First up is the Red Panda from the Building the Red Panda video series. He was originally built for a local auction, but he was a little out of place there and never received a bid.

Next is Little Red Riding Hood. She was part of one of our early live shows.

The next puppet was one of the top ten finalists in the Once Upon a Puppet Contest held in 2007 at Project Puppet. It’s Mr. Toad of Toad Hall, inspired by the Kenneth Grahame classic The Wind in the Willows.

And finally we have a little female sheep that was used for a few years as Mrs. Cratchit in our production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol that featured a motley group of Thistledown’s puppets.

If you haven’t been able to afford one of our custom creations, this is a great way to get one of our puppets to add to your collection or puppet show cast!

From our family to yours, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We’re looking forward to working with lots of wonderful people in 2012!

I’m glad to announce that the Christmas Critters have all been shipped. So if you ordered one, then you can expect it in the mail really soon. And if you didn’t order one…that’s okay. We plan to make the Critters a Christmas tradition here at Thistledown Puppets. Expect a brand new one next season!

Now it’s back to work for a bit until Christmas, then we’ll be taking a mini vacation the last week of December to rest and relax…

This Christmas season, I want to share my love of puppets with you. So without further ado, I’m proud to introduce the Thistledown Puppets Christmas Critter! He is an adorable little monster puppet made by myself right here in the Thistledown Puppets workshop. He’s just over 12 inches tall and sure to bring smiles to the faces of the little ones in your life. The Critter would also make a great beginner puppet for those of you who are young at heart and have wanted to get started in puppetry.

This quality hand-made puppet is available to you for just $79. This is a limited edition—only 25 puppets are available, so it’s first come first serve.

How do I purchase one?

Simply fill out a Contact Form on the Thistledown Puppets site and you’ll receive a PayPal invoice (You must pay in full to reserve your puppet). All orders placed before November 18th in the Continental US will receive free shipping, so get your order in early. For those outside the US, international shipping rates will apply. When ordering, please include, your name, e-mail address, and shipping address.

All orders must be received before November 30, 2011. The puppet will arrive at your door in time for Christmas.

So what are you waiting for? Get your order in for your Christmas Critter today! Here’s looking forward to Merry and Joy-filled Christmas season!

Philip Hatter

Here is the happy couple:

And here are their fleecy counterparts:

We’ve recently posted a new album on Facebook documenting the building of the dragon puppet for Cory Godbey. If you’re on Facebook and haven’t “Liked” Thistledown Puppets yet, what are you waiting for?

From our workshop to your home—we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!

Philip Hatter (“Alley Cat,” Puppet Performer and Voice) is a seasoned puppet builder and performer and is the founder of Thistledown Puppets. He most recently was seen performing as “Pig” in Bull: A Puppet Musical and is excited to offer his craft and expertise to GIVE.

Jessie Hatter (“Mommy”) is a new Mommy in real life. She is fairly new to Roanoke theater and most recently performed as “Ewe” in Bull: A Puppet Musical. She is excited to be on stage again with the cast of GIVE.

Elizabeth Jones (“Allie Mouse,” Puppet Performer and Voice) Elizabeth Matthews Jones is a graduate student at Hollins University studying Creative Writing and Theatre, and is extremely honored to be a part of the world premier of GIVE.

Aimee Perkins (“DeeDee,” Puppet Performer and Voice) Aimee Perkins is so thrilled to be working on a project with the wonderful and talented A.D. Lucas. She has been in several shows in Roanoke, and is so happy to be working with such a wonderfully talented bunch.

Aaron Sifford (“Bobby,” Puppet Performer and Voice) Aaron is a local actor who is extremely excited to be a part of this production. Aaron has appeared in several shows here in the valley, the most recent being as “The Padre” in Man of La Mancha at Showtimers.

Josh Taylor (“Daddy”) Josh is so excited to be a part of this incredible show … even though he doesn’t get to be a puppet … this time! Josh has appeared in several local productions since moving to Roanoke, most recently performed roles in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Violet. Other credits include “George” in Our Town, “Sky Masterson” in Guys and Dolls, and the “Teen Angel” in Grease.

Alex Lucas (Playwright, Director) Alex D. Lucas is a playwright, lyricist, and composer living and working in Roanoke, VA. His most recent musical play Bull: A Puppet Musical premiered right here at the Dumas Center as a part of the Roanoke Arts Festival in 2008. That play has been produced and performed over the past two years in Greece. GIVE, Lucas’s second musical, represents a two-and-a-half year process of development that started as an idea to raise money for those in need during the holidays.

Tickets for Give: A Christmas Musical are on sale now! You can buy them online here. The dates are December 10th, 11th, 17th, and 18th. We will be performing at the Barlow Auditorium at the Dumas Center–the venue for Bull: A Puppet Musical two years ago.

The show is really coming together. Alex has put a lot of work into this show–over two years to be exact. It’s so fun, and different from anything I’ve worked on before. It combines live actors and puppets, and the cast is so talented and amazing. I really think this show could become a local holiday tradition. So if you’re going to be in the Roanoke area next month, do yourself a favor and come out an see it. If you’d like, you can follow the progress on the show’s blog, or on Twitter. Below are some images of the four puppets that will appearing in the show: