Working

Like many, I have wanted to start more positive habits. Which I didn't a week ago today. It's difficult to try something that is good for you. I have fallen off the creative truck a few times but I tell myself that's okay. It didn't take overnight to create bad habits and it not going to be overnight to create new better habits. In other words, cut myself some slack, get back on the truck when I fall off and keep going. Our brain is one thing we really don't use much. So when I'm working on the new habits or a new schedule my brain just wants to quit. Um... no. I push on. If I'm tired, I take a break. So I've been creating. Working on things started months, years ago, and some new projects.

More work on my gourd heads out of Creative Paperclay. Still making things suck and just seeing what happens.

The clay heads I started. Some are starting to take on personalities.

Bloomers for three dolls.

And stitch work on my pumpkin applique started last year. I haven't appliqued in so long, I didn't know exactly what I was doing. Common thread here. So I worked on it anyway and it's not bad. Now I've got to find a backing for it and finish it. I know now what not to do the next time.

Have a good week.

Day 1

I was using today as the first day to break out of my comfort zone. The first part didn't go so well. I didn't get started until about five PM. But I got started and finished the first part of a new project. That's what I told myself that I would do today. The first step. The other project to work on is my writing which I will do that after I post this. I have no idea how this will turn out. It's something totally new. So we'll see.

Work In Progress

Remember that empty dish soap bottle and pellets? Here's the next stage.

I think I like using the bottle as a base for a project. I'll have to do that again, once this little guy is done.

Working It

I got home from the job yesterday and wasn't feeling it at all. But around 8-8:30 on the pm, I asked myself if I wanted to be mediocre for the rest of my life? If so, do nothing. If I want to be on that beautiful beach in the Caribbean or on a New Zealand wine tour, I had to do something that would get me closer to that goal.

So I picked up my sprite pieces and closed up the seams. I had gotten into some sort of zone (could've been Twilight), when I stopped to look at the parts and thought that I had so many limbs compared to bodies. It began to unnerve me, that maybe I made a mistake in counting. Then my mind came back and I told myself (I know you know where this is going) that there are usually two upper limbs and two lower limbs per one body. Is that goofy or what? I had to laugh at myself. It was my Dr Frankenstein moment.

I will cut out their bloomers and sew them today.

I read on another blog that one should always have small achievable goals at all times. My 'believe' sign was one. Here is Creative Mojo Man almost wrapped. I think he will have some funky felt boots on and he's got to have wild hair. The fabric is scrap from a totebag a friend made me. The fabric was going to be a blouse but that never happened so it's now a totebag. I get so many compliments on that bag. Well, CMM is feeling very happy right now. The Wendys are getting a bit jealous and I'll have to start them soon too.

On the docket for today along with the bloomers:
2 more Koji Bear heads felted
3 sets of Koji Bear arms felted
complete torso of pirate formed
chapter 4 of Map Hunter

I'd like to welcome Lainie of www.lainieslittlethings.blogspot.com Love your fish tank with the not-so-little fish.

Creative Mojo Man

I have been in the dumps something fierce the past month and I'm starting to come out of it. I think. I don't want to count those chickens or put that horse where I think it should go at the moment. Any hoo, last week I had had it and went looking for my creative mojo. Good Wendy had him cornered so I decided to grab him and make him. It's a start. Got the fabric ready to cover him; leftovers from a tote bag a friend made me. I want to have him done by the end of the week. He's screaming for Wendys too.

I wrote about me changing my work table and that I should take a pic. Well here it is. Pretty cramped right. I've got Grim in the back for inspiration. He's waiting for buddies to party with. I told him that scaring old people wasn't a party. Maybe the neighbors. My writing books are at the ready as well as my needle felting implements.

June 2010 Wrap Up

What a month. I really didn't get much done after the funeral, trip home up north, a short illness, and then losing my creative mojo. I was slipping into the pit of poo. So I celebrated my birthday for a week again, like I did last year and I enjoyed myself. I also recharged the creative batteries. I met with friends I hadn't seen in awhile, talked to artist and writer friends and reconnected with creative business contacts.

So, this is what I did accomplish:
Sage, a stump doll with polymer face and hands
finished reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Worked on my bunny wall hanging, started a Double Irish Chain quilt, worked on my pirate story, and started another foil doll for the film.

I'm kind of glad this month is over. There were setbacks and some disappointments but the trip to the mountains saved everything. Onto a brand new month, a new year for me. It's time to turn into a creative juggernaut.

Are you ready?

Foil Madonna

This is another foil doll. I'm really liking this process and I can use all my scraps to wrap it with. I took a t-shirt quilt class on Sat and I'm using the backs of the t-shirts for this project. Just cut the remaining pieces into strips and I'm ready. You can see how tall it is, Cassa is 8".

I will make her face, hands, and feet out of fabric. The baby will be out of foil too. Their faces will be stylized and I have wonderful blue print fabric for her. Haven't figured out how I will represent the halo. This piece is for the film. Ha! You can see Sage peeking from behind the paper.

Priestess and Seer Woman

I finished them. Two more pieces for the film This one is Priestess and when I move her, the little silver danglies ring. Way cool. The head piece took some maneuvering but I got it stuck on her head.

I just love upholstery trim and fancy yarns.

Seer Woman, not quite a conjurer. I love working with layers. I'm going to really have to explore this process, 'cause I'm loving it. I've opened another file in my already over packed brain. These two were finished today. I gave myself today for one and tomorrow for the other but I turned into Speedy Gonzales today. I start a new piece tomorrow. I still have time to work on other things and get some editing done. Woo hoo!

The sun had disappeared by the time I tried for a close-up for Seer Woman. Pic didn't come out so well.

Voodoo Warrior

My Voodoo Warrior. Kind of smart looking isn't he? I was just going to call him 'Warrior' but a friend saw him this morning and said he looked like a voodoo doll. So he became Voodoo Warrior. I'm easy. He's got suede leggings on and the feathers are from a friend who has a friend with birds. Confused? Ha, ha! Sometimes I'm way confused.

This isn't a bad process at all. Actually, I kind of like it. Make a foil skeleton and wrap the heck out of it with strips of fabric you don't like but really don't want to throw away. The top layer is fabric strips to match the outfit. Now the doll that I saw had a separate face attached but I thought I'd let a person's imagination go wild and not do a face.

So here he is. I've got the two females to finish. I'd like to continue with this type of doll and see what else I can come up with. After the Expo. Trying not to count eggs before they're out of the hen house.

Foil Dolls

I'm late, I'm late, I'm late. I feel like that rabbit in that wonderful story about some girl who falls through a hole, drinks some stuff, shrinks, grows, and meets unusual characters along the way. My adventure seems to be going a different way. Haven't met any rabbits or caterpillars, a lot of strange people though. I digress.

I saw a doll by a lady last year and she told me this process of using foil as an armature. I filed it in my head. I'm surprised I was able to dig it out but here are three armatures. These will be able to hang on the wall and will be for the film.

They are wrapped with strips of two old nightgowns that had seen better nights. Stretchy, t-shirt fabric, I cut into strips and saved because I had filed this idea in my head. And I need the container the strips are in, so what a better time to get these guys done.

They will be sort of tribal types. A neighbor, before he moved, gave me some beads. Very nice guy and I will use some of them on these pieces.

At first, all of them had legs. Well, that didn't last long and only one has legs. At first I thought the foil wouldn't work. Dollar Store foil. I got the three dolls out of a 25 ft roll. But once they're wrapped, they're very solid.

Of course this will be the male version. I have fabric picked for all three. Will work more on them tomorrow but Meredith was expecting an update. For the next two weeks I will finish up the dolls for the film. It's been a very big project, over a year in the making and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to do this. But I've got another big project coming up and need to have a clean slate. Onward and upward.