As some of you may already know, Beef Jerky is in the final 16 of the fursuit tourney this year.

I have some videos of Beef Jerky:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TMeaLtalQI Beef Jerky playing guitar (with his guest star Turbo on the squeeky ball)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzzCD2C7Am4 Beef Jerky out hiking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMpZfL4TTu0 Beef Jerky ding-dong-ditching a public landmark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeHis8VdcTM Being a silly husky and rolling around in his toys.

This voting round he's up against the amazingly crafted Red XIII. I know this is a tough choice for everyone, but I am hoping Beef Jerky's fans will consider voting in the tourney. Its happening here:
http://community.livejournal.com/fu.....ney/60039.html

If you are a member of LiveJournal, but not yet a member of the community, you are able to join here:
http://www.livejournal.com/communit.....fursuittourney
You can vote after they approve your account.

I made plans to attend Rainfurrest this year!

For watch-list people who don't know yet, Rainfurrest is my local furry convention, it happens in Washington state September 18-20th in a totally beautiful hotel. It has a completely awesome Zombie theme this year. I'm planning on going with the theme and attending as a Zombie Hunter, since that's the best thing in the universe ever.
http://www.rainfurrest.com/2009/

Hopefully I'll get a new suit finished. Otherwise he'll probably be a partial, since the head, paws and tail's all done. There's a lot of handsewing needed on the bodysuit, and so I just need to find the time.

Let me know if you plan to attend, I'm starting to get excited about going!

I just thought I'd make a note here about my new husky-doggy Turbo.

He came home with us Feb 4th, from being free in the classifides. We love him so much already. He's turned out to be the perfect dog for us, and he is so much fun to be around. We are very lucky to have him

I have a gallery of more pictures for those interested in seeing. Its located on LiveJournal here:
http://pics.livejournal.com/matrice.....llery/00017tpq

You may find more posted here in my FA, but I'll try to keep the majority of the photos in that gallery for those who want to see. :3

I thought I'd make a post here to find out who I should expect to see at Rainfurrest this year!!

I got a room on the fursuit floor, I'm pre-registered for the 3 days, and I totally intend to be fursuiting as much as possible. I'll be bringing 3 suits with me... Mangle (which my boyfriend may or may not wear) Beef Jerky, and Cathlamet, my newest fursuit. (Beef Jerky and Cathlamet are ones I'll be wearing).

I'm totally going to have the most fun fursuit props ever. And I totally kinda want to do a fun skit as soon as I think of good ideas for it. Otherwise I'm probably going to do something weird thats only funny to me. I guess I'll make up my mind on what I want to do at the con....

I'll maybe have the chance to do some drawing commissions, but like usual I ABSOLUTELY PREFER TO DO THEM WITH YOU PRESENT IF YOU COMMISSION ME. Pleeeeease don't run away to do "more important things" after I get your character sheet. I prefer to sit down and talk about what you're getting, I'm fairly quick, but not when I have to take it back to my room and do it by myself (that sucks, I tend to lose interest). So ... yeah.

Welllll.. let me know if you're going. I totally want to meet up with more folks. You'll probably see me hangin' out with the rest of my NOrTh SOund furry posse. Introduce me to your people and I'll introduce you to my people. :3

I've added several new pages and updated a few others on my site, http://www.matrices.net

I invite you all to check it out!

Some of the pages I've updated/added to include a new Video Tutorial: How to Make a Fursuit Head Base Using Foam, updated the My Costumes page and added to the timeline of masks I've made, and I also updated my tutorial, Maskmaking with Foam with lots of new pictures added.

So next week Beef Jerky is up for voting in the Fursuit Tourney and I'd love to see you guys put in a vote for him throughout the tourney. If you haven't joined up yet here's the site:
http://community.livejournal.com/fursuittourney

And the link to join: http://www.livejournal.com/communit.....fursuittourney
It takes a bit to be approved, so go ahead and join up if you have the chance right now, there's currently a round going on with some pretty good pair-ups this week.

As for Beef Jerky's turn, here's some Beef Jerky-related stuff for you to see:

Vote! Share this pic with your friends. :3
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1200264/

Toooooons of pics in my LJ gallery:
http://pics.livejournal.com/matrice.....llery/00008ag5

Lotsa pics here:
http://images.monocerosmedia.com/ga.....08/Beef_Jerky/
http://images.monocerosmedia.com/ga.....-Shiny-Sparky/
http://images.monocerosmedia.com/ga....._Jerky-Crunky/
http://images.monocerosmedia.com/ga.....Skookum-Spark/
http://images.monocerosmedia.com/ga.....y-Nitro-Spark/

A few pics from FA:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1280429/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1046951/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/760346/ (one of my favorites!!)

Viiiids:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aUYYQt6riI (Husky vs Piano)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w21XWw_Hzic (Learn Sign Language!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5NYcRNXz8w (Pizza time!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ0DgkQISp0 (8 min. long video of Beef Jerky doing nothing ;3)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeHis8VdcTM (Rollin' around in the Plushies!)


If you have any pics, videos, or photos to contribute to my collection, let me know by posting a link in your reply, I would love to see! I know there's looootsa stuff floating around out there since I've been to several cons with Beef Jerky now. :3

Thanks you guys!

Today (May 1st) is my birthday!

I have designated May 1 of each year as "Loyalty To Matrices Day." This Loyalty To Matrices Day, and throughout the year, I ask all citizens of the Internet to join me in reaffirming our allegiance to Matrices.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, SARA L. HOWARD, person who happens to be awesome, do hereby proclaim May 1, as Loyalty To Matrices Day. I call upon the people of the Internet to participate in this observance and to display the signs of Matrices on Loyalty To Matrices Day as a symbol of pride in our eccentricities.

The "loyalty to Matrices day" cameabout due to this:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/rele.....0070430-3.html

There was also an image (produced during the 23rd Loyalty to Matrices day, and the first celebration of it) as a result:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/525578/

Hi there furries on the Internet.
Are you going to All Fur Fun next week in Spokane, WA? I hope so, because you'll see me there!

I'll be bringing along two fursuits, "Beef Jerky" the Husky, and my new one, "Mangle" the Akita. I'm looking forward to meeting you all there.

Edit: The person who mainly will be wearing Mangle is not a furry and it will be his first time fursuiting. I would sincerly appreciate if you take this advice seriously:
* He is not interested in contact.
* I do not advise offering him "hugs" "skritches" "backrubs" or any sort of physical touching, because it will not be welcome.
* Please do not touch him. He's not interested in contact and will probably be quite shovey if you decide to try for any form of contact anyways.
* If he says No, he means it very seriously.
* The only thing that may be okay is tapping his shoulder to get his attention for photos or any sort of nearby danger you may need to caution him of, nothing else, please.

I'll be open for commissions and trades if you can grab me, but I will only be doing them in-person. I don't like to take them at a con as homework to submit to folks later, sit with me and tell me what you'd like drawn, I love to complete it with you there so you get exactly what you want and see it done! (the trick to it is catching me when I'm free. If I can help it I won't be taking down a commission list or sketchbooks to complete later!) Let me know if you have any questions, of course.

Give me a reply here if you're going!!

I just bought my plane tickets to go to Further Confusion! I'm so excited, this will be my first "big" convention!
I've been to other cons before, but nothing in terms of the scale of FC. Just about everyone at Rainfurrest asked me if I was going to FC ...and I wasn't sure then, but I am now!

Let me know if you're going, maybe we can meet up and hang out for a bit. I know for sure I intend to do a lot of fursuiting. :D

Hey there FurAffininty folks, I hope to see you at the Rainfurrest convention in Washington state later this month.
I'll be attending! I'll be bringing my costumes, and hopefully meeting up with some of you.. Are you going? Let me know!

I'll be there to do commissions in person. (And by in person, I mean that I prefer to do them with the commissioner present during the drawing, rather than recieving a description and handing the finished drawing in later.) Prices will depend on the size and complexity, and payment arranged when I begin the drawing.