One Tiny Step

At a time will get you closer to where you want to be. The past two days were horrid. Storm fronts passing by, temps going up and down to quickly, high winds just didn't like my body. Feeling a bit better today and finally got some things worked on. Painted some little faces and everyone got bloomers except Frida. Her's are coming.

It felt good pulling out and working with paints even though part of me forgot what to do first. That will change. But I'm liking my little group. It's supposed to get warmer as the week continues and I hope we don't get anymore storms for awhile.

Today

My first day off to be creative and I got a little ahead on my art challenge. Faces 9 thru 12. And I got the last batch of cloth dolls stuffed and ready to get faces on. Probably tomorrow. My goal is to have them finished by the end of the week.

#29faces

Life

Now I can see why there isn't a manual on it. I can say it's never dull. Just when I was thinking I was at least on an even keel, here comes a boulder. I was diagnosed with Lyme's Disease and if that wasn't enough to wreck a day, my truck is back in the shop. I know it's getting old but I need it to hang in there for at least another year or two. Maxwell, my truck, is 20 years old with over 220,000 miles on him. Yes, I wanted to cry. And I had to spend money on a car rental so that I can get to work for money that is no longer mine. Ack!

So I got up, wiped away chunks of stone and dust, pulled my pants back up and kept moving. So last weekend I was a vendor at a doll show in Wilmington, Ohio. It was about 4.5 hours away, so my mother (who went with) said we should stay at the hotel. Fine. It wasn't my best show, or my worst and I did sell some things. What was really weird was that the hotel we stayed in was recently remodeled and the walls were like paper. Our neighbors were so loud and they had their TV on loud. So what did I do? I found a slasher movie on the ScyFy channel and turned up the volume. Childish, maybe but it was quite satisfying. The next morning, they started in at each other around 5 AM. Ugh! He was yelling at her about breakfast. What did she want? They have bacon and eggs. She yelled that she didn't want the bacon and eggs. He yelled that they have sausage and biscuits with gravy. She yelled back that she didn't want bacon and eggs. He yelled, no, what about sausage and biscuits with gravy. You would think they were on opposite ends of the hotel but they were in one room. I was about ready to yell, I'll take the bloody bacon and eggs. I got up. Geesh!

I was supposed to be up at the front of the show but got put into a back corner. When people came to my table, they commented on it and I told them that I was incorrigible, or I got sent to the principal's office, or that I was just the odd one. I was fine with it, I made them laugh, and I still sold some things being in the back.

There were so many cool things to see at the show. I really like dollhouses and room boxes. One day I will have one. These are by Judy Rankine and she even has tutorials on her Facebook page.

And there were some nice antique miniature dolls to go into a dollhouse. I was keen on those from the 1920s.

I love the stripe dress.

I even saw a real Izannah Walker doll. She was beautiful.

I got back home and unpacked everything. My inventory is way down. I sat and thought about if I wanted the Wilmington show to be my last for the year. I ask myself why, because there's another show coming up. Do it... do iiiitttt. So I contacted the organizer and asked if she had any tables left and she said yes. I'm doing the Doll & Teddy Bear show in Toledo, Oh. Lots closer and I can drive it in the same day. Why not? I make dolls, I want to get back into that circuit, and Christmas is coming up. So what, I have five weeks to get new dolls made. I can do it. This is my calling. Or at least one of them. Life is short, so take a chance. I don't know if I will get my Halloween costume done this year but that's okay. There's always next year.

Until next time.

Bloomers, Bloomers

Who has bloomers? Why my latest batch of dollies have them. Finally getting somewhere. I knew I should have made a mockup of the long leg doll bloomers but I didn't after I made the first pattern. I just wanted them to have some pants on. If I make these dolls again, I will alter the pattern so that the bloomers bloom a little bit more. For now, they will do. The prim dollies have their bloomers too and I will look one more time for the bodice pattern I had made the first time I made a batch of these. If not, I will have to make a new pattern so I can get their dresses made this week. I have to go into the other job today so I won't have time to paint any faces until tomorrow.

More micro wins. Yay me!

Working

Lots on my mind. Lots on the worktable. Lots still to do. Working on keeping up with blog posts. Been working on micro wins. Small wins that will lead me to big ones. I seem to only think about the big goal, even, plan and not about the little things that will get me to the big things. So I've started a list of micro wins. Got that from Lisa Nichols. So that when I start to beat myself up over not doing enough or being closer to my goal, I can read my list of tiny steps in the right direction.

I had the past couple of days off from the other job and got busy creatively. On the first look, I didn't think I did anything but I finally caught up to where I wanted to be by the end of this month. A batch of dolls are ready for their paint job. Next week they will get clothes.

I have voodoo doll pins, male and female monster pins, prim dollies, and my new long legs dolls. It's going to be a stretch to get them all done this month but I will work on it. Have a great day.

Been Busy

I think that's a good  thing. Or, the realization that my doll show is in a little over two months has stoked the fires under my creative butt. More go-to items cut out and ready to be stuffed. One older design doll; I cut out and sewed more of them for the show. I designed a new doll today and cut out two just to see if the pattern will work. And I finally got a top pattern for the mini witches made and their fabrics ironed and ready to go.

The new pattern is the long doll with the stripe legs. I love, love, love that fabric and bought what I could when it was around. I don't know if I'll ever find it again or anything like it. But I will search. the little doll next to her I've made before and sold most of them. They are cute little primitive dollies at a very nice price. Have to have something for everyone and in different price ranges.

The mini witches have their selection of fabrics ready. I still haven't gotten to any clay dolls. Cloth dolls are so much simpler and I know I can do them. Ugh... it's a creative mental growth block. I mean, I've done dolls in polymer and air dry clay before but I have a design in mind and I don't know if I can pull it off. Fear is not my friend.

Okay, gotta go turn some bodies and get to stuffing. Gotta go to the other job in the morning, switched with a co-worker who nabbed a doctor's appointment. You know how precious those appointments can be. Take care!!!

Too Fast

This month is going by too fast. One expected even and one not expected and I've been thrown off the creative track. It's very difficult getting back on again. I can't seem to wrap my head around anything heavily involved. Right now I'm having a lot of fun just knitting dish cloths. That isn't helping out my wallet but I can do it and not think about anything else. I've always wanted to learn the seed stitch and now I know how to do it.

I finally found a quilt shop that's close to me. It's been in operation for six years and the owner is very nice. I went through a very old telephone book. Remember those? Yellow Pages? Yeah... half the shops were closed due to lack of business or the owners aging out with no one to take over. I would have to plan a day trip to visit the next closest shops. Thank goodness spring has sprung. Or has it? I started a fire in the fireplace last night. It got chilly again.

I was able to get some fabric for doll bodies and a pretty little print for some upcoming primitive dolls. Stay tuned.

Toledo Doll and Bear Show

I did it! I survived my first venture back into doll shows after about eight years. I'd done doll shows many years ago and stopped. Now I hope I'm back. At least for some of them. It was a nice show. A true doll show with antique, reproduction antique dolls and bears. There were also some antique miniatures and dollhouses, and two reborn repaint doll artists. A few vendors were selling fabric for fancy doll clothes. Just about everyone was nice. I sold my first piece before the show started. I didn't sell a lot but I made some new friends who gave me lots of advice on other shows, suppliers, and where to get information on doll related things. There were two teddy bear artists, an animal artist, and me, the only doll artist who made their own work.

I got such a good response with my work. Quite a few were happy that I was there because I was different. I had pieces for everyone. Normal to Halloween! People were asking if I was going to come back next year because they knew someone who liked Halloween or cloth dolls. One lady, who is with a cloth dollmaking club, is trying to get their own show together and asked if I would like to be a vendor. I gave her my info. She really liked my dolls. Someone commented on how varied they were. I told them that I had to do different things or my head would explode. Then she said, I guess you have to find your style. I told her that I have a style, that if you look close enough, that all of these dolls were made by one person. Whether its' in my paint job, my color palette, how I make my outfits, you can see it.  And I am good, working on being better.

I guess I really missed being a part of the doll show circuit. I guess I'm back and I'm looking forward to the next show.

30 Days

That's how long it takes to start a new habit. I'm kind of settled on my so-called work schedule and know which days I can do creative stuff and which days I can't. So I am going to start creating things, working on things each day for the next 30 and see what happens. It may be a small thing that I do or something involved. For today, I am showing a doll I did years ago. I sort of liked her, but she wasn't what I was going for. I didn't throw her away because I knew I wanted to try again. I like her size. Not too thrilled with her head or face, the hands most definitely don't work, and her feet are way too big. She's wearing a late 1980s combination and a slip. I'm thinking of making her style a little later, like 1920s and I will toy with a one piece head and body or try another head separate from the body like this little miss has right now. I will work on her design today and show pics tomorrow.

Also on the docket for today is to finish up a paranormal short story. I get halfway through things and quit. I think this 30 day things will keep me on point for a bit. And you can call me on it if I don't produce.

Working

Raggedy Ann has new hair and bloomers. I want to get her dress done this week so I can give her back to my niece.

I had a commission to do several doll dresses for another artist. He makes wonderful vintage Halloween items including dolls like the one below. Here is the mockup of the dress.

All of her joints move. Even her head. His name is Patrick James Gill.

I also did four smaller ones and I forgot to take pics but they are similar to the ones above. I got something done y'all! Another thing crossed off my list.

Last Gail Wilson Doll Kit

Finally. I got my last Gail Wilson doll kit done. After having the kits (4) hanging around for years, being transported from one home to the next, and traveling over 1000 miles, they are done. I took liberties with the directions because I could. I did not age the fabrics at all. She looks old enough for me already. I will take a pic of all four dolls this week and post. I'm very excited that I finished my GW series of doll kits.

#gailwilsonkit #primitivedoll #clothdoll

Doll Day

I forgot that Tuesday was Doll Day. But I worked on doll things yesterday anyway. How clever of me to have subconsciously remember. I worked on my last Gail Wilson doll, making her undergarments, apron, and cap. By now, I just improvised on the directions and won't be aging the clothes. Nope. Not going to do it.

I did dye the fabric for the clothes above, so they do look aged. Seeing that I'm not very good at dyeing (I know my limits), I will have to continue to look for my stash of mohair for her hair. When I cleaned up, I put my mohair in a very safe place. And I can't remember where. So she may be bald for awhile.

The bonnet was interesting to make. The directions called for hand stitching to quilt the brim and it was the end of the day, early evening, and I was pooped. So I quilted it on the sewing machine using a longer stitch. It's cute. Today I will cut out her dress. I have other things to do and I don't know if I'll get a chance to sew it.

#gailwilsondollkit

Doll Day

Tuesday was doll day. I'm glad I made the time to work on them. I really miss working on dolls. These babies are cloth. I finally painted faces and they are ready to be dressed.

The two on the left are Halloween dolls. Yeah, I know, I'm behind but I finally got going again. They are a new pattern and I want to make Frank's monster, the Bride, a mummy, and something else in the series. The one on the right is my last Gail Wilson doll. Painted, stained and ready for hair and clothes. It's going to be a long day today because I'm back to working on quilts. After almost causing a fire in a friend's kitchen (oops), I have to get to work and quit fooling around. And no drawings yet. It's going to be a long day.

#halloween #skellie #witch #gailwilsonkit

Doll Day

I have been working on quilts like crazy. I have declared Tuesdays as Doll Day. I haven't made dolls in a long time. Almost a year and I miss it. So with all the quilting that is getting done, I will take time out for me and work on some dolls.

I finally got my last Gail Wilson doll kit doll stuffed. Now it's time to work on her face.

The little mask is a face template. I've drawn the nose and now I'll needle sculpt it.