Hello LJ world

[double_dutchess]

Always doing the unfashionable thing, I finally gave myself an LJ account as a Christmas present. A very cheap present it was too, because I don't expect to be posting enough to merit a paid account.

I know BtVS fandom on LJ is no longer thriving as it once was, but I still look forward to making new online friends, connecting to existing ones, and getting better access to all the Buffy (or actually, mostly Spike) related goodness that can be found on LJ. I like all of BtVS and AtS, but Spike is the main reason for me to be in the Buffy fandom.

Due to a severe lack of time outside the holidays I won't be posting much, apart from the occasional vid or image. I don't manage to make more than 2 or at most 3 vids a year, but I still have some old stuff that I intend to post occasionally to make up for my lack of productivity. Also, I will do my best to comment on other people's work, but I'm afraid I won't have time to write anything longer or more thoughtful than your basic variations on "I like it".

Anyway, LJ here I come!

Comments

[rbfvid.livejournal.com]

Welcome, and there is nothing wrong with "I like it!" comments =)

[double_dutchess]

Many thanks for the welcome!

And I know, a simple comment like that may feel inadequate but it's much better than saying nothing at all. (Which, to be honest, I've been very often guilty of -- but at least now I no longer have the excuse of not having an LJ account.)

[rbfvid.livejournal.com]

As a long time lurker myself - oh, how I know that feeling...)

[shapinglight]

:Waves:

Nice to see you here - and no one is going to turn their nose up at 'I like it' comments. These days, you treasure every comment you get.

[double_dutchess]

:Waves enthusiastically back:

Glad to be here. I know there's no turning the tide, but I'll try to compensate at least a teeny-tiny bit for the LJ decline.

[sparrow2000.livejournal.com]

Welcome to LJ! The Buffy fandom may be quieter than in years gone by, but there's still lots to enjoy and some lovely people to hang out with!

And as others have said, there's absolutely nothing wrong with an "I like it" comment. All comments are cherished, however brief they may be.

[double_dutchess]

Thank you very much for your message! It's heartwarming to get such a friendly welcome.

[misskittydu34.livejournal.com]

Again, welcome here ♥ Don't worry about being active, people post as much as they can, I'm not very active on Livejournal me neither :-)

I hope you'll enjoy being on Livejournal :-)

[double_dutchess]

Thanks! So far I'm really enjoying it. And I'm in a flurry of posting and commenting now, but that will definitely change once the holidays are over...

[comlodge.livejournal.com]

Hi there and welcome. I lurked for years, (not commenting either), had no intentions of posting and now I'm so addicted. It's a great place to meet like minded people and there is a wonderful little welcoming community here that I can so vouch for. :D

[double_dutchess]

Thanks for the welcome! In fact it's the fear of addiction that has kept me from getting my own LJ account for years. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep myself from posting and commenting once I had one, and I really don't have enough time for that (outside the holidays, anyway). But now the damage is done :-)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Welcome to this corner of fandom!

I'm three years new to it myself and folks have been incredibly welcoming and I've had a chance to really develop and grow as an artist here because of the encouragement my friends in the fandom have given me. (Plus, icontests are a great way to sharpen my skills. I've already left a comment on your fag_end submission btw.)

I hear that the fandom isn't as active as it was back in the day, or when the comics first came out - but there still plenty going on and new people coming every day.

[double_dutchess]

Thank you very much! I've only been on here for two days and everybody has already been very welcoming, it's great.

So you're an icon artist? I could actually use some of those for my brand new account. If you have any to share, or have suggestions where I could get some nice ones, that would be most wonderful!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

And this is why I say that this fandom isn't "dead" - because there are always new people coming into it; for a show that's been off the air over ten years, that's staying power. And you've gone about things the right way, jumping right in and participating. And hurrah for visual artists in fandom! There is a LOT of fiction here, so other forms of creativity (non-fiction, art, videos etc) are most welcome and encouraged.

I've been here for three years (my first btvs watch) and folks have been marvelous. There are three people in the entire world I can tell absolutely anything, share my darkest stuff without fear, and two of them are in this fandom, People have come together to mourn the deaths of two beloved members of fandom this year in a way that absolutely proves that fandom friendships and communities are "really real".


So you're an icon artist? I could actually use some of those for my brand new account. If you have any to share, or have suggestions where I could get some nice ones, that would be most wonderful!

Do I have suggestions? Where do i begin? I should say that some of the best icon artists I've come across were working 10 years ago and you have to kind of stumble on the older stuff by accident.

zoicite has a collection of btvs/ats icons they made prior to 2005 that are amoung the best icons I've seen:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/zoiciteicons/library/Buffy?sort=3&page=1

If you're looking for artists currently active, the icontest comm challlenges are a great place to start.

slayerstillness you already know about (it was the first icontest comm I was aware of)

otherworldlyric is multifandom but buffyverse icons make up a large percentage of the entries

btvsats20in20

btvs_hush

whedon_elite is the only one I'm listing that I've never competed in because I just discovered it,

Any of the artists you see competing in these is incredibly talented, and they often have more icons listed on their journals than you'll see in those icontests. comlodge focuses her artstic endeavours on Spike; the recently departed pickamix did fantastic work; I also enjoy the work of tempertemper, teragramm, spikesredqueen;

Check out the profiles of other folks like velvetwhip who have gorgeous and interesting icon collections; you can find more names that way.

I really couldn't say where would be the best place to go for Spike icons except for Comlodge, I focus mostly on Buffy and Buffyverse ladies; I did do a Dru icon set inspired by kikimay's new story, "Dreams and Mirrors" http://red-satin-doll.livejournal.com/67149.html

I hope that helps? That should be a start and every fan artist I know is thrilled to accept "commissions" if you find someone whose style you like.

[double_dutchess]

Wow, thank you very much for all these helpful suggestions and links; they're very much appreciated! I'm going to have a look at the work of all those talented people and see if they'll permit me to use some of their icons.

[kikimay]

Welcome in the LJ fandom! There still are a lot of interesting discussions and fanworks. It's nice to see that, after all this time, there are still people who create thanks to BtVS.

[double_dutchess]

Thanks for the welcome! I have been lurking on LJ since around 2008, when I first watched BtVS, and it has never ceased to amaze me how many talented people are still being inspired by it.

[teragramm.livejournal.com]

Any of the artists you see competing in these is incredibly talented, and they often have more icons listed on their journals than you'll see in those icontests. comlodge focuses her artstic endeavours on Spike; the recently departed pickamix did fantastic work; I also enjoy the work of tempertemper, teragramm, spikesredqueen; Thank you so much for such a kind compliment. I am truly touched.

[double_dutchess]

I dont know if red_satin_doll will see your reply to her, but judging from what I've seen of your art at noel_of_spike I'm sure I agree with her. I'm going to check out more of your work on your LJ now!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I forgot to send you direct links to teragramm's icon/art journal teragramm_icons

Most of her icons can be seen by following her "icons" tag
http://teragramm-icons.livejournal.com/tag/icons
but she forgot to add the tag to this wrap-up post for 2013:
http://teragramm-icons.livejournal.com/13414.html

And while I'm here pimping, her W/T banner for Lady Callie's Fic "Enchantment Passing Through" was very influential to me - still one of the pieces in my head when i think about the artist I want to become:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/teragramm4/media/banners/minibangbig.jpg.html

I've forgotten all sorts of talented people btw: debris4spike for instance, is a Spike fan and JM fan but also does icons for other fandoms and even historical ones.

[double_dutchess]

Thanks for all the recs! I did find teragramm's icon journal and have already snagged a few icons from there, like this one (points to icon). I still need to get used to actually selecting specific icons when I make a post, though -- I keep forgetting and then ending up with my default one instead.

That banner is lovely, by the way. I can see how it would be inspirational!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for such a kind compliment. I am truly touched.

You're very welcome hon - it's absolute truth. :) *points to Dawn icon*

[teragramm.livejournal.com]

Welcome to LJ and the BVtS and AtS fandoms. People are very welcoming and I'm sure you will have a good time here.

[double_dutchess]

Thank you! I am already having a very good time, thanks to all the lovely people on here (including you). I just hope I will be able to keep it up after the Christmas holidays when my time will be much more limited.

What a great icon by the way! I totally share the sentiment :-)

[teragramm.livejournal.com]

I just hope I will be able to keep it up after the Christmas holidays when my time will be much more limited. That's OK, I know for myself, I don't post more than a couple of times a month. I usually try to read my flist posts, sometimes I get to reply sometimes I don't but it's all good.

P.S. Since I know you are a Spike fan, I'm trying to remember to change my icon every time I reply to you. ~_^