Wandi Updates

Snowflake and elf print Wandis.

I was able to get more done on my Winter Wandis. They now have their heads and legs on. Now I have to finish stuffing arms and get them on. Someone mentioned that she never sees anything finished but always in progress. She shall remain nameless. Where have you been lady? Click on dolls and you'll see everything that is complete. ;)

I have one art commission to complete today, because it's driving me nuts, and I need to get it in the mail. Then I have one more project to finish up before I can concentrate on new designs for next year. Such as:

Pirates, mermaids, more skellies, and things that fly. I'm so happy that I have a one woman show in October. You know what that means? Halloween stuff. Yee haw! My first exhibition show in 2011 is in February, and the first real show is in May. It's looking to be some line-up for next year and a play niece is getting married in June.

These final two projects are like balls and chains around my neck. I guess I better get to work. Take care all. Have a great week!

Hello!

Is anyone out there? I know it's been awhile since I've posted last. Novembers seem to be time sucking in every way. After coming down from my doll expo and writer's workshop high, I crashed really hard. Didn't want to do anything but sleep and the creative mojo man went missing. I attempted new dolls, NANOWRIMO, and tired to get back on track but my job had its annual craft fair, which also took time (mental too). Then there was turkey day. By the way...

HAPPY BELATED THANKSGIVING!

There's nothing like good food to help with the spirits. I got an invite from Maya and her husband. He, the wonderful man, smoked a turkey that was so tender it truly melted in one's mouth. I had so much fun and laughed so much. I talked to a friend from high school, several from university and it was so good hearing their voices. We cheered each other up. It was great! I do have some leftovers, I didn't gorge myself yesterday either. Very good of me. I am so grateful for all my friends and their support.

I'm getting a new and better attitude on life. More details later, but for right now, I'm excited about how things are going. I have two projects to complete by December and then I will be able to concentrate on new work. I am learning how to say 'no' because of all that I want to do. It's okay to want my time to create my art. I don't have to explain anything to anyone. It's quite liberating. In 2011, I will make some more big decisions that will improve my life, how I see it, and how I want it to be.

I want to thank my new followers: Natalia of www.scarletsailsminiatures.blogspot.com whose shoes are awesome! And Grandma Moose of www.needlefeltedrockheads.blogspot.com. I think I got that right. I thought I wrote down Grandma's real name. Forgive me, it must be the leftover dressing. Mind is still getting back to normal.

I will be getting new pics up next week. My body feels the need to get back to creating. I have missed many creative posts from you all and will have to catch up. Thanks for being in my blog world.

Back To Work

Catching up is a chore in itself, especially when it's non-creative stuff. I'm still working on that stack. But I was able to get some sewing done. I have a holiday art and craft show booked for December and I've got to get cracking. Here are my Winter Wandi girls. At least their parts. Some of their parts. I'm going to have to do a count. I have two extra heads and I know I need some more legs.

I also bought some holiday fabric. I didn't need any but things were on sale. The JoAnn's I went to had just been refurbished and it's beautiful. So inviting, warm, and fuzzy like. That was bad for me. I even had a list of three things and I came out with eight.

I think I have enough arms. When I got into sewing these lovelies, I realized I didn't have any blue thread. I mean, I can see not having white, or black, or tan, but blue? I have every other color. No blue. I searched high and low for that water buffalo and nothing. I mean, a seamstress is suppose to have the basic colors of the rainbow for thread. I have everything except blue. Guess where I'll be going again?

I get into a zone when I'm sewing parts. Some are easier than others. Some I have to think about, like arms. I did get confused at one point and panicked, thinking I didn't have enough arms. I told myself to finish what I had and then take a body part count. That's when I found things. Don't you just love this?

I'm still doing NANO and have a total of 9136 words. Behind but that's okay. I have a good three weeks to go. Still polishing the manuscript and I've got to start on some ornaments. Then there is the Goth Girl painting. Back to work!

Jack Patch

This is a quick sketch of Jack Patch (working title). It features my twin Goth Girls, unnamed at this time but drawings and stories will be of their adventures through Halloween land. I have a lot of catching up to do with myself and my followers. Creative batteries have been recharged and I'm ready. So many ideas. I hope my head doesn't explode.

I'm Still Here!!!!!

I have been busy. So many things have been going on. The Expo, great. The writer's conference, great. And now a visitor for the weekend, also great. Well, fantastic. My pal from university in Michigan came visit for a long weekend. Her first day we went to the North Carolina Zoological Park. It was awesome! The leaves on the trees changing, the crisp air. It wasn't too hot or cold. Just perfect. Unfortunately there were 200+ kids there but not til the end. This pic is of the marshlands. Did you know cattails are edible? You can boil the roots for stew, eat the leaves in a salad, and grind the dried roots to make flour. The whole thing is usable.

This was one of the many sculptures throughout the park. Made of marble, it depicts all the eggs of the different critters found in the marshlands and how they relate in size to each other. The oblong one belongs to a snake.

Harbor Seal swimming around and having fun. There were two pups but they weren't cooperating for a photo op.

Another one of the sculptures, this one of the river otters. Once abundant in NC, but rarely found.

He gave me a wonderful shot. I begged him to look up before the horde of kids stormed in. And he did. Isn't he cute? I love otters. Little river, big river (like in South America) and sea.

Bison. Huge!!!!

Black Bamboo. I thought it all was green. Learn something new everyday.

My favorite place was the reptile exhibit and these tropical frogs. I love them. Now I have to do some research. Like I have time for anything else. But they were so cute. No more than two or three inches. And they move fast. So pretty.

A black and yellow guy. Didn't get much info because of the stampede of little ones. They were loud too.

This is a Victoria Crown Pigeon. About two feet tall and can fly. One flew over my head.

An Eclectus Parrot. Very loud. Scared many people, young and old. It was great seeing grown men jump.

African violets.

Elephant.

Giraffes.

Repeat.

Alligator. Very large. Signs all over saying that yes, they were alive, and to leave them alone. I was waiting for a bright person to climb over the barrier. I wasn't lucky this time.

Pumas, Mountain Lions, Cougars. Check out those feet!

More gators.

This was an artificial geyser. There are several small ones and when they went off, they scared me. Silly me.

Plants of the desert area.

This one was very pretty. Further along the trail I got to see how big they get. Medicine ball size.

South Carolina Writer's Conference

Three months ago, my writing partner in crime Maya, suggested we go to the SC Writer's Conference in Myrtle Beach. I was in full swing of getting ready for the Doll & Teddy Bear Expo, so another big event wasn't on my mind. She said that we could have our manuscripts ready (because agents and editors don't want to talk to you unless the piece is done) and go. Because I was in a daze, I said, "Sure."

Between dolls and finishing chapters, reworking other chapters, I managed to be ready for the conference. I was exhausted and glad that Maya drove. It was nice being in a different location and this was my second time to Myrtle Beach. And it has changed. But the great thing about it was that no one was there. It's the perfect time to be in a tourist spot. Off season. The streets were practically deserted, like in a zombie or post apocalypse movie. It was great!

Our hotel room was clean and we could see the beach, the sunrise in the morning. We were on the beach the first night with a full moon and the second night we watched an orange harvest moon rise. The sound of the waves breaking on the beach were very soothing.

Full moon rising. My pics of the harvest moon didn't come out but the memory will always be there. It was also wonderful being on the beach as the tide was coming in.

Up the beach as the sun set beyond more condos and hotels.

I loved how the moonlight shone on the water.

I took this shot of a palm tree because I hadn't seen one in ages and I like the textures of it. Myrtle Beach looks like a mini Miami.

The conference itself was at the Hilton. This is the ocean view. It took place over three days, the first being paid workshops. I didn't have any of those (Maya did), so I hung out by the pool and took everything in.

The second day started the basic conference schedule. My first session was a slush fest, where the first two pages of manuscripts are read and critiqued. The two people I were interested in having look at my work were the ones doing the critiques. I found something out. YA (young adult) is in three definite categories. Mid-Grade (ages 9-12), tween (13-15), and teen (16-18). I was not where I thought I should be. My manuscript was definitely mid-grade, so the people I was interested in weren't interested in my work.

I was a bit disappointing but I also picked up a few tips from that reading. I was not deterred. I had another workshop with and author, who gave a lot of good advice and a list of agents interested in what I had written. I was now thinking to 2011, to the Society of Children's Books Writers and Authors conference in Los Angeles. That conference would be geared to those writers, agents, and editors.

One workshop where I didn't garner much, the last one where I got some good info. Maya had her list of pitch sessions with agents and editors totally mixed up. Her last one was with a kid's agent and she asked me if I wanted to go in her place. I said sure, why not. I wasn't really prepared, wasn't dressed for it, and just shot from the hip. The agent was interested and I was expecting her to ask for a query but she asked for the whole manuscript. Maya said that my hand was really shaking. I was in shock. My toe is in the door. Still more work to do.

Now, I have to make sure it really flows and that there are no typos so I can send it to her. It's happening. Hard work is starting to pay off. Life is good.

I'm Back, Again

I kind of don't know where to start. For the past two weeks I've been finishing my manuscript to go to the South Carolina Writer's Conference in Myrtle Beach. I've gotten confirmation on a holiday art & craft show in December, I have a commission to make 15 holiday cards, and I'm planning on doing NANOWRIMO again in November.

The art show will be at Krankie's Coffee Shop. It will be my first time and I've already have Wandi dolls started. Winter Wandis. This time I will be knitting items for them to wear. I also have Winter Sprites started, and will be reworking my angel ornament pattern.

Working on booking shows for next year and right now I have a One Woman show in October 2011 (Halloween related of course). I have to get started on that now. Oh my!

Now that my first manuscript is done and will be off to an agent, I must begin the second one in the series. I'm glad that second story is already outlined and ready to go. I've got to get a schedule made up, like pronto.

I would like to welcome Paul Smith to the adventure. I didn't see a link but thanks for joining.