Mini Men

I'm done. What few marbles I had left, they are gone. Rolling away. I've always loved miniatures. I never had a doll house when I was a kid and always wanted one. Now I want several. I have to start small and somewhere so I decided to do some figures. Do I know what I'm doing? No but there's nothing like a challenge. I'll start with 2 and let you know what happens.
Both Wendys are laughing hysterically right now. I don't know why because they are still on the drawing board. These guys are in the works. I have everything that I need to get them done. Except for maybe the confidence. I think I'll have dinner first. Wish me luck!

April, I'm coming.

I have my ginormous list for April on my wall. Am I panicking? Ummm, not yet. The full list hasn't sunk in. I'm a little nuts but my creativity balances that out. Here are the tails for mermaid ornaments. I have to go to the fabric store and get some skin tones. There are 25 little puppies. What am I thinking? Right now, it beats me. Maybe I shouldn't have stayed up late filleting, I mean sewing and turning them. Then again, everything and it's family is blooming and my nose and eyes are not having fun. Ah, spring!

My step mom asked for a small quilt to go over her when she goes to dialysis. I can't say no but I did pick an easy block pattern. She's doesn't care what color, so I looked through my stash. It's quite minimal, so I probably shouldn't call it that. Some quilters have closets and rooms full of fabric. Maybe one day I'll get there.

I loved the print of the main fabric and I think my step mom will too. I want to look for the dark purple and add some black. I can't wait to get started.

I forgot to mention in my last post that I saw a blue bird. Beautiful, just like in books. Had a production meeting for the film and sat through my first script read through. Interesting. I wish I could tell you about the story but you're gonna have to wait. Filming starts in June.

March Wrap-Up

Okay.... I don't know what happened to March. Maybe part of it was winter cabin fever finally getting the heck out of here, or Daylight Savings Time (that can screw anyone up), or the fear of finally doing things I want and like to do and having fun at it.

What did I get done? A few things: Outline for Script Frenzy, Beely got done, more skull ornaments; things got worked on such as my bunny wall hanging, Celtic Knot wall hanging, Bunners, 3 new Koji Bears, and things for the film. Not quite satisfying but it wasn't a total waste.

I did start walking again and started Tai Chi. So I'm looking out for my mental and physical health. Oh yeah, I am laughing. There were no fireworks in March. I'll have to change that for April. A new month. I can start again. Fine some trouble to get into. Still laughing. Maybe March was the calm before the birth of a creative firestorm. I like that. You just don't know what's coming. Smells like trouble to me.

Stay tuned.

Chickens

A friend of mine has laying hens and I've just had my first fresh egg sans chemicals, no exercise on the bird's part, and space rays. Oh My Gosh! I don't even have salt on it, just a little pepper and it melts like butter in my mouth. I guess I should've taken a pic but I've eaten it. Next time.

Works in Progress

Three Koji bears ready for heads and final wool covering. They have personalities already. I have sailor outfits on the drawing board for them.

I have a mermaid ornament pattern. I think they're the right size to double as pins. These lovely colors will be tails and fins. Gee, I made a rhyme. I never cease to tickle myself.

I am so looking forward to my weekend. You should see my list. I will come up for air to post more pics.

Script Frenzy

I've decided to take the plunge and do Script Frenzy this year. I will write a 100 page screenplay during the month of April. It's the baby sister of NANOWRIMO in November. I've done it before and succeeded with an action thriller called 'KillJoy'. This year I will do a drama titled 'The Kitchen'. My cast of characters is ready as well as my outline.

I have to do this because I feel like the NetFlix commercial with all the characters sitting in a classroom, waiting to be sent to viewers. Well my characters are out of my head and on paper. Patiently waiting, lingering like a runny nose that just won't go away. Bad Wendy is rolling around laughing.

Before I go I want to welcome my new followers. Thanks guys. I was surprised to see my numbers have grown. Now if the Spring Faerie would stop this teasing nonsense and keep a steady day-to-day temperature, I'd be very happy. Okay, I am feeling pretty good, but you know what I mean.

Parts and More Parts!

I love these legs. I felt I needed more parts for the film. A true doller has more than one project going on at the same time and this character (main one in film) will have all types of dolls in her shop. They kind of look like they can be Can-Can dancer legs or witchy legs. I think I'm going to have to make more of these and do the rest of the body. More things on the list, not many off.

I have some legs that won't be stuffed but be able to be spread on a table or stuck to a board on the wall. I like the green ones too. These are for the film. Down Bad Wendy, down.

I also did 2 sets of arms and one set will be stuffed. You can see the patterns to the right, which will probably be in the film too. I have different size body parts ready to be set. This is getting fun again. First real production meeting/rehearsal is Saturday. Woo hoo!

Up close on the arms. These individual fingers weren't too bad to do because they were quite big. I haven't stuffed the other set yet, so I don't know how much I'll be liking them when they're done. Still debating on if they fingers will be wired.

I know I'm behind and even though my eyeballs were getting funky again, I made sure I did something towards my art cause. Yay me!

Bunners

Here's a bunner with fake under kimonos before her skirt gets wrapped around her. I thought I had gotten a pic of my feet. Disregard those.

Here she is wrapped and more feet.

This is my second bunner. She's a champagne color and I can't remember where I got that wool from. It's okay, it took a bit to get the coverage that I wanted.

Second bunner with her vest and obi.

The first bunner with her vest and belt. I didn't make an obi for her. I like her simplistic look. Both have detailed paws. I will do the same for their feet.

This is the back of the second bunner and her obi. Modified of course. That's the cool thing about being an artist. Final design is my discretion. I did have 2 of my kimono making books out though. I wanted to get the feel of the garment.

I think she'll really be cute when I get her face done and her ears on. One arm is wired so that I can bend it.

Here's my white bunner and I really like her. It may be difficult to part with her, just like Koji. When I started the clothes, I knew what I wanted. But because of their size, I had to modify the design. Which helped in not making me so crazy. I had to tell myself that I am the artist and that I'm not doing actual kimonos, but working to get the essence of the garments. I am extremely happy with what I've got so far. Stay tuned.

Down Again

I haven't kept up. I had been felled by a titanium wrecking ball that smashed into the right side of my face. Eyeballs were ready to pop like eggs on a hot rock in Death Valley. I was breathing through a pipette, a very difficult thing to do, I wanted to blow my nose though zilch came out. At one point I couldn't sit up, didn't want to lie down, and one moment, things began to spin. And I wasn't dancing.

I'm a bit peeved at Lady Spring's debut. Maybe her fling with Old Man Winter didn't end well. I shouldn't have to suffer. But....

I'm ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

I can breathe again. It's such a wonderful thing, breathing. No more pounding surf in my face. I'm smiling intstead of squinting. I'm finally back in the creative game.

Bunners

This is my first Bunner. Rabbit. I use to have bunners, a Lop Ear and a mini Dutch. Loved them to pieces. The Lop was a diva and the Dutch shared peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with me, destroyed school books I didn't like (the bunner ate my homework), figure eights around my feet while I cooked, and did the greatest helicopter spins.

Any hoo, I started these for Easter but got snagged up on the creative process and put them away. I knew I could do them, see Koji, but for some reason I they stopped being appealing. Bad Wendy poked her head above a stack of books and was ready to pounce when Good Wendy popped up. She asked me why a change of heart with the bunners? After all, I liked them. I thought about it and Bad Wendy started to smile like the Grinch before his heart got bigger. I said that I didn't want to dress them as Eastery things. Good Wendy said, "Don't. What do you like?" I said, "Kimonos. Like Koji." Good Wendy said "Then dress them in kimonos." What a concept.

Now I can sell them any time of the year and not be limited to a holiday. Bad Wendy disappeared. Feeling better now. Chocolate would really top it off. I've got to get some tomorrow.

Beely and Oswin

This isn't the best pic of the dynamic duo. There hasn't been any great sunlight coming through my studio windows for the past 3 days. I think they make a nice couple.

I've also been working on more crossbones for skull ornaments. For today, I've got Koji bears and Winslow on the docket. Fro some reason I'm terrified of bunners. I'll keep you informed.

Celtic Knot

Here is one of those UFP's. It's a Celtic knot design. Many moons ago I took a class and designed this. I got all the fabric and even made the bias strips. Then it all got put away, hidden from all of the wacky events of the world.

I remember in the class that this was no little feat. Especially when we had to make sure that where lines met, they either had to go over or under. The next set of meeting lines had to be reversed. Everyone liked my design but like many classes and workshops, you never have a finished product when it's over.

So I pulled the thing out because I worked my tushy off on the pattern and bought fabric. This is my design. With the gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair. I looked at the bias strips that had been made and of course I did't write down which color went where. One color in particular is so dark that it distracts from the other two nicer colors. So guess what I'm going to do?

Ha, ha! Yep, got to the fabric store and look for a replacement. I don't need much, 1/2 a yard. Plus I'll get to look at more pretty colors and get more inspiration because this is the third day of rain. Once I get the bias glued to the main fabric, I'll take another pic.

An Award!

I got a Kreative Blogger Award. It's very exciting. I can count awards I've gotten in my life on one hand. Thanks Allison of http://miniatureallsorts.blogspot.com I finally figured out how to put the logo on my post. Getting it on my blog will be another adventure.

The rules are:
1. Thank the person that gave it to you.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog
3. Link to the person who nominated you
4. Name 7 things about yourself that nobody knows
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ bloggers
6. Post links to the 7 blogs that you nominate
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs, letting them know that you have nominated them

7 things folks may not know about me:
1. Love anchovies on my pizza
2. Wanted to be a neurosurgeon
3. Had the Navy after me for 4 yrs to be an officer, didn't join up because they wouldn't let me on a submarine
4. Wants to learn how to play a banjo
5. Wants to learn how to wreck dive
6. Likes the laughter of babies
7. Born in the Year of the Tiger, so this is my year

Here are the cool blogger ladies I like:
Kim- http://flowerkim.blogspot.com
Robin- http://needlefeltedart.blogspot.com
Nicky- http://nickycc.blogspot.com
Abi- http://abimonroe.blogspot.com
Brandi- http://shesoffherrocker.blogspot.com
Xochi- http://xochibearsprimitives.blogspot.com
Donna & Colleen- http://primpaperthyme.blogspot.com

You ladies rock and thanks for the inspiration.

Beely

Oswin now has a new friend, Beely. She is a save from my first foray into wet felting. My apartment washer hates me and fine craft. I wanted to salvage what I could of my parts and this is what I came up with.

I will take a pic of her with Oswin tomorrow. I get a better picture with natural sunlight. Then again, maybe the batteries need recharging. :)

She's got wild hair and her party dress on. Woo hoo!

I'm Back!!!!!

Sorry for not posting in a couple of days but I had to take a day off and do nothing. I also started walking again and oh my gosh, I'm creaky. Anyhoo, here are the beginnings of new Koji Bears. I'm still missing him but it's the beginning of being a self supporting artist.

A better picture of the armatures.

I used some wool that I'd had for ages because I was low on core wool. This stuff is polyester roving and I didn't think that it would felt but it did. They look like little grey game birds.

I finally got my wool order. Woo hoo! I'm so excited. You can't really tell, but the colors are gorgeous. This is the Citrus pack, I also got the Ocean pack which is pictured below. I've got enough core wool to keep me busy for awhile and white for more skull ornaments and some bunners. I didn't take them out of the package because I knew I wouldn't be able to get them back in neatly. Like unfolding a road map. I love maps too.

At some point I will take these out and get another pic. I've found that I like working with C-1 batt instead of roving because roving fibers are too long for what I want to do. Live and learn eh? Well, I guess I better get busy.

Sold!

Just got news that my Koji Bear sold. I'm a little sad but happy that he has a new home.

Happy March

March 1st, I never thought it would get here. Now it is and I've got a new list, not as long as last month's because I didn't know what I was doing, besides something new. I can be a bit loopy at times. Okay, most of the time but I'll work hard not to let Bad Wendy get the best of me.

I have 25 projects on my list. Some are big and need to be worked on, the others need to be completed by the end of the month. I completed 7 projects last month and worked on 5. Not bad but not great either.

My friend Rita came over last week and gave me some treasure. She loves to go Goodwill shopping ans she's good at it. Me.... not so much. I don't like shopping unless it's in a bookstore, fabric store, or art store.

She picked up two pairs of leather pants and wonderful doll size trim. The pants can be re-purposed for mini and doll shoes, vests, purses, and hats. You should've seen the gleam in my eyes. The wheels and cogs in my head started to move, thinking of all that I could get into. I felt like a kid in a candy store. Doesn't take much to excite me.

My friend Margie, by way of Maya, also gave me a bag of trim. Haven't gone through that yet. I've placed a wool order today and it should be here by the end of the week. Now I know I have to get busy. Toodles!

February Wrap Up

I was suppose to do this yesterday. Oh well.

Looking back, February wasn't as bad as I had thought it had been. To keep track of my creative output, I write down, each day, what I do. Needle felting, writing, taking care of my budding business, etc.

I was creative 28 out of the 28 days of February. A first ever. 17 days on the business, 13 for needle felting, 16 times for the blog, 14 days of writing and 6 days of minis. There are others but just to give you an idea. I feel great because of these numbers. I knew I was busy in a creative way and that things were getting done, I just didn't know how much until my final count. It feels real good.

It's showing me that I can do it. Come up with ideas, work them through, and finish in a certain amount of time. Now, in the words of Emeril, I have to 'kick it up a notch'. Focus a little bit more while keeping Bad Wendy at bay. Yep, there's a Bad and Good Wendy hanging around. I should make them.

Bad Wendy is the procrastinator, the fear monger, the mistress of doom and gloom. Good Wendy is the doer, the encourager, the one who is kind and tells me I rock, to think things through when the going gets tough, she's my cheer leading section. It's great when she sends Bad Wendy flying across the table.

They are always with me. Bad Wendy sulks and waits for something to go wrong so she can instigate and make things worse. Good Wendy shows up before I work myself into a tizzy of non-productivity.

Why am I telling you this? Because for me it's good to put a face and name to my feelings. Is something not working out or am I having a bad day? If so, what do I need to do to get back on track. Being an artist/writer is lonely business. It's okay to be afraid, as long as you don't let it be in control. It's always nice to have something, someone in your corner, to say you're okay. Things will be all right.

I've turned the page on my calendar. A brand new month. Look at all those beautiful, open, and inviting squares. Ready and waiting for me to create things magical.

I hope to make you laugh, smile, intrigue you, make you go 'huh?' this month. Let's get started.