Dreamspirations Gallery

~Spook~ WIP pics and Art Doll Give Away!

2012-02-04T08:59:00.000-05:00

My little spook is coming along nicely. Had some issues the past couple of weeks so wasn't able to accomplish as much as I wanted to. Still have such a long way to go and crossing fingers that I will finish her before the ADQ challenge deadline. I'm almost done with the sculpting of her head and legs then onto her hands.

Once all are good and dry I can begin the gesso and painting process. I do still need to add her lashes but I think I will do that right before the gesso :)

I also wanted to say I've been reading a really good book! It's Ransom Riggs first Novel and I'm just wowed by that fact. The story is unique and I love how he added in photos throughout to go along with it. Would not be surprised if someone decided to make a movie from it :D

Oh and please don't pass up the chance to win a free Art Doll everyone! I posted it several days ago. All ya gotta do is comment on the post before this one to enter. That is how I'm keeping track of who to add :D

Thanks for dropping in!

A ~Dark Fairy~ Blog Give Away!

2012-01-27T05:55:00.003-05:00

I have decided to post my first blog give away!

This ~Dark Fairy~ was a commission doll that I never heard back from the customer.

She is cloth and paperclay created from my own pattern. Her wings are mesh over wire that has been layered in gesso, acrylic paint and sealer to give them a vinyl look. I've also outlined them in glitter. Her belt that holds the glass vial of same glitter is silver embroidery thread that I made a 4 element braid from.

Her head is hand sculpted with paperclay, gessoed, painted with acrylics and sealed. She has light sage resin eyes and bamboo yarn hair in rust color. I finished her off with glass and silver-plated beads and metal charms. She is signed and dated and measures 15 inches long x 9 inches wide including wing span and bottom hanging charm. She hangs on the wall by a beaded loop on her backside.

All I require for you to enter:

* Is that you are a U.S. resident (sorry but it's only because International Shipping is so outrageous.)

* Comment on this post so I know who's name to add to the bowl.

and

* Follow my blog.

One entry per person and I would very much appreciate it if you would pass this along to others. The end date and time will be Valentines Day at 8:PM EST! I will post and contact the winner the next morning :D Thank you so much and Good Luck!

Spook WIP & Maxwell

2012-01-18T09:39:00.000-05:00

So far this is what I've accomplished on my Spook. Still have to finish her brows, fill in her lids, add lashes, fill out her nose and add mouth stitches. Oh and can't forget her ears! See what I mean about her eyes being much larger than I wanted? But I like it and she has more of an expression than the drawing. Today I'm working on arms and legs and hoping tomorrow I'll finish her head :)

I did get my Troll head done and up on etsy. So that's outta the way. I don't really care for his name but apparently that's what he wanted 'cause nothing else would come to mind.

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Well.... tax time is here again! Need to organize everything from last year and tally up all the bills and such. Fun, fun! I literally end up drowning in a circle of papers! lol

That's about all that's going on in my world. Wish I had more to talk about but my life is pretty much just cleaning house, crafting, seeing a friend or two here and there and grocery shopping :D

Hope you all are having an awesome January and always keep your eyes and ears open to Inspiration!

My Evil, Evil Cat.....

2012-01-12T04:54:00.000-05:00

...... woke me up at 3:AM. She kept smacking everything off the bedside table and making a ridiculous racket! Now I'm up and on my 2nd cup of coffee and it's 10 after 4. I've been crocheting up a storm. Have 2 new colors of fingerless gloves on etsy and plan to finish up another black pair to list today. Still couldn't get the gorgeous purple yarn!

I got to looking and realized I have no more Half finger gloves to offer so sometime soon I'm gonna have to set aside time to make a couple of those but I Really need to get on my *Spook* doll! I have her basic head, shoulders and eyes made but that's as far as I've gotten.

Don't know if you all remember but back in October I did this little drawing of my idea and decided she would make a perfect 21 inch shelf sitter. I know she's morbid but I have to go with the flow! Her eyes will be bigger than pictured. I didn't realize just how much larger they were when I sculpted them until I pulled out my art journal and looked. Oh well.... that's how it goes I guess :) I'm hoping to have her finished along with a twin by the March 15th deadline for shelf sitters in ADQ. If not then guess I will have to either just send her in or Lord Arsenic. Really want the TWINS though!

Other than that.... not a whole lot going on here. I plan to get out to the Farmers Market today and see what kinda veggies I can find. I've never been there so don't really know what they have to offer. They are only open on Thursdays 3-6 pm. If it's good then I plan to go there for my fruits and vegetables each week. I would think they'd be better than the grocery store and should be mostly organic, right?

Hmmm..... wow I am utterly clueless on what to type about this morning so guess I will go and get crackin on my *Spook* and this little troll head that's staring at me. Have a Great Day, all! :D

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T08:15:00.000-05:00

It's amazing how time flies when you're busy! The Holidays have been a bit crazy for me this year but in a good way and I see I haven't made a "real" post since November. Whewww!
I've slacked on my dollmaking this month. Haven't been inspired but I did come up with my own new glove pattern! I thought of it when I found this gorgeous yarn. One skien of this stuff is $9.99 and one pair of these gloves uses it all but they are such fun and sooo pretty I couldn't help myself :D

Now I've gotta get the Dark Purple I had seen the first time around. When I went back and got the black and green yarn the purple was all gone :(

So even though I didn't make any dolls I did keep busy with crochet and other crafts. Made my Mother in Law a Homespun yarn shrug and my hubby and I worked together on a handmade light box for my mom using wood and fabric. I also made some ornaments with paperclay and texture stamps for close friends and family :D

Oh and I made my first stuffed animal from a store bought pattern for my best friends baby boy :) She gave me some leftover fabric that she had cut little yellow ducks out of to put on his wall so I turned around and used that for his elephant. She said he loves it and is always chewing on its ears :D

And I'm very happy to announce that my Tulu and Guardian found new homes over the Holidays. WooHoo! I was beginning to think they would never leave me but I'm sooo thankful because I was able to give my darlin' a good Christmas this year :)

Don't know what we'll be doing today... My mother usually has a New Years Day dinner but she hasn't mentioned anything about it so Adam and I may hit Red Lobster with our gift card his brother gave us. Wish there was a good movie out to go see but when I checked the listings nothing really interested me. OR we may just stay home and take down all of the Holiday decor. It's always been tradition for us to leave it up 'til New Years Day.

Well I wish You all a Happy New Year and I believe things will be looking up for 2012!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS.....

2011-12-24T08:42:00.000-05:00

....EVERYONE!!! Hope there's lots of smiles, hugs and laughter for you this Season :D

Many Blessings, Summer

Vinny and a 'Shroom

2011-11-30T09:59:00.000-05:00

So I got to looking and found out that the last troll head I made was around May 2010! I knew it had been a while but couldn't believe it was actually that long! One day they just stopped coming to me... I wasn't able to see features emerge while sculpting so I had to give them up. Finally yesterday Vinny decided to come out :D A lady had been perusing my etsy sales and asked if I planned on making these anymore. I told her I wasn't sure but I would give it a try!

And here's a new little mushroom :)

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I had planned on helping my mom today but she called and put it off. Sounded a little down and stressed so I ask that all of you please send her some positive energy and/or prayers. She's really needing it right now. If you require her name it is Anita Covington and Thank you so much in advance!!!

So I guess I'll get some house cleaning done and finish up another hat. Hopefully soon I'll get to a new doll.

The Tree is up......

2011-11-29T11:18:00.000-05:00

....and since we decided to put it in front of the windows this year there wasn't room for our traditonal spire so I made a Star :D Adam and I also sat down the other night and decorated some pine cone ornaments. Really want to make some salt dough ones when we get the chance. I have cookie cutters and such in Holiday shapes. Will be so much fun!

I also finished up a new Homespun hat yesterday and got it listed. Today I have to finish a maroon and yellow mushroom pincushion and a troll head pendant but I really need to vacuum my house! lol

Outside my back door.......

2011-11-26T07:21:00.000-05:00

..... was a gorgeous Sunrise this morning. I happened to look up and was enthralled with all of the vibrant colors so I ran and grabbed my camera :D

Granny.........

2011-11-23T09:34:00.000-05:00

........was in dog heaven! She did her nightly cuddling with Adam on the couch last night and he started giving her an intense neck massage. She was making the funniest grunts and groans and at one point he almost put her out. I had to grab my camera and take these pics. lol And yes her other ear is flopped backwards hanging off the couch :D

Groovy Shrooms

2011-11-21T16:34:00.000-05:00

I'm so Happy I finally learned how to read a store bought pattern! Albeit was a simple one but still...... here they are :)

Mushroom Pincushions!

The first one seemed to take forever which was the purple one but I thought maybe it was because I had to cut out the actual pattern and then go into youtube to find out how to hand sew a blanket stitch. So on the blue one I timed it. Working nonstop it would take me 2 1/2 hours! Can you believe that? For one pincushion! I was floored when I tallied up all of the minutes. lol

I've been clearing out my craft room today.... decided to take a break and get online for a few. I'm maybe a quarter way thru and I already have a half bag of garbage and a huge plastic bin overflowing to take to Goodwill. Whewwww! I've realized I'm only a hoarder when it comes to craft items :D

The October Madness has come to an end Part 2

2011-11-02T07:36:00.000-04:00

~WARNING! I have a lot of photos in this post

that include Zombie GORRRE~

So after the convention, and this is why I started doll stressing, a lady contacted me thru Etsy about participating in her upcoming book. She wanted to know if I could get at least 3 more dolls finished using recycled items by the end of the Month! In order for her editors to be able to have a choice between them, including ~The Guardian~. Of couse I said "YES!" Really believing within myself that if I created a deadline of one doll a week I could do it. Wrong! lol

I had to finish Arsenic first and I was also in the process of making a Dark Fairy for a friend. I had to set that project aside. Thank goodness she was okay with it :D Will get her doll finished this week! And then the Widow demanded details that ended up taking me the rest of the month to complete. Wish the layers of paperclay didn't take so long to dry! But all turned out well. I took and sent a better photo of the Guardian and also sent one of the Widow to the book lady (very nice lady by the way) and she was happy with just the 2. Now it's all up to the publishers.... *crossing fingers*

Adam and I celebrated our 7th Wedding Anniversary this month. It was on the 16th but we decided to go to Dead Mans Farm the night before as our date :) That Haunted House was THE best I'd ever been thru. It was really long and I laughed and screamed throughout the entire thing! This is not that great a pic of me. We just came out of the house. I was trying to not laugh at something Laura had said and she snapped it. I love Adam in this though....

Oh and the scary 9 foot guy in the first pic is the only one I could get a photo of. I don't know who the man is in front of him. The rest were inside the house :(

Then the next weekend Laura calls me up and says we should go see the Zombie Walk in downtown Knoxville on Market Square. We went. It was for a good cause... they were taking donations for the Second Harvest Food Bank. Below are pics from that.

The kids put on a Thriller Dance!

To finish off the month Adam and I went the Trace and Carve route on our Pumpkins this year and Laura and Andy showed up our house dressed as Ghost Adventures on Halloween night. We ate dinner and did a little ghost hunting ourselves :D

The October Madness has come to an end!

2011-11-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

This month has been the most fun I've had in a long time and at the same time the most chaotic! lol Started it off by hitting the Gatlinburg Horror Convention with my best friend Laura on Saturday the 1st. We met Sid Haig (Captain Spalding of the Devils Rejects) and Zach Galligan (Gremlins and Waxwork). I got a photo with Sid but it turned out really blurry :( so I took another from a distance...

and here's Laura with Zach :)

Others that were there included PJ Soles, Margot Kidder, a couple of the guys from Ghost Hunters, Ernie Hudson and..... now I can't remember! I know a few of the people I really wanted to meet didn't show up. Maybe they did the next day but I mainly went to meet David Naughton from An American Werewolf in London and Tony Todd (Candyman and remake of Night of the Living Dead). Chic from the original Nightmare on Elm Street didn't show either along with Pricilla Barnes (sp?).

I did meet a fellow Etsy Artist, Lydia Burris. I walked by her booth and thought "Hmmm.... this looks familiar." And when I was leaving they said to take one of their postcards. I flipped it over and there was her etsy studio. "Aha! I knew it!"

Lydia Burris Original Oddball Creations

Really cool stuff!

The Convention along with seeing Lydia set up there inspired me to create some dolls for next years show if they have it. I'm on it!

Below are just some random photos:

They also had a costume contest. These 2 were the best in my opinion. Zigsaw is a little girl named Grace :)

Okay I'm thinking I will have to break this post up in 3 parts! lol

Part 2 coming up after while :D

Hope eveyone had a Happy and Safe Halloween!!!

~The Black Widow ~...........

2011-10-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

....... is finished! And just in time, too :)

So that it isn't redundant for some of you, you can check out her details and info thru Etsy: Click Here

Ahhhhhh.... I feel like I can breathe now. This month has been really hectic but that will be a Halloween post for you all tomorrow with lots of great pics!

I swear when I started making her this was totally unintentional!

Don't they make a cute couple??? :D

Passing up the deadline!

2011-10-22T09:53:00.000-04:00

Today was my deadline for this doll and as you can see I didn't make it! I'm trying!!! All that's left to do is make her dress, finish her spider and create her hair along with adding her jewelry. I really HAVE to be done by this Wednesday at the very latest so I have time to take photos and send them off before the end of the month! Well wishes are very much appreciated :D

~Black Widow~ WIP

2011-10-17T18:35:00.000-04:00

She's ready for Paint and Pastels! I have a deadline for this doll so I'm hoping to have her finished by this coming weekend or before. Before would be awesome so wish me luck :D

Sketchbook Sunday

2011-10-16T11:28:00.000-04:00

Here's a quick little sketch I did this morning. She's an idea for a Macabre Doll I want to make. I know.... pretty disturbing! lol But when I went to the Horror Convention I was inspired to start making more 21 inch Macabre Dolls in the hopes of being able to set up a booth next year. If they have it again. I need to come up with a good name for this line though :D Any suggestions are welcome. ~Living Dead Dolls~ are taken of course!

~Lord Arsenic~ Now on Etsy

2011-10-06T18:57:00.000-04:00

Click here to read about him :D

Lord Arsenic WIP pics to show how he's getting put together....

2011-10-01T06:45:00.000-04:00

~The Poison of Kings~

Styrofoam ball, dowel rods covered in masking tape and Paperclay......

Gesso then acrylic paint......

and chalk pastels brushed on for shading.... above pic is before sealant. Sadly, I lost the leering, sinister look of his eyes. Guess it just wasn't meant to be....

after matte sealant for head and gloss for eyes......

His head has been settled into a sitter doll style body with craft pellets in the bottom. Arms ready for attachment in this pic. I used a bead reamer to carve his hand detail after finding that trying to add a small piece of paperclay on each end to sculpt nails just wasn't working :)

His arms and legs are now attached but no pic yet. He's now being fitted for his outfit in which I had to pull my mom in for help on this. She's going to show me how to do correct measurements and cutting of fabric. Yayyy! Now in the future I will know what to do!

He will be wearing a black coat and pants with a Ruffle Neck cloth and cuffs and little skull and crossbones pewter look metal buttons. After his clothing I will be adding grey wool hair around the sides and back of his head and then figure out how to make him a tophat and finish his cane. In the end he will be about 22 inches long!

Ooky Spooky and Ghoulicious!

2011-09-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Here's some Halloween inspired items I've made along with some W.I.P. pics of my first LARGE Cloth and Clay Art Doll. The Crone has given me some problems on her hands so instead of getting frustrated I have set her to the side :) I know I tend to do that! lol You wouldn't believe the amount of half finished art dolls I have laying around.... but I ALWAYS go back eventually and finish them up when they're ready to come out :D I can say that I've been on a roll with this fella..... I already have his hands and boots in the works, too. Yayyy!

Ghoulicious Fingerless Gloves

I also have a scarf of the same colors available though the photos show the green as a lighter color :(

Spooky Baby Janes

Trick or Treat Fingerless Gloves

Extra long scarf!

A Crone in Progress!

2011-09-02T13:25:00.000-04:00

So apparently the Crochet Bug is still hanging around :) I just can't seem to shake it but I will have no choice here soon. I have to make a special order doll and finish up a couple of others so that I can get crackin' on my polymer clay Crone I started yesterday. Her head is finished except for the ears then the only other polymer clay on her will be her hands and forearms. I'm very excited about her because it has been such a loooong time since I've sculpted an Art Doll in Polymer. Yayyy!

This morning I took better photos of the black shawl I made a little while back and also listed another on Etsy......

Black Half Moon Shawl

Half Moon Shawl in Lagoon

I also made a Cowl but I didn't think to get a pic of how it can be pulled up over the head :( I altered the pattern and used the extended single crochet stitch instead of the original single crochet. Both of these patterns were found on Lion Brand.com

Autumn Stripe

Oh and I almost forgot.... my sock! :D I've accomplished ONE so far. That seemed to take me FOR-E-VERRRR but I was really happy with how it turned out. Sometime soon I'll tackle the other..... Yayyyy for handmade socks!

and lastly I sat down the day before yesterday and came up with my own Fingerless Gloves pattern. I like it but I think I gotta add something to the edges. Hmmmm. But the good thing is that they don't take as long to make as the half finger gloves so I was able to put a lower price on them....

Purple Petunia

Annnd.... another bug! This sucker was huge and ugly! Does it not look prehistoric??? lol His body & head alone not including legs was every bit as long as half of my forefinger......

A Crochet Hoodie, Sock Project & another Pet Pic

2011-08-26T05:43:00.001-04:00

Well.... this is the first article of clothing I've crocheted aside from accessories like gloves, shawls, and hats. I was so Happy with how it turned out that I'm gonna go get more yarn today and buttons to match for a baby girls hoodie :D

This I made for my friend Laura who's recently had her first baby this past May. A beautiful little boy named Drew....

Is he not Adorable???

Love his wee little heart! Yes..... I have baby fever! Just turned 34 and still haven't had one of our own :(

But 'twill happen when it's time......

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Okay back to projects. I'm also Finally working on my first pair of socks. I've been wanting to make myself a pair since BEFORE I learned how to crochet. Just couldn't bring myself to pay $10 for a roll of sock yarn (which only makes one pair). Then the other day mom and I were at Hobby Lobby and she spotted some yarn that was half off.... WooHoo! And now I'm on it :)

Hope these links work but you may have to sign in first. I found both projects on www.LionBrand.com

Cozy Crochet Socks

Hope mine turn out as nice! :D

Baby Hoodie

Oh and instead of purchasing the yarn specified for the hoodie which was a whopping $8.34 per roll I used Lion Brand Hometown USA that was $2.99 a roll at Walmart. The size worked out just the same in the pattern for 6-12 month. Yayyyy!

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Forgot to throw this pic in earlier.... Granny Dog & Miss Gypsy on the foot rest :)

Silly Animals!

2011-08-22T08:20:00.000-04:00

Had to hop on here and post my silly animals.

Granny dog snuggled up with Adam On The COUCH! For SHAME :D

Then she caught me!........

And one morning Gypsy was pestering me and getting into Everything for my attention, while I was on the computer. Finally she chilled and was sitting on the desk facing away from me and I noticed a speck of white sticking out the side of her face. Said her name, she turned and this is what I found........

Oh and she hates being laughed at :)

Apparently she stuck her nose in a shipping box....... and picked up a strip of newspaper.

And a big Katydid (sp?) I photographed outside the sunroom yesterday.

The Crochet Bug.........

2011-08-08T11:41:00.000-04:00

.......hit me this past week. I think I got it outta my system and can return to my art dolls now but wanted to show what I finished! Just click the titles to see their full listing. Have a great week everybody!

Hypno

and Flashback

Lavender Tea Cup Pincushion

Pottery Cup

and Another :)

Butterfly Goddess & a Chime Doll......

2011-07-19T16:38:00.000-04:00

So here is the Butterfly Doll I've been working on. I plan on giving her to a good friend of mine who has actually been waiting on a butterfly goddess from me for a VERY long time and it was originally going to be a bottle doll. I had just never got inspired to make it 'til now. And that is why I'm not that great with commissions! lol

I'm still not fully happy with her embellishments but nothing was working out right so I'm guessing this is all she wanted :D

And finally a New Chime Doll on Etsy!

15 inch Chime Doll

Big 34! WooHoo!

2011-07-18T09:05:00.000-04:00

Well my darlin' took me out this past Saturday evening for an early birthday dinner. We had planned on going to the Linderhof. A German restaurant that I've wanted to try since I was a teenager but found out they were really expensive with at least a 2 hour wait! (Maybe for our upcoming 7th Anniversary). So then tried going to Cheddars but got there and people were lined up outside with a 45 minute wait! hmmmph

Finally ended up at Chili's and we walked right in and were immediately seated :D We had yummy nachos as an appetizer then a Buffalo Chicken Salad with Bleu Cheese.... soooo good! And for dessert a Paradise Pie which is more like a blondie with chocolate and coconut and covered with Ice Cream. It was awesome but really sweet.

Adam couldn't wait until today to give me my gifts so he gave them to me Friday night. Happens every year! lol I got the new Sylvia book... "Afterlives of the Rich and Famous" which I couldn't put down though I've never been into celebrities and their lives. So I've already finished it as I do with all of her books and also a Beautiful Silver necklace with a Celtic Triquetra and a Rainbow Moonstone drop.

Thank you, Love!!!

This morning I'm finally finishing up the Butterfly Goddess. I found the embellishments she needed, layed out the beading and now about to sew them on. I've also started another chime doll this morning... all that's left is to paint her face, rebake and attach it, plop her hair on and add a few gold leaves and she'll be ready to throw on Etsy.

May post later with new pics and a link or maybe tomorrow. We shall see!

Yayyy for being productive!!!

1st Doll on eBay in ages!!! ..... and more :)

2011-07-16T12:32:00.000-04:00

It's been so long I forgot how to list so it's pretty plain and to the point. Would love for you all to go check her out though :)

~Gratitude~ starting bid at $9.99!

Been busy here lately... we had some friends visiting from Finland.

Here we are at Calhouns one evening.... of course I'm the one taking the pic :)

Wish they didn't live so far away! The one couple friends that we can hang out with and have a great time has to live across the ocean! lol

Sami is the one in the back with his arm up and his lovely wife Saara is the 2nd from the front left. Up front are Sami's mom and stepdad.

I've also been working on a Butterfly Goddess for a friend of mine. Here's a sneak peek until I get her finished. All of her painting and wings are done. I'm just having difficulties finding the right embellishments for her.

Hope everyone is having good weekend :)

My first Creations....

2011-07-03T08:53:00.000-04:00

I was digging up old photos this morning on disk and had to post some of these for you all. A friend of mine Once Upon A Moon ~ Art by Jesi Ferguson got her new website up and going and it looked so good that it inspired me to make one for myself again. I had one a while back but it was costing too much money so I cancelled it. This one is free unless you want it to be a .com but then it is only $40.00 a year!

My First Bottle Dolls

Anyway I wanted to showcase my Art Dolls past and present on there and I found some of my VERY first ones! Chime Dolls, Wall Dolls and Bottle Dolls. I had even forgotten some of them.... of course it was back in 2005! Here's a few I put up. If you'd like to check out the others just follow the link below.

Dreamspirations Gallery

It was such a hoot going through these. I also though it might give a little Inspiration to some of you who are planning to take on the Bottle Doll Challenge through ADQ.

and a Wall Doll!

40% off Fourth of July SALE in my Etsy Studio.......

2011-07-02T15:44:00.000-04:00

Be sure to drop by and take a look around! Entire Shop is 40% off. Just type in the Coupon Code: INDEPENDENCE at Checkout:

Dreamspirations Gallery

Thanks for browsing and hope everyone has a Happy and SAFE Independence Day!

I have POWER... and a New Dolly

2011-06-26T15:24:00.000-04:00

Whoop Whoop! The power came on about 5:30 this morning.

Yayyy! Thank you for the well wishes, Barbara!

Oh heavenly cool air, how I love thee :)

Here's a new creation on Etsy!

I had previously made her head and body then threw her to the side to work on something else. So while power was out I finished her beading and decorated her hair.

No Power!!!

2011-06-25T10:29:00.000-04:00

I wanted to hop on here while I'm at my mothers house using her computer to thank you for such sweet comments on my Wee Witch.

A storm blew up out of no where and knocked our power out. This happened last Tuesday night around 8 PM and here it is Saturday morning and it's still out :(

You just don't realize how much you depend on your comforts until they're gone! lol The thing I miss the most is AIR CONDITIONING and of course the internet... not so much television though. Never watch it except when my darlin' is home in the evening and even then since we don't have cable we usually have an instant netflix movie on. Oh we also lost half of a Bradford Pear tree in the front yard. Thank God the half that fell went in the yard instead of on my car!

I do have to say I have a lot of gratitude for the fact that what damage we've got does not compare to some of the damage I've seen here around Knoxville.....

Hoping power gets restored to everyone very soon especially the families on well water!!!

A Wee Witch of the Faery Realm....

2011-06-21T19:19:00.000-04:00

I've finally revised and finished my Wee Witch!

Remember this???

I'd had her listed on Etsy back in 2009 but took her down because I wasn't comfortable with the fact that she wasn't stable. So I decided to make her a room box... that didn't turn out then I went and began preparing a large base for her. Didn't like that either so I set her aside up until a couple of weeks ago......

Back on Etsy!

She's now secured with a metal tube in her foot that fits over a metal tube in the base. Yayyy! I am much happier with this scene. So much brighter than the original :)

~Astrid~ W.I.P. Timeline

2011-06-11T09:45:00.000-04:00

I got back to ~Astrid~ yesterday morning and finished up her hair. I wanted to see how well it would turn out using paperclay instead. The one thing I didn't think of ahead of time was the fact that I would have to paint her hair and therefore cover every little nook and cranny without getting it on her skin tone! Wheeeew! After it had hardened I began painting on it yesterday afternoon but then my eyes started crossing so I set her down for the evening and this morning I added more paperclay to her boots so I can string silver cording for her laces and then finished sanding out her half finger gloves. Shortly I'll be getting back to her hair. I wanted to show a WIP timeline so you all can see how she's being created and coming along :D

Have a Great Weekend!

New Works, Painting & more.....

2011-05-14T08:43:00.003-04:00

Well... once again I'm amazed that over 2 months have passed since my last blog post. I apologize to any who were waiting to see the results of ~Astrid~. She has been set aside for now. Time has literally flew this year and I've been dealing with family and Granny dog issues the entire time.

My 11 year old niece (who is the bravest trooper I know) got back home yesterday from a months' stay in the hospital. She's been there off and on since Christmas. The first visit was because her shunt had quit working then the subsequent visits and Multiple surgeries were do to an infection that kept reoccurring and setting up in it. Hopefully this SECOND New shunt will be the last for a very long time! I ask that you please send some positive energy and prayers for her well being and that no more infection occurs :)

Then there's our Grannydog whom we've had not even a year and are getting close to the $2,000 range on vet bills! Who knew Bassett Hounds were so sensitive??? But things are beginning to look up! Thank God! lol

So now on to more positive things... I'm trying my hand at painting again. On canvas. It's been a few years and then it was with oils which I found was difficult for me. This time I'm using acrylics and loving it! She is far from finished but here she is below. Plan on getting back to her as soon as I'm done here. My hubby is out fishing with a friend this morning so I can work. Don't usually craft on the weekends 'cause I can't seem to concentrate as well when he's home.

I also have a new facebook fan page... which is desperately in need of more fans! lol. When I set it up the link to send to facebook friends wasn't working. So I finally gave up.

Dreamspirations Gallery

Wow... I'm thinking I maybe should split this post up! So much to catch up on but I'm afraid if I put it off then I won't get another chance for a while.....

I drew a new pattern out for a self standing cloth doll weighted with craft pellets. I have one finished and up on etsy and 2 more in the works.

Cloth Art Doll

I decided to sell my ~Evette~. I made her a while back. She's my very first full cloth doll that was made from scratch including the pattern. I'm not too happy with her photos. I need to hit the craft store soon and get some plain white fabric for my background. The current one seems to make her dress very dull looking when it really isn't so I will probably be getting new pics of her soon.

Evette

I also have Tulu back on etsy! Yayyy! She was one of the art dolls that I had sent to the Art & Soul Gallery in Bothell, WA. By the way... A huge mistake that I've learned my lesson on! Not only did Tulu's base get broken (no insurance was put on them) upon the return shipment along with Sally Mae's leg due to poor packaging (which was easily fixed and led to her new transformation)... I was ripped off! The lady never paid me for ~Dawn, Rising!~ Grrrrr. I've tried many a time to contact her and get No response. Never will I sell out of state again!

So now Tulu has a signicant price drop but that is okay... I'm just happy to have her back online :D

Tulu and Tilly

And lastly... I'm thrilled to show you all my latest Crochet Venture. It's called a Half Moon Shawl but I turned it into a capelet also by adding ties to the front. I love this! I believe I will make one for myself this fall. I have 3 others finished in different sizes and colors just don't have good photos yet.

Half Moon Shawl

Okay... thank you for staying with me. Guess I should wrap this up now and I apologize for it being so danged lengthy! Hope you all have a Fun-filled weekend :D

A Peek at ~Astrid~

2011-03-03T07:57:00.000-05:00

Yayyy! I'm working on another paperclay dolly. It's been sooo long! lol Thought I'd give you all a peek at her WIP pic. I can't believe she's already given me her name... That usually doesn't happen until the end or near it but the other day I was working on her ears and just asked out loud "So what should I call you?" and immediately it was a resounding, "Astrid!"

Really? Where in the world did that come from? lol I love it though and it will actually go with her quite well once I start adding the embellishments I have planned. Yayyy!

Hope you all are having a Great Week!

~ A Mojo, Mini Beaded Beanies & a Sunday Sketch~

2011-02-20T13:40:00.001-05:00

I FINALLY have a New Doll finished and this morning I've got the beading down for the Goddess Doll I've been stumped over :) Below is the first of some new dolls I was inspired to make during a nap one day called ~Mojos~

Some will have words stenciled or embroidered on or they may have charms and stones or herbs and resins thrown in with the stuffing. It depends on the intention. Click on the wording below to see her full listing...

A Mojo Doll

I've also made a couple of beanies for someones Art Doll Creation and they do have stretch. I just thought these were so cute! I've even made one for myself and set it aside for later!

Leafy Greens

and Mountain Breeze

And I'd completely forgotten about Sunday Sketches! Here's a little fella I've been wanting to sculpt for so long now but I guess he's not ready to come out. I started this "sketch" to remind me of what position to make his armature in but then I couldn't stop myself and he turned into a full blown drawing :D

Well so far the plans for this week are to make another Mojo or two that I have in mind, finish this Goddess Doll today and hopefully have her listed by tomorrow or Tuesday and work on a paperclay doll. Tomorrow I'm supposed to have a Craft Day with a friend and later this week a Stitch 'n B**** session so I may have another Crochet item listed also. Yayyy!

Okay off to bead! Hope everyone has a fantastic week!

Dolls & Crochet.....

2011-02-03T03:30:00.000-05:00

Well... maybe I'll be able to sleep once Adam gets up. This shoulder pain is the pits... and so strange! I have shoulder pains here and there but this type seems to crop up every year around January and February. So I tossed and turned then Grannydog got me up at 11:30 to pee. Lay back down... toss and turn then I wake up at 2:00 to crunch, crunch, crunch. Realize it's Gypsy up on the shelf in my bedroom eating my spider plant so I had to get up and put it on top of the shelf with my other one. The bedroom is the last resort to save them until I get hanging pots because she will eat them down to nubs! Lay back down. Granny got me up again at 2:30 am. Fine! I'm up! So now it is 3:AM.

Think I will head into the craft room and add the hair to a doll I've been working on. Well I've been working on 3 dolls but this will be the next one finished. I finally soldered the finger wires onto my candlestick doll. The one that was gonna be the Snake charmer but I'm now leaning towards Isis. We'll see..... also still working on the fairy. Why am I SOOO slow when it comes to dollmaking??? Very frustrating! lol

I have to get on it but wanted to share some more crochet listings with you all first :)

Queen Annes Lace Scarf

Rust Cloche Hat

Toasted Marshmallow Half Finger Gloves

Alright I'm out.... Hope everyone is having a great week and wish me luck on actually finishing a doll by the weekend! :D

Blossom got Published!

2011-01-19T11:05:00.001-05:00

Yayyy! Blossom made it into Art Doll Quarterly! I got my copy yesterday and I was so nervous about opening it up.... I just held it for a minute LOL.

This is a great issue by the way.

I'm having to write down all of the Inspiration that came from reading it last night. So many Awesome Creations in it along with the Beautiful Ankie Daanen Dolls

Thank you Art Doll Quarterly for accepting my little dollie :D

Sunday Sketches.....

2011-01-16T14:28:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine, Jesi of Once Upon a Moon inspired me last week when she posted Sunday Sketches. I enjoyed seeing her mind ramblings and thought I'd share some of mine. Below is a sketch I started of the Medusa I plan on making. I already have her armature completed.... including all the little wires sticking out of her head for snakes. I just don't know when I will get to her :D

and some ramblings of my own!

I still have 3 pairs of gloves and a hat to add to Etsy but my focus went straight to cleaning my craft room. It started when we decided to clean the other spare bedroom for my husband to make his fishing lures in Billy Bad Bass Custom Lures. So in the process of cleaning his room we ended up junking mine! lol

But it is finally clean! After 3 days of rearranging crafting goodies and organizing!

I also went ahead and grabbed a soldering iron at Lowe's yesterday. Thought it would be around $12.00 but I paid $20. It was a good investment though because it came with other tips and I found out I can do other things with it including woodburning :D

Well there's my blah blah blah for today! Hope everyone has had a Great Weekend!

Getting the Itch.....

2011-01-08T16:09:00.000-05:00

Okay... so after a month of Crochet I'm finally getting the Itch to start back on my dolls. YES! My husband had received a few Bass Pro Shop gift cards for Christmas and I decided to tag along with him thinking I could go get some Starbucks coffee with MY gift card while there. Fat Chance! They were packed! lol

So while he was looking at a new reel I mosied over to the fly fishing section to check out some of the fly tying supplies. They have all kinds of crafting goodies there :) Faux hair (and some real hair), an awesome selection of feathers though a bit more expensive but nothing you can find in a regular craft store.

So what do I find? Doll hair! Well.... it's not for dolls but you know what I mean. Oh they had all kinds of colors but of course they were costly so I could only choose three. The 2 shorter hanks were $3.99 and the long one I think was $4.59

And they have such a pretty shimmer :D

Though I have lots of dolls started and set aside I'm now wanting to start yet another but a whole paperclay sculpture instead of a jointed doll. The only problem I run into is making the armature sturdy. It takes me forever! So I believe I will take a little trip down to Harbour Freight and grab me a soldering gun. This morning my mother threw that info out there and said it should take care of the problem.

Why hadn't I thought of that before???

Bowler Hat

I also figured out how to turn a cloche hat pattern into a bowler hat. For these I like to use the thick yarns 'cause it makes them stiffer but of course now I have to go get more yarn :)

Crochet Hats & Granny Dog

2010-12-15T12:47:00.000-05:00

I figured out how to make a Crochet Beret and Slouch Hat. Finally I can make a Slouch hat for myself.

I just adore them!

Slouch Hat on Etsy

and a Crochet Beret

Also wanted to share a pic of Granny in front of the tree. I was trying to get photos of it when she decided to walk in front of me and plop down :D

What I've been up to....

2010-12-14T06:04:00.000-05:00

I haven't worked on any dolls for about three months but like a friend of mine said... Sometimes we just need a break and I WILL get back to them because they are a part of me :D So I decided to get better photos of Mallory AND in the meantime.... I've learned how to crochet and sold my first project recently on etsy.....

~Mallory~ A paperclay Art Doll

Half Finger Crochet Gloves

Oh so soft Bamboo Yarn!

I'm working on another pair now using the same yarn as the first pic with the color name "Antique Lavender" in black, blue/grey and light purple. Very pretty! They will be... Sm/Med.

I've also been working furiously on Crafters Cases! They've been a hot item this month :) Have 3 more lined up to sew and as soon as I get a zipper foot for the machine I will be making mini-cases for crochet hooks. I've figured out what size to make them and purchased the supplies already... just need that danged foot! Didn't realize this until I went to make one. Oh and these will be able to fit in your purse.

Crafters Case

What I'm REALLY excited about is the Beret I learned to make yesterday that I can easily turn into a slouch hat. I LOVE these and soon will be adding them to my Etsy also. I've been wanting to learn how to crochet for years. I haven't picked it up until now because I'm left-handed and everytime I tried I would run into difficulties. Then a couple of weeks ago I found the glove tutorial for lefties on youtube. Played that video over and over! Pausing and rewinding until I got it! LOL

Needless to say.... it was a LONG 2 days and I kept my first pair :D

Vacation Pics :D

2010-12-13T08:26:00.000-05:00

Oh my! I got to looking back and seen I haven't made a real post since August 29th!!! Whewwww! I don't know what happened. Guess I just needed a little break from the computer.

Also haven't made anymore dolls though I have some ready to work on. I think what happened there is that I had very little in my Etsy shop due to the amount of time it takes to make a doll and I felt I should work on other items to build it back up. So that's what I've been doing for the past month.

We also took a vacation.... FINALLY!!! At the beginning of October. It was much needed seeing as how the last time we got to get out of town was for a few days back in 2006! We stayed in Charleston, SC one night, drove down to Orlando, FL and stayed 2 nights then back up to Vilano beach in St. Augustine, FL for three nights. Was looking forward to the beach more than anything!

Fort Sumter - Charleston

Charleston, SC

Medieval Times - Orlando

Universal Studios and Adam with the Mystery Machine :D

Mini crab on Vilano Beach

Sunrise

The best thing was that it was pretty much deserted the entire time AND we got to go swimming in the ocean!

Did not want to leave but then again I was missing my animals really really bad.

A Plug For my Mom......

2010-09-09T18:23:00.000-04:00

My mother is currently getting a work from home job up and running so that she can feel secure in going ahead and taking an early retirement at the first of next year.

I offered to make a post on my blog to help her out.

By the way... this company has awesome products! I've tried a couple myself and yes they are for real, the plant is not even 20 minutes away from my house:

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Many Blessings,

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***************

~Evette~

2010-08-29T07:46:00.000-04:00

Meet Evette... She is my first soft sculpt doll and my teacher. That is why I am keeping her for myself. She has taught me what I can and can't use on fabric pertaining to drawing, painting and shading. (of course, as you can see by her features and finger nails I still need some practice, lol). The first markers for her nails, the dark purple, bled through the fabric really bad but I had no choice but to go on and do the same with the other hand. So I added acrylic paint over top to give some kind of definition to the nails.

I drew out the entire pattern myself and once I put her together I was very unhappy with the hands so I've revised that part and hopefully they will look better on the next doll which I'm currently working on (A Halloween Witch).

I would like to find out how to sculpt the face. I'm okay with just creating the circle for the head but I would like to give it a little more oomph :D

I LOVE how her boots turned out! Though they are more black than what you see in the pics. Oh and since I'm keeping her I gave her a pendant from a choker I used to wear ALL the time in my late teens and early twenties.

Well this is to show what I've been up to and the type & size of doll is coming up next. She's 21 inches long I believe. Of course I will get back to my other creations when the mood strikes!

Gotta go with the flow :)

New Addition to our Family...

2010-08-16T15:10:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday we got a new addition to our family. A female Bassett Hound we are calling Granny. I was told that she's around 9 years old but when I took her to the vet this morning for an ear cleaning and to get her nails trimmed they guessed 3or 4. I don't know which to believe... she's been sitting outside on a chain for I know over a year and she's definately had pups. She's also missing quite a few teeth!

As you can see she has really taken up with my husband :D

And yes she is now an inside dog who will be spoiled rotten from here on out......

~The Guardian~ is finished and up on Etsy!

2010-08-11T15:31:00.000-04:00

~The Guardian~

Be sure to view her listing so you can see what she's all about :)

I'm so excited that I finally finished this one. The planned embellishments I'd had for her didn't work out so I was stumped for a few days. Then I found and applied the last additions which were the black roses this morning & got her pics.

Yayyy!!!

~Sally Mae on Etsy~

2010-08-01T08:25:00.000-04:00

Miss Sally Mae

Well... Sadly the Art & Soul Gallery is closing due to the economy so I got Sally Mae back and decided to revise her. I repainted her socks to white, gave her some glasses and a straw hat, put her hair in a ponytail and even gave her some hand sewn bloomers!

Just listed her on Etsy yesterday.

Shadow box Vampire, Wee Witch & more......

2010-07-12T10:03:00.000-04:00

I've learned over time to never work on a project when you're not in the mood for it because more than likely it will not turn out how you want it to... so I now have many projects going at once and wanted to show the progress of each and give some insight on how I'm making them.

Hopefully soon I will have one of these finished and up on Etsy. I've been dealing with what my mother believes to be bursitis in my left shoulder and consequently I am left handed :(

Therefore things have been pretty slow going!

Here is my Shadow box Vampire. Still have quite way to go on him! I found a black framed 12x12 shadow box at walmart and I had some sticky back canvas that so happened to be 12x12 also that I purchased through http://www.stampington.com/

I peeled the backing off and applied it directly onto the base of the box, added a couple of layers of gesso to give the canvas a smoother surface then a few layers of black acrylic paint. I'm working on his face in pieces with paperclay but I won't be attaching them until they are all smoothed down, shaped right and painted. Trying to go with just black, grays and white on this and want to give just a little glimmer of white on the canvas where his eye will be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I made my Wee Witch I'm wanting to say almost over a year ago. She was on Etsy but then I decided to take her down and do more with her setting. I'm just now getting to her! The first pic is the original. I wanted to show what I decided to do with her shelf. I felt the doors were hiding too much so I removed them and popped the little wooden strips off to give more room on the ledge that is halfway up. Then I added wood filler in the little spaces and repainted it with brown oxide acrylics.

Her round table is completely handmade. My husband cut me a disc of wood. I sanded it down and drilled a hole in the center, placed a dowel rod in it using wood glue and added a button to the base then painted it. All of her little supplies and kitty cat were made with polymer clay. Plan on adding more goodies to the scene :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is another shadow box I'm working on but to be honest ...

I have NO idea where this piece is going! lol

What it will turn out to be....

The birds were white plastic doves that I wanted to turn into ravens and I so happened to have some black "Plastic" paint and sealer that I'd never used.

I guess we will just see what happens with this! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This piece is something I drew out a long time ago and called it ~Guardian of the Heart~. I saw the candle holder (which is missing the glass) in a thrift store and immediately seen what I wanted it to be so I bought it and it has just been sitting on the shelf until the other day. I know you probably don't see what I do but I started on the head and there's gonna be a heart hanging on the inside of the little cage-looking part. I plan on extending the three pieces that are curled under at the top and making them into arms. One with a sword, another with a shield and the one to the back with a key :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And lastly I'm still working on my poor snake charmer here and there :)

I've added more to the shape of her head and made the bones of her arms and hands. I've also cut the wires off and finished her breasts.

Wow this turned out pretty long and boy am I feeling it! LOL

Need to get up and move around. It will probably be a while until my next post but by then I WILL have one of these finished!!!

Hope all is well with you and many Blessings,

Summer

Updated W.I.P pics :)

2010-06-25T11:50:00.000-04:00

She's slowly but surely coming along. Seems everytime I add to her then go back and look... it's not quite right so I either have to sand and/or reposition something or add more to her but I'm getting there!

And yes I am enjoying it even though I'm complaining. Gotta let out frustrations somewhere :D

~The Snake Charmer~ W.I.P. pics

2010-06-23T09:31:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to make a quick post of what I've been working on.

She's called ~The Snake Charmer~ and I'm sculpting her out of paperclay.

I wanted to challenge myself and see just how realistic I can get with paperclay compared to polymer clay. I've already filled her out a lot more (added to her bottom, hips, tummy and rib cage) since I took these pics and this morning I've been working on her collar bone and neck area. Oh and she's attached to a thrift store candle holder :)

I also have 3 other projects going on! LOL I'm a cancer sign but according to my natal chart I do have 5 planets in Gemini..... pretty sure that's the culprit!

~Blossom~ A New Paperclay Elf Doll

2010-05-28T07:12:00.000-04:00

Here's my latest cutie listed on Etsy!

An Original Paperclay Art Doll

And Miss Sally Mae who is on her way to

The Art & Soul Gallery in Bothell, WA today!

~New Dolls on Etsy~ & some WIP pics

2010-05-21T07:50:00.000-04:00

Wow! I can't believe I haven't posted in almost 2 months! I think got just a little overwhelmed with the shows but now that they are over I feel I can breathe again :)

So I'm back online and have some new dolls to show ya...

~Little Miss Mallory & her Best Friend Louie~

This was a dream inspired doll. I'd received her image along with her name and had to get right on it. Really enjoyed creating this one :)

~Seeking Inspiration~

I know you've seen her before but I've finally added her to my etsy also. So I felt I should post her here again ;)

And here's a couple of Goddess shaped Art Dolls that can also hang on the wall...

~Hindu Goddess~

~Celtic Warrior~

This little girly is named ~Blossom~. She's my current Work in Progress though I now have her petal skirt finished. She's gonna be an elf doll that has the same basic body as Mallory. Just gotta figure out exactly how to attach her hair :)

I also wanted to apologize to all that think I never read their blogs....

well to be honest I haven't in a little while but I'm gonna be browsing thru again now that I have some time to be online :)

Hope everyone is well and I'll be sure to post more soon!

Many Blessings,

Summer

Spring has Sprung!

2010-04-03T10:13:00.000-04:00

As most of you probably know... my husband and I moved into our home this past October so we didn't know what Spring would bring about in our front yard until just the other day when all of the buds finally bloomed. We knew the 2 trees along the driveway were Bradford Pears but I can't say what the dark red bush next to the porch is or the pink and white one at the end of the driveway. I'm better at naming herbs than flowers.....

Do you know what they are? If you get a sniff of the flowers up close they have a kind of heavy scent but it doesn't waft out like Jasmine or Lilacs do. The view of the 3rd and 4th pics are from our kitchen window morning and afternoon. I told Adam I would like to plant a Weeping Willow out in the bare spot of the yard to the left. It'd be sooo pretty! I love Willows :)

~Seeking Inspiration~

2010-03-14T11:00:00.000-04:00

I've finished my first Sitter doll and ready to get going on more. This one took a little longer to make than I had anticipated... but now that I know what I'm doing hopefully the next ones won't! I had decided to make her another set of arms then I ended up changing her whole theme! It was supposed to be ~New Arrival~ and she was to be holding a bundled baby but I guess that just wasn't right for her because she is now

~Seeking Inspiration~

I thought about going ahead and listing her on etsy but decided to wait until after the upcoming craft shows are over before adding any of the new dolls.

So this is the outcome from the WIP pics of the last post.

Hope you all are having a Great weekend!

Lots of Love & Light,

Summer

Galactic Expo & WIP pics!

2010-03-05T10:53:00.000-05:00

My mother and I have been vending together at craft shows and fairs going on 10 years now. The other day she informed me that we have 3 shows coming up VERY soon! I knew about one of them because we do that one every year which is ~Vestival~ at the Candoro Marble Factory in South Knoxville. This year it is on May 8th from 11-7 PM.

I don't have all the info on the 2nd one just yet so I will do another post on that later. The 3rd one is the big one! It is called the Galactic Expo which is a Metaphysical Fair and it's in Nashville, TN on May 15th & 16th. So all of these are squooshed in together! The 2nd show being on April 17th and at this time I have only 2 dolls worthy of taking!!! I had to set aside my Victorian Doll and get on the ball making others but I have finished paperclaying one piece of her luggage and the bases of the other 2 along with her lamppost (not pictured).

and here's a few shots of the other dolls I'm working on. I found a Sitter Doll tutorial in the Cloth and Clay Dolls group. Though the one pictured was made before I found the tutorial, she sits up just fine now that I have both of her legs attached :) Oh and there's a shot of 2 Goddess/Art Dolls and still have 2 more to sew and stuff.....

Just letting you know that I'm probably not gonna be on here very much 'cause I've got a lot of Dolls to get finished!!! Happy creating everybody!

Many Blessings,

Summer

I won the Appreciation Giveaway :)

2010-03-04T16:15:00.000-05:00

I won the Appreciation Giveaway by Ink Spillers Attic ! Please take the time to check out her blog. She has lots of great stuff on there :) I received my Giveaway package today and it was stuffed with all kinds of Goodies but my favorite has to be this adorable Sage smudge wand doll so I had to get a pic and show it off! Too cute... it's only maybe 3 inches long. Thank you, Yvonne!

Miniature Wool Hat!

2010-02-22T09:28:00.000-05:00

Here's my first little hat up on etsy... more coming soon! I also have 2 green ones on the way. One embellished and one plain that would be Great for a St. Paddy's day Creation!

Brown Miniature Wool Hat - Needle Felted

And I've decided I'm gonna keep the Victorian Doll to take with me to craft shows once I get her finished. She was supposed to go to The Art & Soul Gallery in Washington but I'm sending Tulu & Tilly and Dawn, Rising instead. I'm so excited about this because it's the first time my goodies will be on display other than online and at local craft shows. WooHoo! Hope all goes well! I'm a little anxious about shipping them.... polymer clay can be fragile so I'm definately purchasing Insurance :)

Well... That's all I really have to say for now so

Hope you all have a Creative and Inspiring Day!

Catching Up, Needle Felting & W.I.P. pics!

2010-02-16T12:49:00.000-05:00

Whewww! I've been a little busy the past couple of weeks & that's why I haven't sat down & posted any creative stuff so I decided I need to do some catching up before I get too far behind :)

Well... I'm finding that I really enjoy the needle felting. You were right, Barbara! It is a lot of fun and I see that there are so many things you can create with it. The possibilities are endless! Below is my first project which is now on etsy.

Needle Felted Flower Brooch

Then I found I can make little Victorian Doll hats which I'm debating on whether to sell some on etsy for other dollmakers or not. What do you all think and if so ... should I leave them plain or go ahead and embellish them? They won't be near as fuzzy once I set the mini-iron to them 'cause it's supposed to give felted items a more finished look. Below are some W.I.P. pics of a Victorian doll I'm working on and they show 2 different hats. The green one I've decided to keep because it's smaller and fits her head perfectly.

But DO be Careful while felting and pay close attention to what you are doing! It is very meditative and that is the very reason why I ended up stabbing myself! LOL! Thank God it was in a tough patch at the end of my forefinger up near the nail 'cause I was just poking right along & all of a sudden the poking sensation CHANGED so I looked down & saw the tip of the needle sticking out of the other side of my finger! So be Warned!

On to other things.... I finished up a Challenge doll through the Goddess Dolls Yahoo Group. And yes she WAS a challenge 'cause her color selection and sequins really aren't my thing but I wanted to go the Traditional route :)

A Valentines Love Goddess

I also started making collectable Troll Beads at the request of a very nice lady in the UK :) She purchased this set but I do plan on making more as soon as I get the chance. They were much easier to create than I had originally thought they'd be... even easier than the Troll Pendants!

A Trio of Trolls

And Lastly.... I forgot to show the finished art doll from the ~Tips on Creative Paperclay~ post! I had put a little pic of her on the blog but not the whole image....

An Original Art Doll

So that's what has been going on creatively....

Valentines Day was great! Hope everyone enjoyed it, too :) We actually celebrated it on Saturday and went to eat at Don Pablos then to see ~The Wolfman~. It was pretty good... at first I thought I wouldn't like it 'cause they based his image on the original wolfman but then it kinda grew on me. They made the wolfman look better! I did feel like the story was a bit rushed but I'm not gonna ruin it for you all.... so I'll say no more! All we did on the actual Valentines day was hang out at home in our comfy clothes while Adam worked on his lure making and I worked on my doll ;)

So it was all good!

Thank you for the Sunshine Award!

2010-02-06T08:31:00.001-05:00

Awwww.... Thank you Mystic Wynd for such a PRETTY Award! Though it has taken me a few days to post this it really did make me so Happy to see that you find my blog Creative and Inspiring :) You have such Wonderful Creativity yourself as people can see in the Beautiful jewelry you make!

The rules for accepting the award:

Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
Link the nominees within your post.
Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Now... to pass the Award on to 12 bloggers I find Creative and Inspiring which was a bit difficult to choose from because I follow SO many Awesome blogs! Be sure to check them out!:

Eirewolf
Fantasy Whispers - The Art of Vania Cruz-Perez
Loopy Boopy Art
Queen of Dreamsz ~ The Art of Stuff
The Fairies' Nest - Cloth Dolls and Fiber Fantasies
MLB Studios
The Goode Wife of Washington County
The Mare's Tale - Gypsy Mare Studios
Skellyton Art
From the High North
Abi Monroe

~The Big Book of Soul~

2010-02-04T10:50:00.000-05:00

I wanted to hop on here real qick and post this....

One of the Sweetest People I know, Stephanie

was on ABC7 with her latest release.

Come check it out!

Congrats, Stephanie! Oh! And you look Wonderful by the way :)

Love the Drumming, too.... very Meditative!

Miss you and can't wait to see you again!

Blessings!!!

~The Big Book of Soul~

Good Business?.........

2010-01-26T07:55:00.001-05:00

So now along with wanting to needlefelt one of my trolls and paperclay old barbies, I want to turn printed paper into fabric. LOL! See what I mean when I say, "I can't seem to stick to one thing!"? It's like I feel I NEED to learn it all! Whatever captures my attention I HAVE to try it.

Now... Is that bad for business???

'Cause I've noticed that Artists who churn out a lot of like items SEEM to do better and aquire Patrons/Collectors.

And that's very difficult for me because where I'm wanting to learn so many different techniques it takes time away from me to create say, just a stock of Polymer Clay sculptures. Which I love to do and plan on making more but I haven't in quite a while.

So this leads me to wonder..... Am I doing all this in search of my niche? And one day will I have finally found it? OR will I always be this way and if so how can I incorporate that into Good Business?

Because creating is what I Dearly, Truly LOVE! But it is also my Preferred CAREER choice. Does anyone get what I'm trying to say? LOL! I would really appreciate any Thoughts, Opinions or Advice on this :)

SO INSPIRING!!!.............

2010-01-24T06:39:00.000-05:00

I wanted to shout out to everyone and say that the New Spring Issue of Art Doll Quarterly is sooo Inspirational! Of course they all are but this one just really sung to me :)

I ended up ordering a Needlefelting starter kit on etsy (hoping it will arrive soon!) and dragging out my stash of thrift store barbies that I had purchased quite a while back when I was trying my hand at repaints....

I've wondered about needlefelting but it never truly captured my attention until I saw Kathy Davis' Art Dolls in the Show & Tell section. She mixes needlefelting with POLYMER Clay! As soon as I read her spread one of my Trolls popped up in my minds' eye all covered in fur and he was just the CUTEST thing! Then I thought of the story "Where the Wild Things Are" and pondered whether or not if I could recreate one of those creatures. Hmmmmm.........

If you've never bought Art Doll Quarterly and you're into Doll making you are definately missing out in my opinion :) So many Wonderful Artists with their own Inspiring stories to tell. I don't just look at all of the Pretty pictures... I HAVE to sit down and read it front to back. When the middle of the month rolls around I begin anticipating the arrival of the daily mailwoman! :)

http://www.stampington.com/html/art_doll_quarterly.html

Oh! And I LOVE the Art Dolls created by Jenny Alcantara and Sheri DeBow! Front Cover..... but Stampington still has the Winter Issue up.......

Okay.... I just had to babble about it and give you all a heads up on the latest issue :)

Have a Creative Day!

Summer

A couple of Creative Paperclay tips for you all ;)

2010-01-13T09:03:00.000-05:00

So I finally have a face to one of my Art Dolls & added her hair. I thought I'd be finished with her by Sunday but then I got BLOCKED. She's missing something & I can't seem to figure out just what it is. Guess I'm just gonna have to dig a little deeper into my embellishments stash! :)

I do have a couple of tips for ya... which some of you may already know but I just learned these when creating her face and wanted to share. It's made with Creative Paperclay & sometimes it's difficult for me to get a nice over-all smooth finish before I set it aside to harden.

Well... Adam got me a supply kit for my Dremel for Christmas & one of the things it had was Felt Polishing wheels. (pictured below yet a little worn down from use ) I popped one of these babies on & went to town! Found out it quickly smooths any rough patches & ALSO reshapes any unnoticed lumps or bumps while sculpting.

Another cool thing I found that works wonders is to seal the Paperclay BEFORE painting. (why didn't I think of this previously?) I paint with Acrylics & it tends to wet the paperclay too much sometimes & also if you make a mistake & try to wipe the paint away it will wipe away the clay, too! So after smoothing her face I added a layer of Liquitex Matte Sealer then when painting her features I made a couple of mistakes & easily wiped them away & repainted without affecting the clay at all! Yayyy!

I hope this helps some of you out who have come across the same issues. Have a most Lovely Day!

HAPPY 2010! First post of the year!

2010-01-04T08:44:00.005-05:00

Here's my first post of the year.
Be prepared..... it's a long one! Lots to catch up on.

First.... I'm freezing my A@# OFF! LOL! It's a BRRRRRR 14 degrees outside! Our poor heat pump has been kickin' it nonstop :)

Anyhoooo..... Now that the all-consuming Holidays have passed, I'm getting back into my normal routine. My resolution for this year is to work on my Communication Skills. To get out more and talk to people. Stop staying holed up in my house! I know I probably sound like I have Agoraphobia (sp?) but I really don't. I do get out of my house now and then... I just got to where I preferred not! :)

I actually had a very vivid dream on New Years Eve and as soon as I awoke I knew what it symbolized.

~ If I keep hiding from the outside world as I have for the past couple of years then I will miss many wonderful oppurtunities that are coming my way, physically & spiritually!~

So there it is :)

I've reactivated my Facebook account but still have some updating to do. Then I decided to shut down my Website and promote my Etsy more. I'd opened it back in June but as of Dec. 31st I still hadn't made one sale. Didn't feel like spending $20 a month on it anymore.

It may seem so but not all of my Crafting was set aside during the Holidays. I created my own Wish Doll and Art Doll templates. (The W.I.P. pics are below.) The wish dolls are still triangular but I wanted more movement. I've also started 3 more Art Dolls to keep me busy.

And much to my mom's Delight I have finally taken up Sewing! She's been a Seamstress for longer than I can remember and has tried to teach me a few times.... I even took Home-Ec in high school but just didn't get it. Save for my simple doll forms it has been difficult for me to even sew a straight line! LOL! Then a couple of weeks ago I found directions on how to make my Crafters Cases (couple of pics below that have a link to their listings.) The very first one I made turned out Perfect and now I'm hooked! I sewed up 5 different ones and almost made another but decided I better get back on my Art Dolls :)

Pink & Brown Crafters Case

Crafters Case

One last thing I need to sling here is my latest troll pendant....

Troll Pendant / Car Charm

Enough about what's going on here...

Did everyone else have a Lovely Holiday Season??? Anything New and Exciting you'd like to share?

HOW TO STAY YOUNG!

2009-12-14T17:17:00.000-05:00

A friend sent this in an email and I wanted to share! :)

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud.. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Worry about nothing, pray about everything!!!

~Ferris & Beasley~

2009-11-22T07:45:00.001-05:00

I have some new creations! Yayyy!

They're listed in my Etsy. Just click the image or you can view them at

Dreamspirations Gallery

I wanted to apologize to all that may think I've been ignoring them.... I promise it hasn't been intentional! I didn't realize just how long it would take to get settled and then we had 2 different craft shows back to back. AND I'm also hosting Thanksgiving at my house this year! This will be my first time :)

So I've really had NO interest in the computer lately and have had to literally drag myself to it to get things done online! LOL!

I believe after Thanksgiving I'll be getting back in the groove of things and I have some more creations on the way. Just have to get pics! Another Wish Doll, a wonderfully, snuggly soft scarf and shawl and 2 more Troll pendants ~Cobby & Pappy~.

Still working on the Wee Witch here and there. Just haven't figured out what all I want to add to her little room. Oh! I also have the beginnings of two 20 or so inch dolls that have paperclay heads and hands :)

Okay! I gotta go make my grocery list and get outta here.... Hope you like ~Ferris & Beasley~!

Many Blessings to you!

Summer

Blog Award! WooHoo!

2009-11-06T08:02:00.000-05:00

I received this blog award from http://www.dreamweaversculpts.blogspot.com/!

It was the first e-mail I opened this morning and it just made my day :)

Thank youuuuuuuu!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rules are:

1) Copy the pretty picture and post it on your blog.

2) Thank the person that gave it to you and link to their blog.

3) Write 7 things about yourself we don't know.

4) Choose 7 other bloggers to pass the award to.

5) Link to those 7 other bloggers.

6) Notify your 7 bloggers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1) I'm a volunteer at http://www.sisterhoodispowerful.org/ collecting needful things for the homeless and putting together food baskets.
2) My favorite Seasons are Spring and Fall.
3) I'm a pretty private person so this is a little difficult! LOL!
4) I have a lot of Gratitude for Soldiers of today and Veterans of the past.
5) I've recently discovered I enjoy baking sweets and then turning around and giving them away.... much to my husbands dismay :)
6) I love first person shooter war games on the PS3!
7) I have Diplomas in Paranormal Studies and Electronic Voice Phenomena :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Awards have been passed on to:
1) http://ardeasnest.blogspot.com/
2) http://fantasywhispersblog-ooak.blogspot.com/
3) http://artdollsonly.blogspot.com/
4) http://roadsidegems.blogspot.com/
5) http://once-upon-a-moon.blogspot.com/
6) http://staceymead.blogspot.com/
7) http://queenofdreamsz.blogspot.com/

THRILLER!!! THRILLER NIGHT!!!

2009-10-31T08:39:00.003-04:00

I thought of this this morning and it reminded me of when I was younger and how everytime I went to the skating ring around Halloween they'd play the entire video. I couldn't help but smile ear to ear while watching... brings back such good memories!......If you have a slow computer just hit play then pause and let it load. Oh and you'll want to go to the end of the blog and pause my music before playing :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! ENJOY!!!

~29 Gifts~

2009-10-27T15:50:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine sent this to me thru email and I immediately wanted to share it with you all. You may have seen it before but I hadn't. It's a link to a video on the Today Show.

I'm a big believer in.... "The way you think, affects the quality of your life." Which is what I'm working on for myself right now. I realize that I have been putting way too much energy into all the house worries and the anxiety issues that have cropped up in the past couple of months for me so I think it's time to shift my focus :) Please go check it out if you can.... so very inspiring!

Thanks for sending it Stephanie!!!

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/33478623#33478623

2009-10-18T08:03:00.000-04:00

Thank you for the Wonderful Comments, Ladies!!!

I finally unpacked the last boxes yesterday and Adam got out in the sunroom and broke them all down :) Now to find where I wanna place my knick knacks which are currently covering the dining room table. LOL! I have a small obsession for statuary and gargoyles :)

Tomorrow..... the plan is to get in my art room and organize!!! Mom and I have 2 shows coming up in November and I haven't made a thing! My hubby and I celebrated our 5th Anniversary this past Friday and one of the things he got me was a polymer clay oven for my studio. So I'm really excited to get in there and set things right so I can get started on my creations!!!

Stephanie R.! I will email you just as soon as I get the chance to sit down and tell ya all that's been going on. There's so much and that's why I haven't just yet.

Hope you all are doing well and many blessings!!!
Summer

We're In!!!

2009-10-13T12:11:00.000-04:00

Yayyy!!! We're finally in our new home! Of course we're still cleaning and unpacking. Today my father-in-law is taking out the old toilet in the little bathroom and replacing it. Hopefully soon we will get to tile it and the big bathroom. Never could understand the logic of carpeted bathrooms! LOL!
As soon as I get everything unpacked and in their places I'll get pics :) Right now I'm having to hang what wall decor I have on existing nails until we can paint. Don't really want to add more holes to turn around and have to fill and yes the entire inside of the house needs paint! Whewwww! That's gonna be a job!
Okay.... thought I'd drop a few lines to let you all know I'm still around :)
More later!.....

Amidst the Chaos!

2009-09-27T18:26:00.000-04:00

Yes! Surprisingly, Amidst the Chaos of Home buying I have actually completed another doll :) I didn't think I would and now I'm wishing I had joined the swap in the Goddess Doll group I'm in because the votes came out to be for an Autumn Goddess! Well..... once again hopefully next time!

If you'd like to see more pics I have her listed in my Etsy Studio and on my Website.

NIADA Doll Show & Ramblings on Creativity!!!

2009-09-14T07:14:00.009-04:00

The show was AWESOME!

Though it WAS much smaller than I had anticipated and I was only able to get a couple of pics. I probably could've gotten more but I didn't feel right taking them without permission and all the artists were constantly surrounded so I wasn't able to ask but two :( It was also very dark in there and the flash was obliterating the doll details so I had to lighten the pics and they are slightly blurred. So wish I could've taken more and better photos! Wahhhhhh! LOL!

I've also added links to their sites for you to check out. It was so much better being able to see these dolls face to face. Especially the ones by Ankie Daanen (first ones below). I had seen her work online but was amazed by the size of the dolls in person! They were huge!

And no I wasn't able to purchase any. Dangit!!! There were quite a few that I would have loved to be able to afford but alas.... they were outta my price range

http://www.ankie-doll-art.com/

These next ones are created by Chomick & Meder. They were pretty cool and some were even automated :) It's hard to see in the first pic below but the old woman on the pedestal is half bird.

http://www.chomickmeder.com/

Decided to add more to this post.... was kinda in a hurry this morning :)

All the dolls were just AMAZING! ......Almost Intimidating! Until I realized these artists have just found their niche... their own style... what they are best at creating!

You know how you can look at some Art Dolls and immediately know that is so and so's work?

I've been all over the place in my creations and don't get me wrong... I've enjoyed creating the dolls I have but I still have yet to establish my own ~Unique Style~ to where people will say "Hey! That's the work of Summer Smith!"

I've actually been pondering on this for the past month or so but when I went to that show yesterday it INSPIRED me to really take a deeper look into my (psyche?), I guess you could say. LOL!

I've always felt and you can ask my husband about this, ('cause I'm sure I've driven him crazy over it!) that there's something missing in my dolls. It's like there's this one tiny thing that would make it POP! If I could only figure out what it is :) Am I crazy for thinking that or is there anyone out there that knows what I'm talking about??? If so... what's been your experience in this situation?

But anyway.... back to the PSYCHE thing! So on the way home I was trying to think of body shapes, patterns, images and time periods that have always drawn my attention throughout my life to come up with the BASIC style of my OWN DOLLS. And By George I think I've got it! LOL! Now it's a waiting game 'til I get the studio settled and the right supplies :) So Thank you NIADA for having this show so close to home because it's truly helped me out! :)

NIADA - Open to the Public today!

2009-09-13T09:39:00.003-04:00

I am patiently waiting 'til one 'o clock so mom and I can head up to Gatlinburg.

NOT!

I'm antsy as can be! LOL! I've never been to an ART DOLLS only show :) Today is the last day and it's open and free to the public for show and sales from 1:30-5:30 pm. I'm gonna take my camera and hopefully be allowed to take pics to show you all later. AND If I find a doll to purchase I'll be sure to show that along with the artist!

Below is the link to NIADA if ya wanna check it out :)

http://www.niada.org/index2.html

Some house pics :)

2009-09-10T08:32:00.005-04:00

The Inspection went well. We are now waiting to hear back from the owners on if they can repair some things before we order the appraisal. Thought I'd show some pics. Right now it's only ones of the outside since the owners have yet to move. You know the whole respect of privacy thing :)

My hubby told me wrong on the Inspection date! It was yesterday instead of Tuesday and I guess it was a good thing I decided to call the realtor right before I walked out the door to tell her I was heading out there early so I could get measurements and photos :)

The house has 2 living rooms but one has a fireplace with bookshelves built into both sides of it. We decided this will be the reading room. I have 2 high back antique chairs that will be perfect in there. It also has a sunroom! Herbs!!! I'm so excited! Last night when I got home I was ready to load up the car and get out of here! LOL!

Home Inspection Tomorrow :~)

2009-09-07T08:22:00.004-04:00

I guess you can see I haven't been able to create any new goodies lately. My focus has been zeroed in on home stuff : ) I believe that will change as soon as we get moved and my new craft room is settled! I have so many ideas of things to make that I want to get on them now but it's like I can't bring myself to sit down and just do it!

The lady finally came down to a reasonable price on the house we want. The Home Inspection is tomorrow morning and if all goes well we will be moving at the beginning of October! WooHoo! So please wish us lots of luck!

I've already packed up half our home and was amazed that I have over 24 boxes of books!!! I guess you can say I'm a TRUE bibliophiliac! LOL! Now we're trying to figure out how we're going to get rid of our old appliances and furniture RIGHT before we move so we don't have to take it with us and also so we won't have to do without...... hmmmm.

Okay... just thought I'd keep you all in the loop since I haven't been doing very much online. I do promise once we get settled things will be looking up and VISIONS will turn into CREATIONS!

Many Blessings!
Summer

One Light Bulb at a Time!

2009-09-01T10:11:00.005-04:00

This was sent to me in an email and I thought I should share :)

I actually buy quite a bit of off brand items so I decided to peek at some of the labels and was very happy to find that I'm already contributing to American workers! :) All of the Great Value brands I've purchased from Walmart were made in Arizona and the Valutime which I believe is from Food City comes from Illinois. Even the Coffee we drink "Master Chef" from Walmart states New York on it. Yayyy!

One Light Bulb at a Time!

A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American. Good idea . . . one light bulb at a time . . . .Check this out.

I can verify this because I was in Lowes the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments. They were all made in China. The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there. They were made in USA. Start looking. In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else - even their job. So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track. Let's get behind her!

My grandson likes Hershey's candy. I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now. I do not buy it any more. My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico now. I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything. This past weekend I was at Kroger. I needed 60 W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled, "Everyday Value." I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA in a company in Cleveland , Ohio. So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here.

So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets . . . yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada. The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbors! If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies!

(We should have awakened a decade ago . . . . . . ) Let's get with the program! Help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the U . S . A .
*****

~JINX~ Troll Pendant & some Ramblings w/ pics!

2009-08-27T06:18:00.005-04:00

I wanted to start the blog off with ~Jinx~ but the Scarab is having his way. Will not let me put it at the end like I had planned so.....

Mom and I went to the 407 Flea Market this past Sunday and look what caught my eye from afar! I've never seen a Jade Scarab so beautifully carved. He was sitting up on a pedestal and it seemed I just floated over to it! LOL! I held him in my hands forever before setting him back down, telling myself I don't really need to spend anymore money. Then I walked around to the other side of the booth to get away from him and it was like a magnet was connected to him and my eyeballs. I looked back over at him and he just kept screaming "BUY ME! TAKE ME HOME WITH YOUUUUU!" so I did........ and I don't regret it! I get such a good feeling from it :)

Here's my latest Wearable Sculpture. Got him listed yesterday on ETSY and Dreamspirations Gallery if you'd like to take a peek at more pics. The first name that came to mind for him (which I normally try to go with) was ~Basil~ but that just didn't seem right. Then I thought of ~Slick~ and that didn't stick either so I asked Adam and ~Jinx~ popped out. Perfect! Thank you, darlin' :)

I caught a snapshot of this little guy (or girl?) while Adam and I were browsing Clayton's homes this past Saturday. Yes... we're still hunting :) He was clinging to one of the windows and I was was amazed at his vibrant colors.... I'm used to only seeing them either all green or all brown.

Miss Gypsy! Okay... do all cats do this? Gypsy tends to pick a new spot to lay in each week or so. If she likes it, that's where you'll always find her. So her new spot for this week is on top of our computer and I just don't see how she can be so comfy with her bottom half hanging off but she was totally sacked out when I snapped this pic! Wonder what she'll choose for next week.......

Yesterday morning I woke up... checked my email and Surprise! I won 2 different kinds of Night Blooming Jasmine seeds from the Lovely Art Doll blog of Fantasy Whispers. Well... actually everyone that entered, won :) Such a sweet lady to do that! I can't wait to get moved and plant these babies.

Okay....I just thought I'd share what's been going on in my neck of the woods :) Hope all of you have a Most Creative and Inspirational Day!!!

~Wish Doll, Wall Decor & A Room Box~

2009-08-20T18:13:00.004-04:00

Wanted to let everyone know that my Wee Witch isn't gone..... the aforementioned visit to ~The Miniature & Dollhouse Shop~ got my creative juices flowing :) I decided that she needed her own room so I hid her on my Etsy and Website 'til I get it finished.

I still have to get a backboard to paint & attach her window to and whatever other goodies I find.
Haven't quite decided on her flooring yet. Would also like to find an unfinished table to go with her chair ('cause I've stained all the furniture and box to match) but haven't had any luck... suggestions???
I'm also working on a piece of wall decor and another wish doll! Just thought I'd keep y'all up to date :)

Have a Good Evening!
Summer

My First Dollhouse!

2009-08-17T07:59:00.005-04:00

I know this post is a bit long winded but I really wanted to share what happened!

So I decided yesterday to go down to a local consignment store that has booths for Vintage sellers called ~Nostalgia~ to see if I could find some type of vintage shelf for my craft room. You know the older stuff has character and is much sturdier than the cheap rickety, put together yourself, kind today. I know 'cause I have a couple of 'em that I'm hoping I won't have to take with us when we move :) I didn't have any luck finding one but I did come away with a 1920's metal egg scrambler that I had instantly seen an Art Doll in and two 9 1/2 in. Ornate wire doll chairs....

Now I've been to this place many times but this time, on my way there, I looked to my left and there sat this tiny red and white house nestled between trees with a big sign that read ~The Miniature and Dollhouse Shop~. When did that spring up??? So after leaving ~Nostalgia~ I dropped in to see if I could find unique miniatures to embellish dolls with.

I walked up to the door and as I was reaching for the knob this Little old lady, who had to have been over 75 yrs. old and couldn't have been five foot tall... I'm 5' 10", opens it up and ushers me in to the sound of a frog ribbit (her doorchime). I stepped in and was instantly Enchanted! It was as if all of my childhood dreams came rushing back to me! There were Dollhouses and Vignettes from Medieval to Modern with Electric Lighting of Candles, Lanterns and Lamps. There were even some made out of house shaped CD stands and Glass/wood craft boxes with a latch found at hobby stores!

It was amazing and I know I ended up staying there for a good hour and a half. The little old lady (I didn't get her name) was so full of Energy and Charm and the Gift of Gab that you could just tell she loves what she does, whole heartedly :) I asked her how long she'd been there and she was just celebrating the shops 30th Anniversary!!! All this time and I've never seen it! We mosied into the back room where she kept the boxed houses for sale along with some incomplete ones on display and my eyes zeroed in on the very back corner to my perfect first Dollhouse. It was complete with the round room I'd always wanted, along with a Victorian Style and an atrium off of the kitchen for herbs. I know it's supposed to be a bay window but it's my house and I'll do what I want! LOL! That's what's so exciting about it and the cool thing with this one is that it's made to hang on a wall or sit on top of a shelf. It's not bulky!

She was so sweet to give me pointers on how to build it. She told me that if I wanted to electrify it, which I definately do, don't make the mistake she did. Build the structure but don't add the windows, fireplace, stairs, etc. yet. She told me to call or drop by and she'd teach me how to add the wiring before finishing it. I already know that I want the large room in the attic to be the craft room :) With a singer sewing machine, shelving with little dolls on them (handmade of out of paperclay, of couse) and stacks of fabric!

I just really feel I was meant to notice that little store yesterday. I've wanted to build my own dollhouse for quite some time and I had made a budget for myself before going to ~Nostalgia~. But I was supposed to get this last dollhouse she had in stock, at that sale price, instead. AND I kept right around the budget I'd made :)
It also made me feel Great to be supporting this Lovely "Mom & Pop" shop!
The House is called ~The McKinley~ by Greenleaf and measures in a 1" scale at 33 1/2 in. wide x 33 1/2 in. tall x 10 1/2 in. deep. Thought you may be interested to know so you can google it and start your own dream home, too :)

I'm on the Back Cover!

2009-08-16T07:04:00.004-04:00

Yippeeee! I'm on the Back Cover of Art Doll Quarterly! I know, I know.... I'm not IN the magazine...YET but I'm still excited none the less :) I didn't want to blog about it 'til I actually seen it for myself so I ended up going down to the local book store yesterday and getting a copy. Yes, I'm still waiting on my free one. I just couldn't stand it any longer! LOL! I was amazed when the lady from Fire Mountain Gems contacted me thru Etsy asking if she could use my Wish Doll and one of my Necklaces for advertising. And of course I shipped them out the very next day :)

She had informed me that they'd be used in several publications but this is the only one I know of so far. When I first opened up the photos they sent back to me along with my stuff I almost couldn't believe these were actually my pieces! LOL! They did such a Wonderful Job on them!

Thank You, FMG!

Fibers, Fabrics and Trims, Oh My!!!

2009-08-14T07:55:00.012-04:00

I found this Wonderful Etsy Shop thru Twitter and had to share. She has a huge color selection on fibers for Mixed Media/Doll Art along with fabric kits, beads and buttons. At Great prices, too considering I just recently spent $8 bucks at Michaels for a pack of 6 fibers. She offers bundles of 15 different fibers at 2 yards each equaling 30 yards for $6.00! Or you can choose 3 Bundles for $15.00!

You MUST go check it out :)

http://www.BeckandCallGirl.etsy.com

Indian Summer

Cafe Au Lait

Pansy

~Wish Doll~

2009-08-12T14:09:00.009-04:00

Yayyy! I have a new Wish Doll finished and can't wait to get started on more! She was so much fun to create and if you can't see by now, I love the color Purple. As soon as I seen this fabric I didn't care the cost. It was way too pretty to pass up.... Her pocket is actually the same fabric turned backwards :)
Click Here for Etsy Listing or if you'd like to see

even more pics visit my website

Dreamspirations Gallery

~A Healing Grove~

2009-08-10T08:09:00.012-04:00

My new found friend Stephanie has just released her latest book. We had met before but I really didn't get to talk to her 'til a little over a week ago and found that she is one of the Sweetest ladies I've ever met and has such a wonderful, calming energy about her! I'm truly hoping we will be able to keep in touch and allow this new friendship to grow even if it's just thru emails :)

I cannot wait to read to this book..... already have it in my Amazon Wish List! I do hope you all will take the time to check it out. Below is the Editorial reviews, Book description and the Amazon link....

Reviews
"This book contains primal language, originating in Africa, brought to us by this emissary of nature's spoken word." —Malidoma P. Somé, author, Elder, diviner

"Ms. Bird invites us on a unique exploration of the forest that deepens our cultural awareness and enriches our connection with the green world. This important reference work belongs on the bookshelf of anyone serious about natural healing." —Sandra Kynes, author, A Year of Ritual and Whispers from the Woods.

Description

Reclaiming traditions based on plants and herbs has never been more important than it is today. Widespread use of chemicals, hormones, and additives introduce unknown substances into our bodies. On a larger scale, our future on the planet depends on our ability and willingness to incorporate earth-friendly practices into daily life. Where better to look for natural remedies and soothing rituals than Africa? It is, after all, the Mother Continent, allegedly the birthplace of the entire human race, and the keeper of ancient earth knowledge.

No newcomer to these traditions, Stephanie Rose Bird explores the practical uses, spiritual traditions, and historical aspects of trees in the heritage of African Americans and offers ways to rediscover and implement natural practices in twenty-first-century daily life. The topics she covers are as diverse as a wood should be, including everything from hunting, gathering, and processing to natural divination, omens, signs and forest medicine for wellness and beauty. A Healing Grove will not only lead to personal healing but also to a lifestyle that will heal our earth.

Click Here

for Amazon Listing.

My Friend's First Art Exhibit.....

2009-08-09T06:04:00.011-04:00

Me, my mom and a friend of ours attended our

friend Jackie's very first Art Exhibit/Silent Auction this past Friday night in Downtown Knoxville. I was so proud of her that I decided to blog about it :)

I'd never been to an Art Showing before and believe me, it was just like in the movies! LOL! There was such a mixture of different people and personalities and of course there were the 'so called' Pretentious ones that I just had to give a chuckle at ;)

But anyway, as soon as I seen Jackie this RUSH of excitement hit me. She was just Glowing with Exuberance and a tidbit of Nervousness which is very understandable. If it were me, I'd have been bouncing off the walls! LOL!

She submitted 3 of her Beautiful Goddess masks and there were even some bids! WooHoo! Congrats, Jackie! You definately deserve it :)

I wanted to plug her Etsy Studio here, too. She makes some Lovely gemstone jewelry at very affordable prices and also great Bath & Body products!

Below is her Shop Announcement and her Etsy Link so be sure to go and check out her Wares :)

Welcome to SpiritEssence gifts to uplift.... My hope is that these items will touch your body, mind and spirit. You will usually find a variety of items - genuine gemstones/gemstone/ swarvoski bead jewelry to help you sparkle, handcrafted bath and body products to refresh and rejuvenate, occasionally mask art to touch your heart and mind, and anything else I get an urge to create. Browse, and feel free to contact me with any questions. I also do special orders and custom work. Yes, combined shipping available! Check out my profile for shipping, return policy, and more information.Blessings....Spirit

http://www.spiritessence.etsy.com/

Dawn, Rising!

2009-08-07T13:32:00.010-04:00

Finally! Dawn, Rising is finished! Wheeeeeew! Took long enough! LOL! If you'd like to see more pics and details please visit my website: Dreamspirations Gallery or
Click Here for her Etsy Listing.

Thanks so much for checking her out!

Spirit Energy!

2009-08-03T07:54:00.003-04:00

Wanted to show these photos because my mother caught some awesome Spirit Energy on camera! I blocked the faces out for privacy and you can click the images for a larger view.

The first photo is of a lady walking the fire and if you'll notice she is in Front of the main fire and the Energy is flowing in Front of her :) Look at the colors!

The second photo has energy flowing at the top on the left and right side and also at the bottom left corner. These are not from the fire or torches because the camera isn't moving and everyone is in focus :)

My husband and I used to be very much into Paranormal Investigations, Studied and Researched many different Phenomena and Case files and we had a lot of success ourselves in capturing Ghostly and Spirit Activity in Photos and thru EVP's. More so thru EVP's so I was very excited when mom emailed these to me and I just had to share :)

Etsy Doll Art!

2009-08-02T18:04:00.005-04:00

Here's another Art Doll that I just fell in love with!
Isn't this little Faerie just the cutest?
She was created by yet another talented Etsian,
Leslie Bailey:)

Click here

to view her listing.

Update on Latest Doll!

2009-07-31T07:35:00.003-04:00

I don't want to show pics 'til she's completely finished but wanted to say all I have left to do is her hair and decorating her base :) WooHoo!!! So SURELY she will be done by the middle of next week!
I'm leaving this morning for a Weekend Camping retreat with my mother so I won't be able to get back to finishing her up 'til Monday....... I'm so excited! We're gonna be in the mountains attending various classes and workshops.... one is how to make a Goddess mask! Then there will be a Firewalk, Sweat Lodge, and lots of Drumming and Singing around the Bonfire! Yayyy!

Etsy Doll Art!!!

2009-07-30T09:26:00.012-04:00

I was browsing thru the varied Doll Art on Etsy early this morning and was intrigued by this lovely lady's vision and imagination so I decided to feature her work today :) Just click photo title to view her listings.

tHiNkInG iNsIdE tHe BoX

wOoDlAnD dWeLLeR

Ms. Gypsy!

2009-07-28T08:08:00.004-04:00

I wanted to show off my mom's latest doll. Her name is Ms. Gypsy and she's partially made out of recycled fabric in pretty greens and a brown crocheted necklace with irredescent glass beads.

Click here for more details on this little lady :)

Exciting News!!!

2009-07-27T09:48:00.002-04:00

Well... exciting for us anyway :) My husband, Adam and I have been trying to sell his property for the past 3 yrs and it has finally went!!! I think fate stepped in because we went thru 2 different real estate agents and then a couple of months ago we decided to bite the bullet and just go ahead and look for a home to purchase.
The agent that showed us a house we were interested in wanted to see if he could try and sell the property and he did! Yayyy! Now we can put money down on a BETTER home! It was just that everything we looked at before that was in our price range was Crap! Too much renovating and also not the space we needed. I have to have an Art Studio with a door to shut! So I can keep my cat off my workspace... I love her to death but she just thinks she's the queen of this house and can do whatever she chooses :)
Our 5th Wedding Anniversary is coming up in October and I'm hoping that will be a gift to us! Buying our first home and to be settled in by then! WooHoo!!!!!

Morning Inspiration!

2009-07-25T06:38:00.003-04:00

I'm not gonna spoil it but as I was sitting here drinking my morning coffee, Inspiration smacked me upside the head! My latest doll has been taking me quite awhile to accomplish... at first her make-up wasn't right. Had to do that over a few times and then I've been having issues about her clothing and how it's going to be applied and fit her.
Well.... She's finally told me just how she wants to be dressed and beaded and what she wants to be called! I now see that's what was tripping me up.... she wasn't happy with what I was doing or what I was planning for her theme! LOL!
Does anyone else have this issue? It seems most times I can't plan out a piece and just make it.... I've tried! They always turn out how THEY want to be :)
But sometimes I wish I COULD do that so I can get more accomplished in a timely manner! Hmmmm..... maybe I need to meditate on how to remedy that.......

My First Addiction......

2009-07-23T07:44:00.002-04:00

Barbie Dolls! Yes... It's true :)
Yesterday I was thinking, what in the world should I blog about? Then I thought why not talk about how you first got into dolls and the memories just came flooding in....
I remember I couldn't wait to get home from school, close myself up in my bedroom and play for HOURS :) I'd start thinking about how I wanted to set it all up before school was even over for the day. I was definately addicted! Guess that shows I wasn't very social even as a child!
But anyway.... My favorite of course was Midge (who I called Samantha... Sam for short) because she was different and had freckles just like me and I would style her hair and wrap scrap fabric around her to make a dress. Then since I never had my own dollhouse I would either create sectioned rooms with my school folders or clear off this plastic 3-tiered shelf and make her a 3 story house! I'd grab some toys, etc. that I could use as furniture and cover with my own clothes for upholstery. Don't remember exactly what I used for her car but I know I created something for her to cruise around in! LOL! I never cared that I had to recreate it all the very next day.... I realize now that that was the most fun part about it :)
So that was the beginning of my Love for Dolls....

Getting started.....

2009-07-21T08:09:00.006-04:00

Okay.... Trying to figure out this whole blogging thing :)
Whewwww! Lots to learn on here!
For now... here are a couple of WIP pics of my newest doll I've been working on. I've got the hard part finally finished on her. The rest is just embellishing so hopefully that will be a breeze!