And I'm old! X3

Eh, maybe not that old, but all the exciting huge-celebration birthdays are over (unless I really wanna jump up and down at 25 for cheaper car insurance).

But if anyone is getting bit by an art muse, and a little bobcat crosses your mind, I would definitely give much love ;3

So as I'm beginning to wrap up my current project (which has been very fun!), I'm starting to think of what I'd like to do next. I'm still not quite ready to take true commissions on just yet, there's still more I need to learn and things I need to streamline.

I do plan on doing another fursuit for auction, however. But I want it to be a non-canine, non-feline animal (since I've done those and I need experience elsewhere). So I'd like to run a little poll and see what you all think :3

A goat?
A dragon?
A weasel?
A deer/antelope?

Anything is a possibility! If you have something I haven't mentioned, bring it up! I don't want to do something too far out there (think aye-aye or chameleon) because I obviously want it to sell. But I need to broaden my horizons from bobcats :3

Any input is appreciated! Thank you!

If you're an artists, a friend of an artist, or would generally just like to pimp someone out, here's your chance!

I'm looking to get some traditional art done. And while I've commissioned some AMAZING and professional artists (which I would gladly go back to in a heartbeat), I want to get some stuff done in a different style.

I'm looking for traditional work ONLY, either inked or colored, 1-2 characters, with a price range under $80. And preferably someone who does really cute females.

So please list yourself if you are open, or recommend someone! All input is appreciated :3

[EDIT] Hoo boy, didn't expect so much interest X3 Thanks for the pimpin',  el-koze!

So, we were aiming to host the Fur Meet this Saturday, as most of you know. Unfortunately, I have to go into work on that day, so I have a proposition up for vote.

1. You guys meet on Saturday as usual. I don't have to be there all the time, lol. I'll post the Facebook invitation and all, but  candorian will be your guy to contact if you have questions. (or whoever else is good with directions)

2. If you all are interested, we could meet up Friday evening (after 5pm). Maybe go out to eat or mini golf or something simple.

I'm fine with either way, so I just need your opinions! Please leave your feedback! :3

(After this week, we'll resume on Saturdays on Feb 6th unless we decide otherwise).

Now that the fun is over, it's back to work! I'll be around for most of the day today working away at my current project. There's a very patient lemur out there that deserves some progress shots :3

So, is anyone interested in watching? I'll probably start up Livestream a little later (once people are awake). Aiming for 2PM EST, but it may be earlier.

http://www.livestream.com/rhumikadoodles

Feel free to drop on in :3

...was pretty bad-ass. I didn't know what to expect since I hadn't been to one before, but it was definitely something I'll be coming to more often. Having hosted parties myself and knowing how expensive food can be, I'm absolutely floored as to how the whole thing is free. But I'm not complaining!

I saw and met waaaay too many people there, so I'm not going to list all of you. But it was great seeing you all and/or meeting you for the first time, and I can't wait to see you all again!

Special thanks goes to Antimon for being just the nicest and sweetest guy. I think I owe him about 5 dinners now. He'll be fed well at FWA ;3

Where are you staying?
The one the con is at, lol

Who will you be with?
 pandapawlin :3 Not sure who else is confirmed to be going so far

Do you do trades?
Yeah, if you want to

What suits will you have?
My bobcat, and (if by some act of god) I finish Arcanine, he'll be there too

What is your gender?
Female

How old are you?
21 (will be 22 at con time :D )

Can I touch you?
Sure, but keep it friendly. Hugs are ok

Can I talk to you?
Of course! I can be shy sometimes, but I do enjoy getting to know new people. If I seem awkward, that's just me, it's not you ;3

Can I buy you lots of drinks?
Depends on what it is, lol.

Can I give you lots of money?
uh...sure?

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Just hugs please, lol

How tall are you?
5'7"

You look pissed off out of suit can I come up to you?
I tend to look sorta "pissed off" (moreso "determined") when I'm just walking around (especially if I'm trying to get something done). Don't let that deter you though =) If I'm actually pissed off, I'd be up in the room, lol

Are you nice?
Too nice sometimes XD

Are you cliquey?
Not really, I'm the type that can easily float from group to group, as long as I feel included

Can I stalk you?
No.

How long are you going?
Not sure, probably getting there Thurs night and leaving Sunday morning

Do you have an artist table?
Nah, not this time

Do you like parties?
Not so much, really. I'm much more open to going out to eat with a group =) I'm not a big drinker, and I won't be there if drugs are involved (sorry, gotta protect my job, lol). But if you're, say, playing a fun game (like Apples to Apples or card games), I absolutely LOVE that kinda stuff :3

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Come up and get my attention, and please please PLEASE introduce yourself and remind me of your name if I don't recognize you!

Great movie, don't get me wrong. I loved it :3

But...it's like the military version of Fern Gully. Think about it.

It's also one of those movies that you come out of depressed because your reality is pretty damn boring. Well, boring compared to a world full of bio-luminescence and that weird direct-connect Im-linking-to-your-soul thing.

I want this :3

http://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1013793.html

GET TO IT!

Since last week's meet was postponed, we've decided to host the meet this upcoming Saturday at the same location. We plan to start around 1pm and will stay until sunset.

This will be a potluck again, so please bring food or drink!

Details can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v.....d=347771265692

I had some family things come up, so I won't be able to make it to the meet tomorrow. But I hope you all have fun! Not sure who all was planning to show up, but the meet shouldn't be canceled just because I'm not there ;3

Merry Christmas/whatever you celebrate to everyone!

I apologize for being late on posting any info (I was out of town for awhile). But don't worry! I haven't forgotten you all :3

Me and  candorian were discussing holding a meet on Dec 26th (Saturday after Christmas). So how many of you would be interested in attending?

I know I've said that I'd stop posting here and only to Facebook, but oh well, lol. (We're at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v.....d=347771265692 )

Hope to see you all there! This will still be a potluck if people are interested in bringing food, but I think I'm going to pass on grilling (unless someone else can supply charcoal).

So  pandapawlin and I decided to make a little video for the holidays :3

Hope you all enjoy! We definitely enjoyed making it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWKuF3gjJUc

Anyone out there care to watch me do fursuit building? (That's an "I'm bored, bring me entertainment" call)

http://www.livestream.com/rhumikadoodles

I'll be at this for most of the night (with a break for dinner in there somewhere).

Edit: Restarting at around 8 Eastern time

So FA's back up and all. Yay.

I would be more excited, except during the time it was down, I discovered Artspots.com. And I'm really liking it :3 So I've set up an account over there. If you've got one yourself, feel free to add me. Username is still rhumikaswiftpaw.

I absolutely love that AS has a limit on up to PG-13. No, I don't have anything against people who draw NSFW stuff. I just get really REALLY tired of seeing penis all the time (and there's seriously not enough good, anatomically correct, and eye-pleasing female nudity in the furry fandom). I mean this in no offense toward anyone who draws anything naked, it's simply a personal preference =)

I'll still be here on FA, so don't fear. I may eventually migrate to AS permanently, but that's not going to happen anytime soon.

Anyway, expect to see some new fursuit postings soon! I have a commission (*GASP* yes, a commission!) currently in progress with plans to have it done before 2009 is over. Depending on how well this commission goes, I might possibly consider opening up for fursuit commissions (but this will probably not be until May 2010).

Glad to see the site back! Can't wait to see everyone's cute holiday art! :3

Alright, just one more update just in case anyone missed it the first time.

We will now be planning our events through Facebook, as their Event app is much more user friendly. If you don't already have a Facebook account, you can still view the meetings (I think)

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v.....d=347771265692

We will be meeting up December 5th at 2:00 PM at Phillippi Estate Park (5500 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231). It's going to be a potluck, so bring food! Anything will work (and we should have access to grills, so hotdogs/hamburgers are fine). Also, feel free to bring games and such with you.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

(Just as a note, there will most likely be children around throughout the day. Please try to keep all cursing to a minimum and be courteous. No inappropriate language or discussion when children are present. Let's show people that not all furries are "those creepy deviants on Tyra's show.")

For those of you currently on Facebook, we are going to try to organize events on there now. Using FA is just too difficult (admit it, you usually delete your journals before reading them).

So, if you are either part of the original Bradenton Bowling Group, or you'd like to join up with us, please add this user on Facebook:

Rhumika Swiftpaw

A number of us will be posting events, but I'll forward all invitations to those that add me.

We don't want our fur meet up to die off! So we're trying to plan new things and get it back and running. This Saturday, we plan to scope out what different parks are in the area and see if one is nice enough to hold meets at.

The tentative date for our next meet up is: December, 5th! That's tentative, so please join us on Facebook in order to get the updates.

Thanks everyone and I hope to see you again soon! :3

First off, I apologize in advance if this journal seems offensive to anyone. It's not my intention to attack, but I just want to understand this better because, as of now, I don't get it at all.

I really REALLY don't get how people can say that they aren't a furry, when:

1. They draw the art
2. They pay for commissions of the art
3. They charge people for commissions of their furry characters
4. They own a fursuit
5. They go to furry meet-ups
6. They have an FA, a Pounced ad, a furry-oriented LJ, etc
7. They go to conventions
8. They generally want to be liked by the furry fandom
9. They take fursuit commissions

Yet, on top of all that, they still try and claim that they "aren't a furry."

I'm sorry, but being a furry does not always mean you "feel like you're an animal." I'm an adult, and I know that I'm not a bobcat, or badger, or red panda. Those are my "fursonas", but I, myself, am human. Homo sapien. Just because you don't feel you're an animal trapped in a human body doesn't mean that you suddenly don't fit into the "furry mold." There are TONS of people who will gladly call themselves a furry that think the same way I do.

And this is not to say that those people who do identify closer with animals, or believe in the therian ideals, are any "less" of a human. Everyone has their thing that sets them apart. Everyone has something that another group may not approve of. No single person is better than another because "they aren't classified with that group."

But if you like the art, draw the art, and take/pay for commissions of the art, how are you "not a furry?" Yes, so there are some "bad eggs" in the fandom. There are "bad eggs" in every fandom! You just have to look for them. Yes, furries are typically the running joke of the interwebz. Just...don't go on 4chan. Most of the people on 4chan are not going to target you. I've never had a run-in with 4chan kids or any "furry hater." But if you like and do everything furry, except for calling yourself a furry, just so you're not associated with those "bad eggs," what gives? It's like thinking "Oh, I can't call myself a football fan because people will relate me to Michael Vick and think I abuse dogs."

I just don't think it's right for people to think they're "too cool for furry", yet they want to be loved and accepted by the fandom. It's perfectly ok to keep the furry side of you quiet (I sure do. I really don't need by Nursing classmates and my co-workers knowing I dress up like an animal on the weekends). I also keep the fact that I'm gay quiet, so it's not that odd for me to just keep personal things under the table. I know there are several others who wave their freak flag around like nothing (and it probably would benefit me to be more open, but I'm just not to that point right now).

But the basic point here is: No one person is ever better than another. Don't ever think that because you "aren't a furry", you suddenly are higher up on the food chain than those lowly furry peons.

(and if anyone is just highly curious, this was not sparked by anything on FA. It stemmed from a conversation my girlfriend had with a "non" furry, who has a Pounced ad and all, that tried to make her feel like she was a loser for being a furry)

Shall we have a party for the end of the world?

I'm finally in the mood to draw again, but I want something specific.

Something...colorful!

So I'm looking for a person on my watch list who has a really colorful character. AKA NO black, white, or shades of grey (maybe veeery minimal white, but that's it). Why? Because I'm a loser and I currently don't have a set of grey prismas >.>

This is only for people who I have not drawn art of already. Preferably only real animals (or Pokemon, Digimon, etc) (no crazy half-this, half-that genetic mutation crap). Just post below with a character reference (please, picture references only). If I don't pick yours, don't take it personally. I'm just looking for a good "warm-up" exercise ;3

Don't you hate how that one furry event gets you all hyped up about the next ones? Yeah, that's what Furloween did to me X3. I was sad about not making it to any con this year, so next year I will at least make it to one, hopefully more. So far the plans are:

Elliots Winter Event (January? 2010) - I've missed Elliot's every time it's come around, so it's finally time for me to make it, lol

FWA 2010 - IT. WILL. HAPPEN. I don't care if I have to get a red eye flight or whatever, I refuse to miss FWA this year.

Then comes the big gap of really REALLY important life events, namely graduating, passing my Boards, getting a job as an RN, and moving out of my mom's house. This will pretty much occupy the summer, so I doubt I'll make it to anything (maaaaybe Metrocon, depending on when it is. I'd like to go, but if it falls anywhere near my Boards, then fuck no). Assuming that everything here goes ok, then...

FURFRIGHT 2010! - I'm going to make this con my gift to myself (and Lin, by default ;3 ) for getting through college and finally becoming a grown woman. While this is still too far in the future to have definite plans, I'm going to do everything I can to make it happen. Not only that, but I'd really like to branch out and meet some new folks from up North.

And 2011.... Anything is possible! Money will -not- be an issue then, so I'd like to hit up all the cons I've been wanting to go to (FC, MFF, Rainfurrest, MFM, etc etc).

(oh, and I plan on flying to all of these, including FWA. If anyone in the area is going, you're more than welcome to contact me so we can try to coordinate flights and be on the same one. But I won't be driving, so don't ask for a ride, lol).

Have you ever been working on something that you had such high hopes for, and everything ends up going wrong?

Yeah, that's my Arcanine suit in a nutshell. It's probably because I've starting working on at pretty much the worst time I could've chosen, but every turn is just making me so frustrated. Yeah yeah, I know. Stop yer bitchin'. I'm pretty much postponing it until...well.. FWA 2010. But at least if I give myself more time, it'll look better.

But all of this fursuit business is really making me consider trying to get on the list for a Mixed Candy suit if my bobcat. It probably won't be for awhile until she opens again, but that gives me time to save up. I know people will say "there's a bunch of other makers out there who are really good!" And I know that (I'm especially fond of http://www.savageturtlestudios.com/ right now, their stuff is so cute!).

But at this point in time, I'm 100% concerned with quality of the materials and customer service. And from what I've seen in other's suits, LV just really stands out in this aspect. I've tried Lin's panda head on a few times, and the ventilation and comfort is just outstanding. So I might try and slip my name in there next time she opens. I dunno, Opinions?

I've also decided I want to get my badger character made into a suit at one point (and she still needs an effin' name >.> ). I need to do some artwork of her, but that suit probably won't be even considered until after I graduate (ie May 2010). There's a couple makers I have my eyes on, so I'll have some time to wait and see how they improve and what there stuff will look like in about a year's time =) And if there's anyone you'd like to suggest, feel free to give me their name!

Well, now it turns out we have too many people wanting to go, and only 1 car. I realistically only have space in my car for 4, but 5 can cram in with much discomfort (all holding their belongings in their lap). However, I have 6 people wanting to go now. And so far no one else is able to drive.

So...

I'm really not sure on the solution here, but if you all have ideas, please bring them up. I want everyone in a seat with a seal belt. And we'll have a minimum of 3 fursuits in the car (if not more).

Suggestions? Thoughts? I really hate having to tell people I can't take them, but it's kinda starting to look like that. Start asking your friends and whatnot what their plans are and look around! The only other solution I can think of is to rent a van, which would be (at the minimum) $140 (and we'd have to come back early on Sunday). I'm willing to do this if the price gets split between us. So if you'd rather do that, just say so. But I need help guys!

(Oh, and as a side note, there's no alcohol in the room. I don't care if you go to another room to do whatever you want. But since there's people under 21, I'm not gonna fool around with the law.)

I recently had to switch to an older phone because my current one is utter shit. So pretty much every number I've gotten in the past year, I don't have anymore. I wrote most of them down, but there's been some numbers calling my phone that I do not recognize.

If you want to get in touch with me, that's fine. I'd prefer you text me instead of call (since I'm usually at work or school, or am busy during free time). But please please PLEASE leave your name in your voicemail. I have no idea who half of the people who call me are because their number isn't in my phone. Leave a voicemail and say who you are and spare both of us a headache.

Also, if you have my number, please do NOT give it out. If someone needs to contact me, you can refer them to my FA/AIM/Facebook/LJ/Whatever. But when I get weird numbers calling my phone all the time, it really bugs me.

So, like I've stated before, if you would like my number, you can note me for it, but I usually can't just sit and chat for an hour. If you'd like to chat, I'd be happy to on AIM =) I'm a shy person, and I usually don't like to talk unless we're tackling a specific issue or figuring out plans.

Thanks everyone!

Furloween is in less that 3 weeks! So far, I only have 2 people confirmed to be staying in my room. The room is not yet reserved (because the website has yet to announce which hotel they're using). But I'm going to guess the price is not over $100 a night. My goal is to have 4-5 people in the room so the price is pretty cheap per person. I'm willing to get extra rooms if more people want in or another group wants to get a room beside ours.

If you do not yet have a room, or would like one, PLEASE CONTACT ME! I haven't been online much due to personal time constraints, but please note me or text me (if you have my number) if you are interested. (If you don't have my number, you can note me for that. Just don't harass me at 3am all the time, lol).

I only have 1-2 spots left in my car. While it would be awesome to rent a van, I'm only 21 =/ and most places require you to be 24 to rent. If anyone in the areas between Tampa and Sarasota wants to work out transportation with me, PLEASE CONTACT ME! I'm usually very flexible about this kind of stuff, just talk to me =)

--> http://www.furhold.org/furloween/ <--

Once the website gets updated, I'll get the room reserved and let everyone know a definite amount.

Oh! And I do plan on attending the picnic the next day =)

(And if any of the bowling people are reading this, I'm trying to get together with you guys on Saturday this week. I know I missed the last one due to family issues, but our next meeting isn't until a week before Furloween, so I'd like to see you all earlier than that :3 )