Wrap up of October 2013

I say it every month.  Can't believe this one is over.  I was able to decorate a small section of my apartment this year.  Now that I've gotten started, next year will be better.  It's taken me seven years to get to this point.  I can start planning for 2014, tomorrow.

It wasn't a bad month.  Still working on not being too hard on myself.  Along with getting two part-time local gigs I accomplished:

• read one out of three books
• 14 out of 31 Days of Halloween
• Got 13 ornaments done
• Painted two complete pics and worked on five
• Cut out my pirate vest (almost done)
• 3637 words on Map Hunter 3- rough draft
• 6750+ more general writing (a total of 10,387 words for the month)
• Participated in online doll group swap
• Began to teach a young lady how to sew

I know I am way hard on myself and my accomplishments but this blog is for my creative journey.  I'm just now getting started and this year isn't over yet.  I will be starting NANOWRIMO tonight at midnight.

Write a novel in a month, 50 thousand words from November 1 to November 30.  I will be working on at least three short stories but may add another one.  I know I'll hit my mark this year.  I have started a list for November and may have to take it down a notch because of NANO.  I also have a craft fair this month too.

I thought fall was here but today it's going to be in the 70s.  Enough already.  May everyone have a wonderful Halloween.  Stay safe.

31 Days of Halloween - 14

I know I won't make it a full 31 days but that's okay.  It was good having a personal challenge.  Will I do something like that again?  You bet.  Starting next month.  In two days.  But here is my latest.  An alien ornament out of felt.  He's cute.  I don't know if I like the buttons or not.  But he's done.

He's a grey.  I have green felt for little green men.  The top of the hat has chenille stem in it for a little posing. I do have other buttons I will try.  What do you think?

31 Days of Halloween - 13

Thirteen is a good number.  But I'm so far behind on this personal challenge.  I will continue to work on it but here's number 13.  Bat in Winter Hats ornaments.  I think they turned out quite well.

Southeastern Animal and Fiber Fair

This past Friday, Maya and I went to the Southeastern Animal and Fiber Fair (SAFF) in Asheville, North Carolina.  We'd been planning on this event for the past eight months and kept our fingers crossed so that nothing would prevent us from attending.  We were so excited to be on the road.  The weather was brisk and the sun was shining.

All I can say is that we had a blast.  We walked around the main section that was in a small arena at I believe the fair ground.  Immediate overwhelm, looking at all the fibers, yarn, roving, patterns, handmade and knit items.  Oh my gosh!  I so want a loom and new spinning wheel.  Maya wants alpacas, which are so stinking cute. Especially the babies.  And the noises they make.  A cross between a grunt, bark, and bunny sounds.  The tiny ones had little blankets over them.  I guess to keep them warm.  If I had room, I most definitely would have a couple.  There hair is so soft.  Some say it's softer than cashmere and easier to take care of.  I bought some to make gloves.  I guess I need to finish my second pair of socks.  We also went to the other buildings for more animals and vendors.  I will most definitely have a project in mind next year.

Oh, and the Angora bunners.  So cute!

Lemony Snicket

Hello peeps!  I went to a Lemony Snicket book signing last night.  I have read all the books in his first series The Series of Unfortunate Events.  His second series is called All the Wrong Questions and book two just came out.  I was also able to get book one and he signed both.  I also got a t-shirt.

Me getting my books signed.

As you can see, he is quite the character.  He is very funny, loud, athletic, can be positive and negative in the same sentence and considers himself quite handsome.

He also likes gimlets.

31 Days of Halloween #12

Yikes! This month is getting by me so fast.  But I have two big projects I'm working on that will keep me alive and well.  I still have almost two weeks in this month, so get ready to see some more stuff.  I'm also going to start working on things for my last two shows and get more work into some shops.  I love this time of year.

This is acrylic paint on canvas board. 9" x 12"

Vase of Skulls

Halloween Swap Ornament- 31 Days 11

My online doll group has a Halloween Ornament swap going on and this little gal, Serilda is on her way to a new home.  Good thing because she's really cute and I was falling in love with her.  So I guess there is a plus at getting things done at the last minute.  Just kidding.

She has a tulle underskirt, painted boots and face, and there's a pipe cleaner in her hat and can be posed a bit.  The spider is a charm and it does look like she's not expecting that particular kind of friend.

Here's a painting tip: To paint feet or shoes, stick the legs in a toe separator. Yeah, the ones you use for your toesies.

31 Days of Halloween 8, 9, 10

I'm behind but I'm still plugging along.  This is turning out to be a very busy month and not all of it Halloween. So going to have to make Halloween all year round.  Starting up again in January.  Also plotting two shows to round out the year and figuring out shows for next year.  Can I be cloned?

Anyway, here are some paintings I finished.  They will have a story, eventually but they are done.  They are Figi Mermaids and if you know anything of P.T. Barnum, you know what I'm talking about.  I used transparent and opaque watercolors on watercolor paper.

31 Days of Halloween - Pirate Vest

This is part of my 31 Days of Halloween/Fall.  I've worked on this for two days so far.  One to cut out the vest and it is lined and now for today, I've started to put it together.

Here are the printed pieces.  Four of the pieces are now together.

Here is what the fabric looks like.  I've got a thing for pirates.  Old school.

NANOWRIMO 2013

Yes, I will attempt NaNo again this year. I didn't even try last year, but things are a changing in my weird and wacky world, so I will go for it. For those of you who don't know what NANOWRIMO is, it is National Novel Writing Month, where you pen 50,000 words during the month of November. Crazy, yes but that's who I am and the other lovelies I roll with. So stay tuned.

I'd like to welcome Kimmielovin, Meleenia http://artbydianne.blogspot.com/, and Dorota Mateusiak at http://minifanaberia.blogspot.com/ for joining the party.

More Soft Sculpture Pics

Here are a few more pics I took of Lisa's work. The pics are mine, the work is hers, so please respect that and no copying without permission. Thank you.

This is Lisa's very first soft sculpture. Her art teacher at the time told her during an entire art session how bad it was and how she would never be an artist.

This is one of her latest pieces. Angel of Destruction. And those are real turkey feathers. She even made the sword out of paper clay.

31 Days of Halloween - Catch up

Yes, the month just started and yes, it's going by so fast and yes, I'm a bit behind.  Here are four drawings I did with an app on my phone.  I used my finger and I liked doing it even though it was a bit foreign for me.  Still working my way into this century of technology. LOL

I call this one a stitched pumpkin.

This is a... I don't know what this is. Part skull, part phantom.

I love doing skulls.  

This is a young lady who has seen way too much.

And I'm still behind one. Geesh!

Soft Sculpture Workshop Pics

I was going to do this post yesterday but friends invited me over for a bonfire and snacks.  So I went.  It was wonderful being with friends, making new friends, and hanging out with my soon-to-be eight month old niece.  She's a stitch.  It was a little warm for October in North Carolina but the evening sky was clear and the stars were amazing.

Lisa allowed us to take pics of her work.  The pics are mine, the figures are hers.  She does fantabulous work and is continuing her soft sculpture classes the rest of the year and scheduling for next year.

A close up of a head Lisa was working on to show the stitches of the eyebrows.

Jump.  She's so cute and playful.

The hands have plastic mittens on them because Lisa said the finger tips get dirty fast and the dirt shows up when covered with the panty hose.  A good tip to know.

You can just make out the stitches in the torso and thighs.

Some of Lisa's earlier characters.

This old gents eyes are painted to have cataracts.

Love this biker dude.  The hair on his chest is thread.

A cute little baby.  I'm going to have to learn how to make an open mouth.  We did get a quick tutorial.