Elfpony goes back to G-Anime

Me giving a customizing panel at an earlier con.

Yes, this weekend in Gatineau it's G-Anime and the Ponies and I will be there again this year.  My panels for this year look like this:

Friday, January 25th:

Collecting 101 - 6pm - Three longtime toy collectors will discuss the basics of collecting such as pros and cons of joining an online community, knowing your prices, and knowing your varients.
Customizing - 8pm - I'll have a bunch of custom ponies with me and I'll be discussing the processes of restoring and customizing vinyl  toys.  Bring your questions.
Brony vs Collector - 10pm - DJ Midli and I will reprise our N2U panel discussing the differences between the old school Pony Collectors and the new wave Fans of FIM.

Saturday, January 26th:

Living the Creative Life - 12pm - I'll be joining two other creative types (Roomy among them) to discuss the work/creative life balance and what you have to do to get your vision realized.
Collecting 102 - 4pm - Three longtime toy collectors will discuss the more serious sides of collecting including watching your budget, dealing with negative feedback from non-collectors, and negotiating living space for your collection.
Villans of MLP - 5pm - A panel focussed only on the bad guys.

Hope to see you there!

Elf

Hockey's Back!

Yes, this has to do with Ponies.  Eventually.

Leafs Fan Elfpony says "Go Leafs Go!"

Winter in Ottawa is difficult enough for someone who hates winter.  But winter in Ottawa with minimal hockey is just painful.  With no NHL, Saturday nights since October were not the same.  Roomy and I were doing things, playing board games, watching movies, going out with friends.  And that was great.  But it wasn't Hockey Night in Canada and something was missing from my winter weekends.

Now the NHL has returned, and I can't tell you how happy I am.  Not only am I a die-hard Leafs fan, but I'm a die-hard hockey fan in general.  Roomy will attest that I'll watch any hockey, any time, anywhere.  But my favourite is the NHL and the Leafs.  And Hockey Night in Canada has been part of my life for about as long as I can remember.

What does this have to do with Ponies?  You might remember a while back I did a post about how I spend the majority of my Saturday nights.  Well, with the return of the NHL and the shortened season starting with a triple header (that's about 9 hours of hockey, for the uninitiated) guess what my hockey watching activity is for the evening?

Hockey and Pony customizing.  A natural combination in this house.

 Oh yes, a lot more customizing work is going to get done in the next few months.  Welcome back, NHL.

Elf

The Great Pony Room Debate

At a certain point last year Roomy and I decided that we would buy a house instead of continuing to rent.  Which means that we'll be moving later this year.  Which means we have to pack everything.  Which means I have to pack all the Ponies and take them off to a new Pony Room.  Which means I swore a lot at the thought.

I've never been totally happy with the Pony Room here, either incarnation of it.  One room was too small and crowded.  The 2nd room was plenty big, but had some big pieces of furniture that came with it and in some ways limited what I could do.  It also had no closet, and was in the mouse and spider infested basement.

So what can the Ponies look forward to in their new home?  Well the more we think about it, the more likely it seems that Roomy and I will be sharing a collection room.  Roomy is a MOTU/POP collector and has recently thrown herself wholeheartedly into her collection (read: she's buying a lot of stuff.)  A larger room will suit us both nicely.  We've even considered using the master bedroom as our collection room.  If it has an ensuite, even better (such ease of Pony cleaning!)

I'm also planning better ways of displaying the Ponies.  I'm thinking lots of wall shelves are the answer to have everything displayed in the best way possible.  The playsets will also be displayed, but closed on bookshelves this time.  That way everything's off the floor and kept clean.  I will have a dedicated display space, probably a small table, where I can showcase certain ponies and sets (you haven't seen the last of the Holiday Displays.)  There will also be space for the photo shoots needed to finish cataloguing the collection.

So many Pony plans...so little time.  Now to find a house.

Elf

2012: A Look Back

Seems the thing to do, this time of year.

2012 started out with a new job, and to celebrate, a new Pony as well: Brazil Heart Throb.  I had been saving up for this girl for awhile.  It's a slippery slope down into the Nirvana Pony world.  :P

Pony Room organization continued.  A proper door was added to the Pony Room to keep the kittens out.  I finally tackled the giant pile of backcards and packaging and got it organized.  I also got a bit further along in my quest to get everything photographed and catalogued (but there's always so much more to do!)

I did several commissions this year, including one for a good Brony friend, DJ Midli.  I loved doing the sculpt on this pony.  I always enjoy a major sculpt project, and I'm thrilled with how this one turned out.  But I'll also be glad when Hasbro starts putting out more boy ponies so I can just paint them to make a custom.

Of course, there was the annual trip to the MLP Fair, this year in Orlando in July.  No one was more surprised than I when my custom Starscape won first prize in the original creations category.  I'm really proud of this custom, but she was up against some tough competition, and it was a real honour to win.

The second half of the year saw lots of customizing, much of it with geek themes.  I sold many customs at Ottawa Geek Market and had a great time at that show.  I also took part in the Arena Halloween Custom swap, as usual.

I ended the year with not one but FOUR Holiday Displays showcasing each generation of MLP through December.  I also took part in the Arena Advent Swap for the 2nd year in a row, buying for the lovely Jemofirongate and receiving from the lovely Honeycomb.  What a great way to end out the year!

Jem's swap package, ready to go!

Just one of the great ponies I received from Honeycomb

What is coming for 2013?  Another great trip to the Fair with Roomy, more Pony Room organization, more Ponies, and more Customs.  Right then, let's get started...

Elf