Starhouse - new stockists of Sock Horror

Starhouse is a fantastic new store owned by the creators of Starhouse Clothing in the heart of York. This unique shop is the newest store to offer Sock Horrors.

Julie and Kelly, the owners, have expanded their Starhouse clothing name by opening up this brilliant store in this historic Viking town. They’ve only been open in York a matter of weeks but are already building on their experience in Hull and have established themselves among the alternative scene.


Kelly and Julie’s first incarnation of Starhouse clothing opening in Hull in 2004 providing the city with affordable alternative clothing catering for all the different faces of the alternative market. They strive to be different from other Goth/alternative stores by constantly searching out new suppliers and smaller companies that will give them a lot of exclusives and one-offs. In addition to the usual brands they also customise a lot of their own clothes for sale in their shop. Amongst their wares you’ll find a collection of malicious Sock Horrors, Fluff Creatures and copies of our Sockmosis survival manuals. You can also commission a custom Sock Horror through them.

If you live near York, or just fancy a day out, I recommend you pay a visit to Starhouse. You’ll find them on Stonegate, one of the old streets that lead to the Minster.

I love wandering the cobbled shambles of the old town with the narrow twisting streets and the buildings that jut out to almost meet over the heads of shoppers.


There is just so much history seeping out of every crevice. York also has some of the most stupid laws that have just not been rescinded since ancient times:

You can legally shoot a Scotsman who is within the city walls, so long as you are stood on the city walls, you are using a bow and arrow and it is a Sunday… and even then you are only allowed to kill one per Sunday!

Or

On Whip-ma-whop-ma gate (the shortest street (15m) with the longest name) you can legally flog your wife for being drunk… though of course this doesn’t happen any more. Just thinking about the city makes me want to go back there.

In fact, as soon as I’ve posted this blog I’m going to plan a trip.

I’m a girl of extremes… all or nothing.

I latch on to a project; whether it is creating new creatures, throwing myself at a new profile or collaborating on a new volume of Sockmosis. I go for it hammer and tongs until I get to a place where I can say ‘my work here is done’ and then I move on. It’s not the best way of working. I become engrossed in that one task at the expense of everything else.

Recently my attention has been absorbed firstly by creating costumes for the fancy dress party a couple of weeks ago (the theme was Heroes and Villains; I was Audrey II from the Little Shop of Horrors and my fella was Optimus Prime)

With the Hitcher for those of you that know 'The Mighty Boosh'

Can you tell which one is the cardboard cut out?

...and this last week I was getting tribal garb together for our troupes performance last Friday.

I’m glad to say that both events were a huge success.

So I’ve been madly busy of late, yet I realise that my presence online has been neglected and Sock Horror has suffered. I came here today to find that my last blog entry was a competition launch… well, I’m sad to say I forgot about that! Didn’t promote it or nurture it at all, so I’m doubly shocked that I did actually receive some entries.

I’d like to thank those of you that participated and apologise for taking my eye off the ball. I promise to give you my full attention next time I launch a competition… watch this space because there’s another one on its way.

So, without further ado, I’d like to announce that the winner of the competition was Trey Rain who suggested that these adorable little creatures are Scouts of the Doldrums, sent ahead of the raiding party to scope out fresh supplies of socks and map out possible dangers. Well done Trey!

Tattoos, Tantrums and Tinkers

Tattoos

Sunday saw us at the first annual Hull Ink tattoo convention. Having never taken Sock Horror to such an event before (though I have been an enthusiast at such events over the years) I was a little apprehensive; will people get it? Or will I be met with a lot of blank expressions and confused mutterings? I'm like this with each new venue type I take them too.

On the whole though, I am glad to say, that Sock Horror was greeted with the scary excitement and enthusiasm it invokes at other events. We were inundated with questions and musings and saw the light bulb moment for several people... yes these are the critters that steal your socks! In fact I was extracting more ridicule for my corset with it's bullet hole and my 5" stack boots than with the motley crew of maleficient doldrites ranked behind me.

Unfortunately I didn't get to see much of the rest of the event, but I did hear some great bands and I did see some awesome ink work being done on the day. It definitely woke the desire in me for some new ink and got the juices flowing with ideas.

Tantrums

Because we enjoyed the day so much I looked into participating at other tattoo events as soon as I got home. There are some huge tattoo events that take place up and down the country, and I thought this would be the best of both worlds... to go to some conventions slightly further a field that I wouldn't usually get to and to take the Horrors to a new audience.

Well, it ended in a tantrum (not pretty I know) becasue we're either away, hubby can't book the time off work, clashes with another event we're already going to, is too close to organise for or is already booked up. In short, I'm too late to do tattoo conventions this year! but you can bet I'm going to be first in the queue with my booking form for next years events.

Which brings me to Tinkers

With out major events out of the way and our newest stockists supplied (this constitutes a blog of it's own) I can now put my attention into our online affairs. I spent my bank holiday Monday updating our website and listing all out current creatures.

Etsy is being updated through the coming week, and I plan to catch up with my friends on MySpace and in the Etsy Dark Side Team. It's been too long!

I used to spend hours playing space invaders... who didn't?

I used to get beside myself with excitement as the lines of aliens advanced on me... ME... and I frantically tried to shoot them down. I was hopeless; too gripped by fear to be any good, but I did love the rush and anxiety I got. I've never been able to play computer games since.

But these, these are amazing: space invaders soap set from Digital Soaps on Etsy

I'm lost for words. I really don't know what to say; other than I can now beat the space invaders into submission!

They're ace! Well done Digital Soaps.

I've seen you looking!

I know that from time to time you browse the walls of the Sock Horror Mausoleum to gawp at the creatures we have on display there.

I know that you check in on MySpace or other social account and find that nothing much is going on there.

I assure you that that is not because I can't be bothered... rather that I stretch myself too thin.

You may have noticed that I do not present very many new creatures to you. This is down to your passion. Rarely do i get chance to catalogue ans list a new creature before it is re-housed, hence the scarce trapping on our website and Etsy stores.

In truth I have a collection of over 60 creatures currently staring down at me ready for the tattoo convention we are going to on Sunday, and I promise that the first thing I will do on my return is upload all the Horrors and Warding charms for you to see.

Similarly I will try hard to check in on all the profiles we have online... and we have a lot. This means that instead of reaching loads of new people, we are in fact ignoring the majority. MySpace for instance is a great site, but this year I have done little more that answer direct questions. I shamefully haven't said hello to any of our new friends.

It's not good enough!

So, I will be concentrating my efforts on a few select sites. You will find me on the following:

Website MySpace Twitter Blogspot Etsy

I will also keep an eye on Zazzle and Lulu though I will not hang out there, and I hope that this means I have more time to dedicate to the Etsy Dark Side Team that I love.

If you are friends through one of our other sites, please don't worry, we won't be closing our accounts but you will be directed to one of the above.

So, I hope to meet you soon online,

Stay safe... BEWARE YOUR SOCKS

Madame Horror

Tadaa!

And here he is; the celestial being. I have named him Sorip.

Just look at how the big pink planet sits on his belly and curves round the base of his horns; how the earth wraps round his horns and slides under his arse (was that intentional?) and the stars are firing from his finger tips. There's even an orange rocket or two.

I can't believe I dilly dallied with this one. I just love him! I'm not sure I'm going to be able to part with him. For now he is sat on the shelf above my computer throwing starry shapes around my head.

Talking about creatures form outer space I just love the Brain Bloom by Doodlemonkie.


I hope I never meet one in real life!

Celestial socks and no incision

There is a pair of socks that I love. I've had them for quite a while and so far all I've managed to do is look at them!

Usually when I fall for a pair of socks I instantly know what I'm going to do with them and I have to do it there and then... the design generally shouts out for a particular shape or a patch of pattern for a specific location, but not this time.

I bought them from an independent retailer in Preston. A little shop that doesn't usually sell socks, but on this occasion made my heart soar as I found the most amazing socks with planets and rockets on them. I have gazed into their weave pondering their fate on numerous occasions and so far been unable to make the first cut. For some reason, with this particulat pair of socks, I am hesitant to jump in and see what happens as I would do with all other socks. What if I don't like the end result? what if I spoil them?

It's stupid I know, but I love them too much to waste them and have no way to replace them if the worst should happen.

I think I just need to force myself to pick up the scissors and make the first incision...

Yikes! Done! Holy smokes!

Well the hard bit's over; I just have to make the darn things now :)

I'll let you know how it goes...

Secret Santa

Some of you may be aware that Sock Horror was born Christmas 2006 in a bid to come up with novel Secret Santa gifts for my friends. Well the deal has come full circle. This year, the Secret Santa I recieved from one of my friends was a Sock Horror Trap!


It's truly amazing; the amount of thought and research that has gone in to this contraption is impressive. The mechanism, which is fully functional, is devised from a standard mouse trap and a fangled coat hanger that holds up the trap door until the spring has sprung. And it si lethal; I have caught myself with it several times while playing with it!

It is baited with a seemingly harmless mix of loose wool and discarded sleepers... and there is a solitary key to entice even the most wary doldrites into it's confines. My friend has definitely done his homework; even to the point of ensuring that a marauding doldrite would be able to fit into the apparatus with ease.

I think you can say I'm well chuffed, and that this is the prototype of traps to come!

But it doesn't end there... another gift from the same friends was the following bronze plaque:

Don't ask me how they found such a truly apt plate but I'm glad they did. Cheers guys!

Happy New Year!

Well, 2009 has offically begun!

Determined to get the year off to the right kind of start I have thrown myself at my work with the gusto of one that may not live to see another day. Slowly clearing out the mass of paperwork I've allowed to grow through 2008, working out where my efforts should focus in the begining of the year and listing the few remaining creatures I have left after the Christmas period on my website...which are also starting to filter onto Etsy:


And after the abuse I have put myself through this past week (chocolates, very little exercise, more chocolates, party food and very little sleep) I was very pleased when I came across this much needed cleansing soap by Bunny Butt Apothecary

I need to take more care of myself.

Dearest Sock Horror aficionados

I am delighted to inform you that the latest trappings of Horrors and Fluff have been added to our website.

Unfortunately the pickings are few...I fear the doldrites are cottoning on to our hunting techniques and avoiding our regular haunts. As a consequence we have an excersion planned for later in the week to travel further a field and explore new territory. Hopefully our new district will provide us with an abundance of the blighters.

Till then...stay safe and beware your socks!

Madame Horror

Leave my toasty toe toppers be!

I regularly give myself a rap over the knuckles regarding my approach to bloging. It is something I enjoy but struggle to find the time to complete. When I do find a few moments to compose an entry it turns into a list of notices that is slightly out of date and therefore probably of little note to most people. They are also generally quite lengthy and cumbersome to read.

So, I am setting some new priorities. Today I am going to jot down everything worthy of note at the minute…this may take some time as there are many topics for me to get off my chest, and then I will be free to make lighter entries of worth, hopefully on a more regular basis.

The followers amongst you will know that Halloween saw us at the Whitby Goth Festival. Whilst there, we held a raffle for one of our caged Sock Horrors. The lucky winner was Grant, pictured below with his prize ‘Hilomili’.

The 15^th of November was the Thought Bubble Sequential Arts Festival, organised as part of the 11^th annual Leeds International Film Festival. Sock Horror was one of the exhibitors to be found at the event which was held in Savilles’ Hall opposite the Royal Armouries.

The Thought Bubble team organised an excellent event with record numbers of people queuing to get in and meet their favourite comic book artists. There were many exhibitors, signings and presentations throughout the day, and it was great to see so many of you turn up there. We had a great time, met some real characters and were exposed to some great new comics and artists.

An artist of note for me was Dan Barrit of Ragadabah Art with his zombie ridden vistas of Leeds. His attention to detail is immense and well worth a look if you know Leeds at all as you can easily pinpoint the landmarks and buildings that are overrun by plagues of zombies and the chaos that ensues.

On a different note, I am pleased to be able to say that we have just 2 copies left from our first print run of our latest book Sockmosis; Survival of the Fittest. We have been in procession of these copies for just 4 weeks and we have already had to place another order. It is heartening to know that our message is getting out and the threat we face at the hands/feet/horns/digits of these creatures is no longer getting swept under the carpet. The next shipment should be with us shortly… and definitely in plenty of time for you to receive your copy before Christmas!

If you have not already ordered your copy of the Sockmosis survival manual you can do so here:

When worlds Collide

Survival of the Fittest

Alongside the delivery of books, we’re expecting to get our hands on another parcel any day now. This is something new that we’ve never done before, but after several requests and much investigation we have decided to branch out a little. I won’t say just yet, other than I’m excited to see the results and even more so to see your reactions!

We have also been feverishly busy restocking our outlets as people have already started their Christmas shopping, so you can find a fresh consignment of Horrors at a store near you. Just checkout our links page to find out where you can get your hands on Sock Horror.

As a consequence of all this activity you will find that our website (and other online stores) is decidedly low on trappings. I am currently surrounded by Sock Horror skins and the Fluff creature components, and am busy putting the finishing touches on many a creature with the plan to have the website updated with new stock over the weekend. If you can’t wait that long please remember that I do take commissions…at no extra charge. Just message me with your requests and I’ll be quick to get back to you to discuss the possibilities.

If all this activity isn’t enough for you, you will find us busily preparing for the Christmas fairs that we are attending, hosted by Chilli Lime Deli in Fleming Square, Blackburn.

The fairs will be held every Saturday in December and we have a pitch booked at all 3 events. There are going to be a variety of stalls and something for everyone; plenty to take your fancy and inspire you for Christmas, live music, mulled wine and a selection of hearty food to fill your belly in the icy weather.

OK, I think I’ve kept you for long enough. Thanks for reading to the end; I hope I didn’t ramble on too much. As a treat for sticking with me I’d like to furnish everyone that places an order before Christmas with a free gift. All you have to do is put the quote ‘Leave my toasty toe toppers be!’ in the comments section of your Paypal invoice and I’ll do the rest!

Stay safe…and chant to the doldrites – Leave my toasty toe toppers be!

Madame Horror