Transition

That word can mean many things to different people. For me it's crossing a river from comfortable place to a very strange and unusual land. A nice, creative one with lots of bright colors. I love color. I love all types of art. Getting a little ahead of myself.

I am transitioning from being one type of artist to another. For the past 30 or so years (jeepers, I'm divulging how many trips I've been around the sun) I've been a traditional cloth doll artist. I'd design a doll, make the pattern, find fabric, cut out the doll, sew it, stuff it, paint the face, and then dress it. I've done everything from cottage industry type things, to limited editions, to one-of-a-kinds. I've made play dolls for both boys and girls and dolls you just put on a shelf and look at how pretty and cool they are. That was way back when fabric was good. Now it's hard to find a fabric that will hold up to what I did to it. Fabric that's the right color for brown dolls, fabric that doesn't feel slippery. Because when I found something that worked, they'd go and change it. And the search would be on again. Then the fabric stores started closing or moving further away.

Now don't get me wrong. I love cloth dolls. I've won ribbons, had one woman art shows; been in galleries and cool little shops; taught classes; been in local newspapers; photos of my dolls have shown up in doll magazines; made dolls, that were a huge part of the story in an independent movie (still on the shelf), the main character was a doll maker; had my dolls in an exhibit in a museum (The Delta Fine Arts Museum); and had an interview on the local public radio station because of that exhibit; have a doll on permanent display in a children's museum; and had my dolls decorate the set of a stage production along with making a doll used in the play. I have done a lot with cloth and I am proud of what I have accomplished with them but now I want to move on.

I couldn't understand how I could still design, sew, and stuff the doll but after that, I lost interest. I wouldn't finish the doll. Why? Well, it's the stuffing part. I've stuffed a lot and oh... the right stuffing I like to use is getting more difficult to find. Why do they have to change formulas? Stuffing takes a lot of time. I love painting the faces and dressing the dolls; putting on the final touches of beads, buttons, or feathers. But once I was done with the stuffing, the dolls just sat. And it was a chore getting back to them. Plus my hands are having a hard time doing that part nowadays. I longed to do dolls or figures that I could pose, put on a stand, in a vignette. Tell a story. I tried porcelain (finicky), needle felting (a lot like stuffing), polymer or oven bake clay (no place to do that now), and air dry clay.

For right now, I've settled on the air dry clay. It's not as portable as cloth but easy to clean up. I can sand the dried piece, drill it, paint it, stain it, whatever. And I have started a couple of pieces. I'm terrified that they won't come out. That no one will like them. So I've decided to just make them for me. Just do it. Learn the new medium. There will be a learning curve and it will take a lot longer if I don't open up the bag of clay. I have so many ideas sketched out. On paper, in sketchbooks, on napkins. It's something SOOOOOO totally different.

But I've given myself permission to 'Make It Suck' and then I'll let others decide if they like it or not. That's what a friend of mine told me to do. Make it Suck. I will wrap up the few cloth dolls that I have waiting to be finished. Then step on the next stone leading to the other side of the river. It's scary but I'm getting excited. Until then, here are some bloomers.

One Rat Done

I finally finished a needle felted rat. It’s not totally finished because he will be dressed and have accessories. So technically, he’s still in the works. I used Sara Renzuli’s technique and I will be tweaking it to make rats that look closer to live rats. Have lots of ideas for these guys.

Hello!

Yesterday morning on my way to the shop Olde Mill Eclective, the sun was shining and it was quite balmy at 52 degrees.  It looked and felt like spring except for the semi- and leafless trees, and piles of brown leaves on the ground.  I had to remind myself that it is December.  I don't mind the mild weather but i had to slay a stink bug the night before last.  I've kind of had enough of them this year.  Be gone!  I need a break. Which means we need some cold weather and snow.  Which we won't be getting for Christmas.

The Krankies Holiday Craft Fair was very good.  I won't have to live in a box quite yet.  Thank goodness for the credit card reader.  Whoever came up with that, I hope he/she is living it up.  That little program made my weekend.  It took me almost two days to recover and I still picked up a bug. I have one more show this year.  It's a late one but I'll take it.

At the Krankies show, there were a few people who thought some of my work too creepy.  They obviously haven't been web surfing because my items are quite tame compared to other creations out there.  I didn't fret, I just told myself that they weren't my audience and I smiled for the next person.  I received many compliments on my work.  People who had bought things as gifts last year, came back with reports that the items were well received.  New people who looked at my table from across the room, walked over and just smiled.  There were people who took time to look and began to laugh.  Those who looked at my work, walked away and came back to smile and laugh some more.  Both males and females did this.  And the best compliment of all was from a woman who said she loved how I had a variety of things but could tell they were all my creations.  She pointed out how each face, even the needle felted ones, had their own personality.  I was on a cloud.  Talk about a creative ego boost.  Exactly what I needed.  It's one thing when family and friends tell you your work is great but when you have fans and total strangers love it and the way I think, that is just so awesome.  A great feeling to wrap up the end of the year.

Now, I have a boat load of ideas from all over the place.  But first, I must blitz the apartment and studio.  I can't find a darn thing.  There's stuff on the floor of my studio and I've created a path.  The room isn't even that big.  Yikes!  It needs to be done, so I'll start this week.  Through the sniffles.  A little bit at a time.

In Progress

It's a pain. Catching up, still working on feeling better, getting mentally back on a creative track. It's been tough. I'm working hard on not giving up because I'm so far behind. But then a part of me kicks me in the backseat to do one thing. One little thing. Because there's nothing else I want to do.

Saturday was tough. In my crazy little head, nothing seemed to be going right. Yet in between beating myself up, I managed to get something done. Too bad I can't have more days like that. I started out with this...

The core is a wet felted egg shape that I made for another project that didn't get done. Instead of tossing the egg (there are more) I decided to make something else. And I ended up with this.

He's still in progress. He will have a green cap with a brown stem and probably a red bow tie. Why him? I don't know. He spoke to me and he's determined to get done.

Block 8 of Bless This House quilt. I did change the wreath and am trying to do a little bit each day so I can stay on track.

I added some of the flowers and the heart. Now I've got to cut out bias strips to make two stems. One little bit at a time. Right?

Once again, this year will be the season of the ornaments. They're easy to do and they sell well. They make great stocking stuffers and they're cute. Here's my latest batch of angel ornaments.

I'm also involved in doll swaps and here is my doll for the Stitchin' and Switchin' USA fall swap. She will get a knitted or crocheted hat (because she wants one), a jacket and probably a scarf. Her design is based on a Penny Wooden doll. I love her curly hair but she still wants a hat. Then she'll be off to her new mom.

And wonders of wonders, I finished reading a book. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I really liked it, especially the black and white photos of the peculiar children. It is obviously a two book story and I hope he's working on the second book. It's got unusual kids in it, monsters, time travel and it's about friendship and adventure. I guess I'll have to check out his website to see what's coming up. I do recommend this book.

Bouncing Back

I'm having a tough time bouncing back from my illness. I have so much to do and catch up on, I'm trying not to panic. I am getting back to things slowly because I don't want to have a relapse and get sick again. So I've been taking midday naps because I'm so tired. I guess that's what happens when you're coughing and blowing your nose for two and a half weeks. Non-stop. You get tired. I am starting to get my appetite back, so I guess that's a good thing.

I have two art fairs next month and need to restock the shops that carry my work. Tonight is my last English Country Dance session for the year. I will go for the first part to see people, maybe dance a jig or two then head back home and rest. Lots to do this weekend, along with seeing some gal pals. Next week I'm in the Olde Mill Eclective shop.

Still behind in NaNo but my screenplay is coming along. Here are some things I've got going. Have a wonderful weekend.

This is the start of my latest Bless This House block. I modified it a little, the original had way too many squigglies.

This is the beginning of a stogie chewing pumpkin. He will be needle felted. I did manage to get my art table cleaned off and filed doll patterns I'm not using at the moment. And I've posted a blog. I will try to be a little more consistent. Especially now the holidays are coming up. Take care everyone.

Artist of the Month

I am featured Artist of the Month at Olde Mill Eclective at the Bethania Mill Shops. Yay me! If you're in Bethania, NC, stop by and see my setup. It will be up until the end of October. There are other lovely shops in the mill and Muddy Creek Cafe is right next door. Yummy food and local beers. There's parking in the back, and if that's crowded, there's parking at the Bethania Visitor's Center across the street.

Olde Mill Eclective

in the 

Bethania Mill Shops

5455 Bethania Rd

Winston-Salem, NC 27100

336.813.3774

We are also on Facebook. www.facebook.com/oldemilleclective

Be sure to support your local businesses, shops, and artists this holiday season. Thanks!

Quinlan Doll & Teddy Bear Convention

I hadn't been to a doll convention in years but this year I participated in the Quinlan Doll & Teddy Bear Convention, Show & Sale in Essington, Pennsylvania. It was wonderful. If you are interested in dolls or bears or both, this is the place you should be next year. The talent was astounding. I did have a table of my dolls set up and have ideas swirling in my head for next year. It will be bigger and better. I saw an old friend there, met new friends, got lots of business information, networked, and had a lot of fun.

Here I am with the kids.

A view of my whole table. It turned out better than I'd hoped.

This is a needle felted bear by artist Stevi T of Alpaca Encounters. www.stevit.etsy.com

And this is her pirate Steampunk rat.

There were many panel discussions and this one was on How to Find, Create and Encourage New Collectors. The panel included Agnes Intellicato, Christine, Donna Nielsen, Debbie Weimert, Cindy McGuire, and Amy Thornton.

Christine Shively-Benjamin also gave a talk for someone who couldn't make it. It was called, Dolls in the Smithsonian's Museum of the American Indian.

Me and Christine. We've been friends for a very long time.

Lillian Alberti, Diane Troutman, and me.

Some of the wonderful people I met at one of the yummy meals.

Mark Dennis. Love his work. He won two awards the last night.

Here's Christine again. She's a lovely lady and avid collector. I'm going to have to do this in two parts.

Brunson Elementary School

Last week I went to speak to 5th graders at Brunson Elementary School. I showed many dolls and spoke about my creative process. They loved it. My dolls and me. I had a lot of fun and have been invited back.

I started with some cloth dolls I had made, went into polymer, and then needle felting. I'm working on a small project for them to do.

Happy Halloween!

I don't have a new scary picture right now so I'll show a piece I did some time ago. One of my first needle felted pieces.

I am just about ready to start NaNoWriMo, November 1 at midnight. I'm very excited about reaching 50,000 words in 30 days. I'm finishing up two stories I'd started before and I want to get that first draft done. One is a fantasy pirate story and the other a mid-grade kid story dealing with zombies. I am cooking for the week so all I have to do is heat a meal up and get to writing. I also have dolls and ornaments to do for the holidays. So November will be very busy and prove to be quite interesting. I will post my word count on a regular basis along with showing new dollies.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

What's Next?

No pics this time round. I really need to get some fall pics this year. I can't remember if I had any last year. The leaves are changing quite nicely and I love to hear them being blown down the sidewalks. We finally have our regular temps for this time of year.

So what's next with me and my work? I really need to get more items back on my Etsy shop. Need a PayPal adjustment and then I should be back in business. I have dolls stacked up that need to be finished and I'd like to do that within the next two weeks. More needle felting with some bears in winter wear. That should be fun. Lots of ornaments for the Krankies Holiday Craft Fair. Catch up on my Hop To It quilt blocks and get ready to do NaNoWrimo again next month. Also, restock shops for the holidays too. That's just my three month plan. I also have a six month plan. But I'll work on getting things done for the rest of this month. By the end of the week I should have something to show.

See ya!

Marley Batsheva and her Amazing Bat Circus

I finally got the last piece done for my show. It's Marley Batsheva, named by two friends, and her bat circus. I had fun making the bats. They are needle felted over a wire armature, with felt wings and beads for eyes. Marley loves her bats. Here's her story:

Coming from a family of performers, artists, and writers, Marley decided to continue the tradition. She has created her own bat circus. She's not too fond of fleas. Bats are more petable.

Forgot to take the pin out of this bat. Oops! He's been skewered. They still need some practice, don't you think?

And look what I found at the craft store. I was looking for something else when I spotted these two beauties. The last two. I'm on the hunt for more but I believe I've missed the boat. Get it? Dracula was on a boat.... Anyhoo, I can't wait to paint and decorate them and see what dollie goes inside. My voodoo doll pins are too big. Drats! It doesn't matter. I'm creative.

I'm supposed to be taking it easy this week. A self imposed break of sorts before I get back into the creative swing of things. I will probably continue to rearrange things and get projects in order on my craft bookcase. See which dolls in progress I want to finish and get everything together to get started on new ones. Now, I've got the holidays to think about. I'm also thinking about a different background for my blog. Not satisfied with this one.

I have a lot on my creative plate for the rest on this month and year. I'm so excited, I can't wait to clue you in on some things. I will be doing more needle felted pieces and throw myself into some polymer clay. I can get back to my applique and finish off a quilt or two. My Etsy shop needs a lot of work, so that's on the list too. 

Have a great day!

October 1

Hello October! I'm so glad you're here and you brought way cooler temperatures with you. Thanks. The trees are starting to turn colors, I love that. I had to write my first blog of October today, well, tonight. I'm so tired. Got my dollies into the gallery yesterday and I felt a little sad. Hopefully they will find wonderful people to adopt them and they will spend their time in wonderful homes. My apartment is quiet. Yes, they were having a party, sometimes without me, but they're gone.

I'm pooped. My brain is still foggy and my eyes are doing weird things. They don't want to cooperate at all and just want to close. I've started cleaning and straightening my apartment and art room, just so I can mess up again. The holidays are coming you know. I will take the next week to take it easy, catch up on sleep. Then I will become a creative juggernaut and kick butt these next three months. Here are some of my Witch Voodoo Doll Pins, Miss Siliendra the fortune teller, and Marley Batsheva.

Miss Siliendra. She started out as a he, like in pirate but had other ideas and became a fortune teller. Sometimes they just take over in what they want to become.

Witch Voodoo Doll Pins. I knew I had tiny brooms for them but could I find them? Nooooo. So I sent them on their way to the gallery and one sold today. Of course as soon as I started cleaning up, I found the brooms. The next batch will have them.

The is Marley Batsheva, a Ghostie Girl. I still have to make her bats and will be able to turn her into the gallery on Monday. She loves bats so much, she's started her own bat circus.

I would like to welcome Jennifer OK to the party of www.musingisfree.blogspot.com.