Radio Drama Podcast Launches!

I'm so excited about my new old-time radio, drama podcast Twelve Chimes It's Midnight!!

Look at that great logo by Michael Dean!!

The show launched Thurs night (Feb 2nd) on SoundCloud... https://soundcloud.com/twelvechimesradio ...and so far it's been played 60 times (although 3-4 of those are mine :).

I posted about the launch on my Facebook and Twitter pages and started new ones for the show.

* Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/twelvechimesradio/
* Twitter - https://twitter.com/12chimesradio or @12chimesradio

I submitted to iTunes and to an active audio drama site called Radio Drama Revival. They have recent posts and seem to be very active.

I'll also be interviewed for a post by the author Varla Ventura for her blog. Yay!!!

Arch Obler, writer/producer of Lights Out,
and actress Nazimova, c.1940s

The inspiration for the show comes from old time radio shows, particularly Suspense, Adventures by Morse, and Lights Out, as well as 1940s-60s pulp novels and comic books, and b-movies.

It all started when I agreed to read an excerpt from one of my short horror stories at friends' bar -- Stookey's Club Moderne -- for a Halloween event on Sun Oct 30th (2016).

I chickened out (short story writing just not there yet), but I made a commitment and wanted to perform something to fill out 15-20 min for the afternoon event.

I decided to read from a Halloween-appropriate episode from Lights Out. I picked the episode called "Poltergeist," shortened it to 12 min, and reduced the number of characters to two. I enlisted the help of my friend Brett Stillo (who co-hosts the fabulous podcast 5 Minutes of Trouble, analyzing 5-min blocks of the film Big Trouble in Little China). 

Brett Stillo and me reading Poltergeist
at Stookey's Club Moderne 3.30.16

We read the play with a mic prop I created and some sound effects on my iPhone (hooked up to a small speaker) that I could call up with a tap. It was a resounding hit!

I was hit hard with a wave of inspiration...and three months later, I've written five plays, recorded two, edited and launched the first, and have another event scheduled at Stookey's, to perform and record the season finale (episode 5) on Sat Feb 25th with the Kirk Ribak Trio!!!

Aaron Seymour recording The Darkness

Arron and I recorded episode two, The Darkness, last weekend and I'll be editing this weekend. This is really happening!!

A huge thanks goes out to the sound engineering advice from Scott Louis and Marcus Marchesseault, as well as voice over talent Josh Horowitz (Brett's co-host for 5 Minutes of Trouble), logo design by Michael Dean, and to all the amazing, patient, and talented actors: Beth Abdallah, Audra Wolfmann, Scott Louis, Aaron Seymour, and Brett Stillo. Kiley Brokaw will be joining the group for episode #3. Also a huge thank you to my significant other who prefers to stay anonymous, he made a ton of great suggestions and bits of inspired story ideas! 💗💗💗

Scott Louis records sound effects
for The Darkness

Below are the launch dates for Season 1 -- a little sporadic, but tough to get everyone together, I'm just learning the audio editing software, and I have a demanding job. So I figured sporadic was better than not at all, right?!

2/2 -- Seance Games
2/16 -- The Darkness
3/23 -- Ghost Crush
4/6 -- Adopted Ghost
4/13 -- Chance Encounter (recorded live)

Now back to work editing The Darkness!!!

More Inspiration

A designer I'd never heard of until now is Stéphane Rolland. He's had his own line since 2007 and has worked as a costume designer and for Balenciaga.

My very favorite of his Haute Couture Spring 2011 collection is this amazingly draped gown. I am so unknowledgeable about fabrics...looks like crepon, crinkle cotton, but this can't possibly be a simple cotton, but has to be a silk of some kind.



I love its Edwardian-like shape. I'm imagining it in a dark, but vibrant blue. Something to day dream about while I'm at work...

Today's Inspiration

The creations of John Galliano for Christian Dior Couture Spring 2011 leave me weak in the knees. After a week of film noir at the Noir City Film Festival, I'm ready for some non-murderous beauty.

These are my favorite three in the collection. I love the strong dramatic look, subtle color, and clean lines and swoops.







Style.com tells me that this collection is "...Galliano's salute to René Gruau, the illustrator whose work for Christian Dior in the forties and fifties created the house's most iconic imagery..."



This one was not created for Dior, but, as the name suggests, for designer Marcel Rochas.



Happy that I have some days off at the end of the month and can work on my dress project...have to keep my inspiration high until then!!!

Today's Inspiration

Work has been kickin' my butt and so all other diversions have taken a back seat. Sadly this should continue for another month or so...and have to work on Sat! Ack!

But such are the times, one is happy for work that enables cocktails in the evening, cabs when you need them (when you can find them), and being able to pay that ever lovin' rent!

Enough of that and onto inspiration for today... in the form of Chanel's spring collection...sigh, many pieces I find so amazing...

The neckline is amazing and love the lacy goodness...

Love the delicacy of the skirt and quiet sexiness...


Now, to work... hi ho, hi ho...

Inspiration and Zipper Anxiety!

I am almost complete with view 2 of a pattern I've used before, Simplicity 4298.

View 2 far left in orange, view 1 to its right

I've made view 1 previously with satisfying results...



...after some alteration...too big across the back.

For view 2, I have left to set the sleeves and make a hem. I am confident about these two steps. It is the zipper...oh the zipper... I am so nervous. I have put in short zippers successfully, but never the 22". I have sent it out once before, which cost $15. This cost seems definitely equal to the avoidance of the stress of putting in this zipper, but part of me wants to get past this hurdle. I haven't made up my mind.

That aside though, I saw some beautiful inspiration today in Louis Vuitton's fall/winter collection. As always, beautiful photos at TLo's blog.



Drool, drool! I am going home tonight and finishing my project! Okay, maybe not the zipper, but at least I'll make up my mind to do it myself or farm out the work/headache.