one?)

(Sorry... I was away from DA and didn't see your post until just now!)

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LibraryPhantom In reply to BldngHrtCnsrvtv [2011-07-04 04:55:06 +0000 UTC]

Unfortunately I only know one other person who likes phantom of the opera, and he feels awkward at the thought of owning a plush at his age. But I'll keep promoting them as much as I legally can. I can't thank you enough. Erik came into my life when I really needed him.

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to LibraryPhantom [2011-07-18 04:50:43 +0000 UTC]

No worries. I'm down to FIVE anyway!!

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LibraryPhantom In reply to BldngHrtCnsrvtv [2011-07-18 19:19:01 +0000 UTC]

That's cool! No more sad lonely Eriks.
Also Erik felt embarrassed of his ...receding hairline... and he though he needed a hat; any idea where I can find one that is phantomy? I keep telling him he looks fine, but I may have to make one.
One more thing, any news on if your going to make any more?
I could totally understand if you didn't want to; I have a hard enough time keeping up with one, let alone almost 200.

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to LibraryPhantom [2011-07-19 04:59:28 +0000 UTC]

Ah, yes, poor Erik's hair... well... no, I haven't any idea where to get a hat already that size, no... although if you come over to [link] I'm sure someone there will have ideas or else will offer to make one.

We won't be making any more of this type, that's for certain. It took almost two years to sell 250 of them. BUT we're thinking about making a Red Death version. We'll have to see. (he would, of course, come with a hat....)

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LibraryPhantom In reply to BldngHrtCnsrvtv [2011-07-20 13:27:52 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, I was kinda hinting for information about the red death. It would be so cute. I'll be sure to look at the link in just a moment. (If i tried to make a hat it'd probably look like a bad copy of Ye-Ol Amish hat (no offense to the Amish; It's just not phantomy enough.)

Also, have you ever thought of jewelery? I've seen necklaces and rings that had quotes and pictures out of books.sorry, that book is one of my passions, and your one of the few people who produce Leroux phantom stuff, instead of Webber stuff. XD Probably would be a heck of a lot easier to produce!

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BldngHrtCnsrvtv In reply to LibraryPhantom [2011-07-20 14:06:41 +0000 UTC]

It's a very good idea!! I... just never thought of making anything else. I mean, I only made THIS originally because I wanted one. Seriously. That's how it got started.

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LibraryPhantom In reply to BldngHrtCnsrvtv [2011-07-21 19:14:06 +0000 UTC]

Sounds like a good reason to me!

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