So Many Things

Going on.

It is now Day 2 of my next trip around the sun. I had fun on my birth day, going out to lunch with a dear friend. She took me to an Indian restaurant and it was very yummy. Yesterday, another friend took me to see Wonder Woman. I think I liked it. I will have to see it again because I didn't know that this particular showing was in 3D. 3D doesn't like me a lot. So I was working to watch the movie, keep track of the story, and try not to throw up. So I will have to wait until it comes out on DVD to see it again. But the clothes Diana and Etta were wearing while in London. Oh my! I see some cool fall outfits ahead. Anyway, I loved just about all of the supporting characters, even the bad ones. I have something to look forward to.

My purse has just about died. I bought it at a boutique. Someone made it and I liked the colors. A nice blue plaid. I had the zipper fixed once before and the pull on the zipper failed yesterday and I couldn't get into the purse. Not good when one is trying to buy a very expensive rum truffle chocolate. The rest of the purse is fraying and it's time for a new one. Good thing I can make one myself but that project wasn't on the list. Ugh!

Now I'm working on getting back to being creative. I pretty much took five days to celebrate my birthday, and technically still have today but will get going on a few things. Now that I've discovered that I can write up posts, save them, and then they will post on a date I choose, I should be able to stay on a regular posting schedule. Yeah, I'm laughing too. But here are some things on the docket.

• Continue with the language studies
• Practice my handwriting (it truly needs it)
• A sketch a day
• Clear out a drawer once a week (still downsizing, for a third time)
• Write and/or edit everyday

Creative Projects

1. Items for the Black Theater Festival
2. Repair a Raggedy Ann doll
3. Continue with my Redwork/Embroidery projects
4. Finish the Halloween dolls that are so close to being done
5. Finish off doll clothes that are also close to being done.
6. Day of the Dead dolls

That should keep me busy for the whole month. We shall see. I was looking at my creative endeavors as a chore. But they aren't because I do enjoy creating things. I want to get that joy back. So hang in there with me.

Day 3: No Pic Post

Yowza!
This year is flying by. Halfway through. Totally unbelievable. But here we are. Crazy happenings on this rock that is hurtling through space. And it's time. At least for me to finally make the breakthrough I've been dreaming of. My 54th year around the sun is coming to an end. As I look back on this very unusual life, I feel positive. The big upheaval from a place I liked in another state to being back to the one I thought I had left behind. Adjusting to being back. Fighting the fears of what's new and replacing the battle armor. I am ready. I have a friend, we'll call her Ms. S, and she's ready to take that leap too. Sometimes it's good to have someone who's also on a journey of change to keep you on track. So we are going to meet on my birthday and hash things out. Plot and plan, and make deadlines for ourselves and each other. We will put each other to task and encourage each other. Because... this is it. This is the time to make the big push to create like crazy. Get projects going and finished. I've had starts and stops and I'm getting a wee bit tired of that. It's time.

I've started walking again. Watching what I eat and portion sizes. I can also put some music on and dance. I like dancing. And get back to doing Yoga. There's hiking I want to do on some serious trails and I need to get in shape. I don't know if this will be the year to try kayaking or not. I know for sure I will do it next year. And next year I'll get a bicycle. I haven't ridden on in years.

It's time to stop looking at the past and the bad things that have happened. It's funny how we always remember the messy things in life and not the good things. So that's what I'm working on, when I get the bad memory loop going, I will stop and remember the nice things that have happened. The cool people I've met, even if they were only in my life for a short time. Remember the times when I laughed so hard I cried. The times I was able to travel out of the country to experience another place. Those are my memories. No one can take that from me. I have people who like and care about me and it's time for me to do the same. I refuse to give up. There's too much to do and see. A lot more people to meet.

So I am bidding this year a fond farewell. I've been celebrating this past weekend. Getting the creative batteries recharged for the next 365 days around the sun.

Cheers!

Catching Up

Getting back on the creative wagon. Got some things done, new things designed, bills paid, caught up on emails, found a doll I'd been looking for, and spotted Juno catching bugs at night while hanging onto the sliding glass door.

I worked on some more embroidery designs. A friend suggested I do a whole Mariachi Band. Maybe.

Here's Juno on the glass of the sliding door. Scared me when I went to turn lights out for the night. I wondered what that pale spot was and when I got closer, it moved. An unusual way to catch bugs but he was busy at it.

Got two Goodfellas doll dresses done. The red head is a doll I bought from a store. She's a bit smaller than the brown one which goes back to the charity.

And here is Leah's doll I made for her when she was younger. She's in her 20s now and she can't wait to get this little miss back. She loved her and her sister Tori loved her, if a little too much. Tori liked fuzzy things and tore a hole in the feet and took out the stuffing. The hair is also coming off, Tori. I think I will fix one side of the mouth, leave the stains, put on new hair, fix the feet, new bloomers, and a new dress that I'll tea dye a little. I'm excited.

Got a long list of creative things to do. Need a few supplies and will go out tomorrow. And then it's the pedal to the metal.

#goodfellsascharity #goodfellasdoll #wendyluane #dayofthedead #embroidery #clothdoll #raggedyanndoll

Here

The past week has been a strange one. Had a bad anxiety attack at the beginning of the week. Then when I started to feel better and work on things, the area had three electrical brown outs on three different days. That also put a further crimp in things but I kept going and did what I could as long as the sun was out. I'm hoping the upcoming week is a lot better. For now, I finished stitching my third embroidery piece. It's not all Redwork but that's okay. I like how he turned out.

#wendyluane #redwork #embroidery #dayofthedead #pearlcotton

Okay Day

Today was an okay day after not doing much yesterday and a lot the day before. So before I started getting down on myself, I told myself that I had a recharge day yesterday and made up for it today. I'm quite satisfied with that assessment. Not only did I sketch, I painted in my watercolor sketchbook (I'll have pics tomorrow once it dries), started a new doll, posted on social media, worked on a novel series (still getting all the parts together on that), and worked on my latest Redwork project. Things are okay.

I've always wanted to make a Frida Kahlo doll. I cut one out, sewed, and stuffed it today. Now I have to pic a face to embroider.

And here is my latest Redwork piece.

#wendyluane #fridakahlo #fridakahlodoll #redwork #embroidery

Doll Clothes and Stuff

I didn't know what to call this post seeing that I've been doing a couple of different things lately. I can't explain it but I've been feeling fairly positive this past week and I'm going to ride this creative wave for as long as I can. I got my daily sketches in and I worked on a doll dress pattern for my Goodfellas doll. I've had a main list of three items and that I should attempt at least one thing on the list. Three would be great but other things pop up and I'm supposed to be cutting myself some slack. I did enjoy the process of creating a dress pattern for this little doll. I don't know why I was shocked that I was having fun. Silly me, it's something I like to do. Before bed I will work a bit on my next Redwork project and get at least 100 new words on a short story done. I hope to turn the wave into a tsunami.

I forgot to take pics of the first pattern draft but here is the second draft made up into a bodice. I adjusted the neckline and shoulder. She's a bit chunky so I had to adjust for that.

I took the bodice apart, adding notes of what to do to the next pattern. I had to remind myself to throw away the old pattern and not the new adjusted ones. And I have to do that right away because they start to look the same.

Finally got a decent bodice pattern and made a sleeve. This is the third try and it works. I will make a better pattern and add a quarter inch for the sleeve hem and add elastic.

Here is the mockup of the dress. I will adjust the neckline again, I like the sleeve, I like how full her skirt is and I will have to cut off half an inch at the hem because it was too long. I've pulled fabric for the dresses and will start them tomorrow.  Yay me!

And here are my sketches. I love, love, love mini campers, vintage campers, campers period. One day I will travel around in one and see some National Parks. I'm thinking Halloween campers.

#wendyluane #goodfellasdoll #goodfellascharity #doll clothes #dollclothespattern #minicampers

Five Days In

Okay, so time is being weird. I already know I'm weird but time, well, it's screwy. Plus, Monday holidays throw things off. Now it's time to get back on the wagon. I finally got some sketches done. A couple of witches, a skellie lady, an octopus holding an ice cream cone, and some beginning folk art sketches. I don't know where any of this is going but I did it and I'm feeling lots better. There's nothing like putting pencil to paper. Erasers are cool too.

And Juno is still hanging around. I like how he changes colors when he's on the grey deck.

More catching up tomorrow. Have a good evening.

June

Boy, that came up fast. How did May go? It was okay. I got four projects done. I made a purse, designed some embroidery designs for someone, finished my second Redwork piece, and finished my first short story and sent it to someone else to read. What they call a Beta Reader. I was too close to the story to see anything wrong, so I sent it to someone else to critique it. So even though I got some things done, it wasn't the bumper month I had hoped for. Fear is a bad thing. Fear of success is equally bad. I'm working on being kinder to myself, still. It's so easy to help others and offer encouragement but not cut myself some slack or pump me up. But today is a new day in a new month and I will forge ahead. I've got too much stuff in my head to give up at this point. One day at a time, one part of a project at a time.

Today, I got up and wrote in my journal, then I went for a walk. They tell me it's supposed to help get you in shape and deal with sadness. I'm still waiting for that to kick in but I did manage to lose 10 pounds in the past two months. I need to lose about another 20 but yay for me! Flexibility is getting better too. I got some really nice storage containers for my fabric at a yard sale today. I usually don't catch bargains like this.

I finally got the underpants for the Goodfellas doll. I think I found a style of dress to make. Will probably sketch that tomorrow and make a mockup.

And here is my next Redwork project. I got more pearl cotton from my mother. She used to do crazy quilting but hasn't been doing it lately. Like several years lately. So I grabbed some colors I didn't have.

I have a mega list of projects to do. I will share some in the near future. There's a very nice festival coming up and I want to make a few pieces for that. And I have several dolls that really want to be finished. I can be such a goofball but I'm working on it. Working on my next short story too.

#dayofthedead #dollunderpants #dollclothes #redwork #embroidery