Category Archives: personal

OK, I’m back

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I’ve been away dealing with elder-care issues again. Very stressful. Here are some good things from the last 5 days-

I bought Peter (14 and kid 3)- some dorky Lands End shoes that were on sale. This is what he did to them with Sharpie markers- Cool, eh?!

9:27:pshoes.jpg

On the way down to the “old homestead” on Thursday, I stopped in to see Helen, an internet friend. This is a first for me- I only knew Helen through mailing lists, then emails. Now we can put faces into the voice in the mailings- much better! I got to see the dolls she makes and also her extensive doll collection. WoW! It was great! Here are some of my dolls communing with her self-portrait doll.

9:27:dolls.jpg

On Saturday afternoon, Eleanor (kid 1) came up from NY and school and we went to the new IKEA in New Haven. Lots of fun. She got kitchen stuff and bedding, I got things for my work and things for the kitchen. I bought a package of 6 cork placemats… I am going to use them when I need to pin little things down- like blocking small knitting projects. Seems like a great tool- I’ll see how much I use it. I also bought myself a lambskin- either I’ll cut it up for doll hair or it will make my chair more comfortable… it reminds me of babies. I also bought some beautiful rust red linen- one of my favorite colors.

Yes, and just what I need, More Fabric!

9:27:fabric.jpg

I filled up the back of the car with more of my Mom’s fabric stash- silks, linen, wool and God only knows what… I can be sure a piece of the fabric is a natural fiber when it has moth holes in it…

I started another kitty bed while I was away. try and try again.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULIAN! Now you can vote! (kid 2)

gee, this has been a family heavy post…

OK, I’m back

Posted on by

I’ve been away dealing with elder-care issues again. Very stressful. Here are some good things from the last 5 days-

I bought Peter (14 and kid 3)- some dorky Lands End shoes that were on sale. This is what he did to them with Sharpie markers- Cool, eh?!

9:27:pshoes.jpg

On the way down to the “old homestead” on Thursday, I stopped in to see Helen, an internet friend. This is a first for me- I only knew Helen through mailing lists, then emails. Now we can put faces into the voice in the mailings- much better! I got to see the dolls she makes and also her extensive doll collection. WoW! It was great! Here are some of my dolls communing with her self-portrait doll.

9:27:dolls.jpg

On Saturday afternoon, Eleanor (kid 1) came up from NY and school and we went to the new IKEA in New Haven. Lots of fun. She got kitchen stuff and bedding, I got things for my work and things for the kitchen. I bought a package of 6 cork placemats… I am going to use them when I need to pin little things down- like blocking small knitting projects. Seems like a great tool- I’ll see how much I use it. I also bought myself a lambskin- either I’ll cut it up for doll hair or it will make my chair more comfortable… it reminds me of babies. I also bought some beautiful rust red linen- one of my favorite colors.

Yes, and just what I need, More Fabric!

9:27:fabric.jpg

I filled up the back of the car with more of my Mom’s fabric stash- silks, linen, wool and God only knows what… I can be sure a piece of the fabric is a natural fiber when it has moth holes in it…

I started another kitty bed while I was away. try and try again.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULIAN! Now you can vote! (kid 2)

gee, this has been a family heavy post…

OK, I’m back

Posted on by

I’ve been away dealing with elder-care issues again. Very stressful. Here are some good things from the last 5 days-

I bought Peter (14 and kid 3)- some dorky Lands End shoes that were on sale. This is what he did to them with Sharpie markers- Cool, eh?!

9:27:pshoes.jpg

On the way down to the “old homestead” on Thursday, I stopped in to see Helen, an internet friend. This is a first for me- I only knew Helen through mailing lists, then emails. Now we can put faces into the voice in the mailings- much better! I got to see the dolls she makes and also her extensive doll collection. WoW! It was great! Here are some of my dolls communing with her self-portrait doll.

9:27:dolls.jpg

On Saturday afternoon, Eleanor (kid 1) came up from NY and school and we went to the new IKEA in New Haven. Lots of fun. She got kitchen stuff and bedding, I got things for my work and things for the kitchen. I bought a package of 6 cork placemats… I am going to use them when I need to pin little things down- like blocking small knitting projects. Seems like a great tool- I’ll see how much I use it. I also bought myself a lambskin- either I’ll cut it up for doll hair or it will make my chair more comfortable… it reminds me of babies. I also bought some beautiful rust red linen- one of my favorite colors.

Yes, and just what I need, More Fabric!

9:27:fabric.jpg

I filled up the back of the car with more of my Mom’s fabric stash- silks, linen, wool and God only knows what… I can be sure a piece of the fabric is a natural fiber when it has moth holes in it…

I started another kitty bed while I was away. try and try again.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULIAN! Now you can vote! (kid 2)

gee, this has been a family heavy post…

marketing

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The marketing part of the art/craft business is what I am really bad at… I work away and I am running out of space for my finished dolls- I really have no clue how to sell these dolls. I tried out some of the doll specific shows, but what I do is so different, they might as well have been invisible. I have contacted a few galleries, places I was connected with when I worked in clay, but they wouldn’t even consider something called a doll… makes me want to come up with a new name! So, today I send out a few more enquires…

I’ve been away …

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… for 3 days, and unfortunately not at some great vacation destination… I’ve been down in Connecticut again, helping out with Mom and Dad. There are no easy, neat or obvious solutions when your parents are failing.
I brought down several projects to work on and was able to make some progress between dealing with various messes and mini- disasters.

I’ve been away …

Posted on by

… for 3 days, and unfortunately not at some great vacation destination… I’ve been down in Connecticut again, helping out with Mom and Dad. There are no easy, neat or obvious solutions when your parents are failing.
I brought down several projects to work on and was able to make some progress between dealing with various messes and mini- disasters.

I’ve been away …

Posted on by

… for 3 days, and unfortunately not at some great vacation destination… I’ve been down in Connecticut again, helping out with Mom and Dad. There are no easy, neat or obvious solutions when your parents are failing.
I brought down several projects to work on and was able to make some progress between dealing with various messes and mini- disasters.

I’ve been away …

Posted on by

… for 3 days, and unfortunately not at some great vacation destination… I’ve been down in Connecticut again, helping out with Mom and Dad. There are no easy, neat or obvious solutions when your parents are failing.
I brought down several projects to work on and was able to make some progress between dealing with various messes and mini- disasters.

my creative process?

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birdshoes.jpg

The individual parts of this doll seem to be finished and I am feeling very dissatisfied. It might worry me except that it happens every time I get to this part of the project.
I keep thinking of E’s essay on the writing process. Different but the same.
My process goes something like this- Something plants the seed of an idea; a photograph, a painting, a piece of fabric or trim. The idea ferments, usually for months. Finally I get to work. I go through waves of satisfying flow and then frustration until I get to this point and I hate what I’ve done… then I tweak it and can usually get to a place where I am happy.
So…
I am looking at what I’ve got. The face needs something. I keep seeing a shadow of Michael Jackson. Scary. Maybe it’s the hair. The hair isn’t right… hmm. A hat? Would that make the difference? The pants need to be shortened. They are rolled in this picture. The cape? Lining? An environment?
Oh, jeesh, I don’t know.

body (and head) work

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front.jpg

side.jpg

I am not the kind of person who starts projects one at a time… you know those people- starts a doll and works on that one doll until it is all done? Not me, no definately not. I have too many ideas racing around in my brain ( ADD I think!) and if I don’t let these out, they block all forward motion- That is why right now I am actively working on the dark-haired girl and also these doll pattern revisions. I also have many, many UFO’s (unfinished objects) all waiting patiently for me. Maybe I’ll get to them- deadlines help.

So these are 4 of the 8 bodies I’ve been working on. I am using head and body patterns I developed last year and am considering what it means to attach the head to the body in a different way (seam at the neck). My biggest challenge is to keep track of what I am doing so that I can repeat something when it works. I tend to snip here and there and the next thing I know, I have changed everything- once the doll it stuffed it is very hard to get an accurate paper copy. I always think I will remember what I did- but rarely do.
I had fun with the ears. They are sewn and attached after the doll head and body are stuffed. I goofed on one though- I haven’t been feeling that great- a bad summer cold NO FAIR!- I seem to be able to sew and also to stuff, but my thinking isn’t all clear. I finished stuffing one of the dolls and did the nose and I was so pleased with how it looked that I thought I’d gesso it right up- after I had it all painted I realised I’d forgotten to put on the ears! There is one coat of gesso so far, so I will probably give it a light sanding and the sew through the paint- not impossible.
I am very pleased with the needle-sculpted nose on the second doll on the left. I am trying to do more like it.
I am thinking of these as babies or toddlers- that is the head shape I am working for. Some come a lot closer to my idea then others, but so much can change when they are painted…