Doll

I don’t know what it is about January.  I feel like I spend the whole month revving my engine… I seem to spend my time thinking- I could do this… or, well, I could do this other thing… well you probably know how it is…

I am doing a lot of sorting out in my studio, moving piles around and hopefully clearing some things out that I’ll never use.  I am slowly getting a few things done…

hopefully I’ll have something to show in the next few days.

And I am slowly starting to think about some new ideas and taking baby steps toward working on them.

Thanks so much for all your input on the “Buy Handmade?” question!  Hopefully, if anyone asks me again, I will have a better  answer.  I like thinking about the connection that happens when you buy or sell something handmade.  Interesting.

Getting something done for Lovely Hearts 2-

commission work- another tiki in tweed-

piles and projects, creeping out of my studio because the attic is just too cold.

I needed to make some more of these school picture atc’s. I’ve been thinking about boys, which I pretty much left out of the last batch, and glasses.

They should be done by tomorrow. I hope to post them and also the 2 moustached tattooed guys to Etsy tomorrow.

A story from when I was in Chicago for Thanksgiving- I was walking around in the neighborhood where my daughter lives. Down a side street, I saw an awning that said Toy Gallery. I got SO excited- a Gallery! for Toys! I rushed over to get a better look. It was a sex toy store… I still cannot believe how disappointed I was! I think in the nanosecond between seeing the sign and figuring out what the place actually was selling, I had developed a whole fantasy of what would be there- my fantasy best ever art gallery. Oh well… it amuses me every time I think about my reaction.

I had the pleasure of visiting Danny Mansmiths studio while I was there. I didn’t take any photos because he is always posting great pics of his studio at his flickrstream. I kept him away from his sewing machine for an hour or so- it was so much fun to see everything close-up and get to see the textures and layers of the fabric and the sewing. And gab.

I also connected with Brandy for a second… she was participating in a craft fair on the day we flew in. I really wanted to meet her so I went over. But, of course, meeting someone when they are at their booth at a craft fair isn’t exactly ideal conditions for craft/blog/get-to-know-someone-better talk. It is great for getting to see a bunch of someone’s artwork though, so that was wonderful!

We have had unusually wintery weather since Thanksgiving.  Right now everything is coated with a glaze of ice.

the boxwood-

and alyssum-

Some part of my brain was going to explode if I didn’t get this Green Man out-

I will have some more tattoo guys- I’ve got 3 more to go… but for right this minute, I’m working on this.

And here is a kitty, laundry, robot photo for you-

The babies are finished and yesterday I started some new tattooed men. They are a little different from the first four- more about that below. I’ve reworked the pattern, dyed several batches of fabric,   cut and stitched together six guys.

That is probably the easy part. Now, 2 of them have their stitched fingers and are mostly stuffed. Lots more fine detail work to go.

Here is what I was thinking about today as I worked on these dolls. I got a lot of positive feedback about my tattooed guys. I thrive on positive feedback. Yeah, internet! Sometimes though, the positive feedback can make me afraid to make changes or take the next step. Once I admit that, I can move forward.  The issue was, who were these guys that I was making?  I struggled with the lower torsos on the first four.  Also, I couldn’t get their shoes right- it was driving me nuts! Well, this batch is circus tattooed men. Now everything is working for me- the body design, the shoes, the colors, and I’ve got lots more ideas for hair and faces. Tattoo man 2.0  Yes!

Two more ladies done. I’ve posted a group shot over on flickr.

I’m rather liking this ruffle-edged suit jacket-

And this lady below has a hat that was inspired by someone I saw when I went to pick up my husband at the subway.

Here is what is next- babies, and random hands and legs for more lady dolls.

And the garden… puff of fluff. Butterfly weed is in the same family as milkweed and it is obvious at this time of year.

These chrysanthemums are the last flowers to bloom in my garden. I think they are called “Clara Curtis”.

I am making little envelopes for my School Picture artist trading cards. I’ve decided to get some use- and laughs- from my old report cards. They sure put all the school issues my kids have had into perspective. School was pretty much torture for me.

That bottom one says- - Mimi must exert greater all around effort- attentiveness, completeness, neatness, accuracy. That was 6th grade (12 yrs old).

This one (below) is from the year I lived in London. I love the Needlework grade- D+. But I really improved and by the end of the year I had a B-.

envelopes-

making up a title is always a challenge.

I have decided that I should start stuffing most of my dolls with wool- the whole earth friendly, biodegradable thing.   It really isn’t a price issue- polyester-$3 a pound, wool- 5.25 a pound.  So I ordered up 5 pounds.  I bought this wool batt from West Earl Woolen Mill.  They don’t have a web site so you have to actually call them on the telephone- eek, so old-fashioned!  (717-859-2241)  I say, I’d like to order some wool for doll stuffing- they know just what I want.  And I got a free calendar!

Okay now everybody, this is what I want someone to invent/manufacture so I can buy it- recycled scrap wool stuffing.  Just figure out a way to take scrap wool and chop or shred it up for us to use- come on now, people!

I’ve been working on some more tikis.  They have been my carry around project for a while now, so they are going rather slowly.  Here are 2 brown ones.  I’ve also got a red one going.

And today, I’ve been working on ATCs- artist trading cards.  I will be doing a swap with my etsy group- Boston Handmade.  I haven’t made any in more then a year.  It is great fun to get back into it.  I am remembering why I liked them.  They are like little doodles.

ATC- Work in progress.  I’m loving how they look all together here on my ironing board.

Forest cards-

my table is covered with small and smaller and teeny-tiny scraps of fabric.

I’ve been working on these guys all week. I’ve really enjoyed playing with the hair embroidery.

4 heads, front and back-

I’ve spent a lot of time tweaking. The feet have been an issue. Four dolls, four different feet designs.

The first guy? I took off his feet, restuffed his legs, repositioned the feet and sewed them back on again. Then I embroidered the white of his eyes- what a difference that made- some contrast! I gave him a mustache and embroidered details on his pants. And I decided that the blotches weren’t so bad after all.

Second guy- I thought a lot about the comment Babs left… I agreed with her. I wasn’t satisfied with the lower half of the body. I thought about adding dimension by using a 4 piece pattern for his pants. In the end, I decided that was not the direction to go in. If I did that, I’d really have to change the head too; give him a chin, a round head. There is a balancing act of keeping a simple design and making a believable figure. So, on this guy too, I removed his feet, restuffed the legs- that made a huge difference- repositioned the feet and sewed them back on again. I added embroidered detail onto the front and back of the pants.

Hopefully I will have them all completely finished and ready for their formal portrait tomorrow. I’ve been doing so much hand stitching that my fingertips hurt!

I put some of the embroidered head photos on Flickr, if you want to see more detail.