Come in, take your shoes off...

Come in, take your shoes off and stay awhile. I have been working on another one of a kind whimsical doll.

First off, most ask me "Where did you get your inspiration?" Well, inspiration comes from everywhere but in this case, my husband (the enabler) brought me a real turtle shell just about the size of your palm and said "Surely you can find something to use this on..." Okay, it did sit on my desk for two or three weeks while life was going on but all along i was thinking...Do I turn it up, down, sideways, upside down....Then it hit me. Turn it sideways. Make it sit up. so, I started a sketch (something I rarely do) about what this creature should end up looking like.

Next, the materials...Sculpey III Oven Bake clay. It really doesn't matter what color. It will all be painted later. I also used a very course covered wire and a vintage measuring cup for him to sit on.

I cut a slit in the top of the vintage measuring cup just big enough to hold the turtle shell. I formed an armature and slipped it down through the turtle shell and filled all the openings full with the Sculpey clay.
Now for that precious face.

Watching what I had already sketched out on my paper, I worked on it until I came close to what I thought it should look like.

Sculpt hands, feet and a smile and when satisfied, place him in the oven at 165 degrees for about 30 minutes. Look at him soaking up that sunshine.

 Let him cool down now. He's ready for some new "skin". I am using Tim Holtz Distress Crackle paint in Antique Linen. This is a wonderful effect but extremely fragile in this instance. He will be under a cloche so it will be okay this time.
And now,  I will be giving him a banjo. I can hear the music. I used a piece of round styrofoam (from my stash) and a stick . Color the stick with copic markers and make a front and back to the instrument.

And now world...I present......."Telly Turtle and his magic banjo".  Hope you like him as much as I enjoyed working on him.

What's on your desk....I mean, what is it that you are working on? What's your current project? Are you currently trying to work on the small 8x10 inch square that always seems to be left over after you finish working on your newest project or are you compelled to "CLEAN" and clear your desk and mind before you begin your next project?

Let me know what's goin' on on your desk.

TOO COOL...TOO COOL...TOO COOL!!!
I am SOOOO Excited! Jan Holstien from Doll Art Quarterly contacted me while I was on vacation and let me know that another one of my whimsical, one of a kind dolls will be featured in the August edition of the Doll Art Quarterly magazine. What an honor! Now, package her up, kiss her goodbye and wait on her return. I can't show you the whole doll but I'll give you just a tiny glimpse. Now, to begin another....

Chaos breeds Creativity...

Seems as if just when your life seems in a little bit a chaos, you just...

Take a deep breath...

and JUMP!

Now that we are back from a much needed vacation, I can't get enough artsy craftsy time in.
You know, work awaits, housework awaits, bills await....
NO....they will probably ALL wait...there's only so much time to get artsy.

So, we'll see what happens next...Besides...I have new stuff to work with.

Okay...Okay. I know it has been way too long since the last blog, but hopefully this will get better.
my husband (the enabler) and I are coming close to the end of my vacation that we took at John James Audubon State Park in Kentucky this week and BOY! what a beautiful place! We stayed in a small cottage there close to the water...VERY IMPRESSIVE. They had an observation area for the birds  and a very nice museum.

 While we were there we got in a little "gathering" time. There were several antique malls in the area so we took our time and fed our passion. You never know what it is exactly that you need for your next project and some things just "Inspire" you. You just gather...gather...gather, then you'll have it when that next creative moment starts tugging on you. Here are some of my "gatherings" from my trip.

Are you ready???

                                  Are you ready??? Only 10 more nights before Santa comes!!!

                                                          Only 16 days left in 2010...
Spend as much time with your family as you can and enjoy the holidays!!! I ran across something this morning that was very inspirational and I wanted to share it with you.

                                         To your enemy, forgiveness...
                                         To an opponant, tolerance...
                                         To a friend, your heart...
                                         To a customer, service...
                                         To all, charity...
                                         To every child, a good example...
                                         To yourself, respect.

                                         - Oren Arnold-

I think I put it in my Christmas cards. Have a Merry Christmas Everybody!!

Christmas

• 

 

 Christmas is almost on us now and of course, it NEVER seems as if there is enough time to finish every little thing that just has to get done. I've decorated the trees, all the presents are wrapped, most of the handwork is done but Christmas always seems to take you back to the time when the children were little...when you worked too much, saved too little and yet if there was a special gift, a special set of dolls, just the right backpack...you would have searched high and low, far and wide to find it. Kids grow up and make families of their own. You hope you have given your children some memories and traditions to carry on. Now there are grandchildren to watch as they jump for joy. As they hollar, excited because Santa has brought them that special doll, just the perfect set of Lego and the box that another gift came in, it brings you back to what all those memories were about.

  They grow so quickly...

   

               ...enjoy your family this Christmas season and Remember to keep Christ in Christmas!!!

much needed work on etsy

I have found myself with a little extra time at this time of the year when you think that you would be the absolute very busiest so this week I will be working on my etsy and its much needed attention. So stay tuned bloggers and check out the shoppe for some new postings. Hopefully there will be some items you can't live without to finish up some of your personalized Christmas gifts for 2010. BUY HANDMADE!! Commit to making it HANDMADE!!!

Life happens when you're just not lookin'

Boy! Just when you think you have everything figured out...the rug gets pulled right out from under you! And you really figure out what's REALLY important and who REALLY loves you...the one person who is always that constant in your life...the one person who always believes in you...the one person who is always proud of you no matter what happens...and it brings you back full circle and the fact that you really have taken all that for granted. You just thank your lucky stars that he still loves you after everything and at the end of the day...THAT'S who you really want to spend all your time with...even if neither one of you never say a word. He KNOWS what you're thinking...and he just gives you a much needed hug!!

Everybody...Just enjoy your special someone!!!

Looking for that Cooler weather!!!

Well, the weatherman says its on its way. Sometimes that's a hard thing to believe if the weather isn't cooperating. But we sometimes just have to get in the right mindset and it will come. Halloween is just around the corner and I love the smell of candy corn., the campfire smells of a cool dark night and goblins running around.
The leaves will hopefully start turning those beautiful colors and a cool crisp air will arrive every morning. I can't wait! It is the time of year I most enjoy on my back porch with a cup of coffee in hand...

Have a wonderful fall day my friends and just get in the mood!!

Trace Creek Crop is over. I saw some old friends, met alot of new friends and learned a few things about myself in the process. This time we had some products that I use on a regular basis out to let others experiment with and met a few very nice ladies. They got a chance to use Ranger alcohol inks, Ranger Distress pads, Glimmer mist (graciously donated by "Precious Scraps" , Beverly Nash, owner in Dover, Tn) and some regular computer cleaner. The results were beautiful. Of course, everyone has a different idea but that's what makes the world go round....

Thanks Ladies!!!

As I have promised I will be putting all of the displays that I made for the show on my etsy for sale.
If you came by and talked to me about a display, please check the etsy for the display. Also, check out the rest of the items on etsy and as always you can place an order. The items are subject to availability. We scour the countryside looking for unique items to make your artwork "perfect", but sometimes we can only get a limited supply. Email me or leave a note on my blog for something specific. We also have things not on the site so if you are looking for a specific item, let us know.

A special thank you goes out to the many people who help get me to the show. You know the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child...." well, thank you Mike, Laura, Patti, Ella, Nana, Michael. You are the best!!!

Perfect House....I think not.

I ran across the PERFECT quote for my house lately. I used to think that everything had to always be in its place. I think that maybe I was only driving myself just a little CRAZY. Everything always gets done. Everbody always does their little part and even though everything is not always as perfect as I thought it should be, I am Happy. See if it fits your house too.

A perfectly kept house is a sign
of a misspent life:
How to live creatively with collections,
clutter, work, kids, pets, art, etc...
and stop worrying about everything
being perfectly in its place!
-Mary Randolph Carter-

altered art supplies

It's been a couple of days since I've had enough time to actually slow down and visit my own blog. I've been doing alot of work for the store in little spurts (mainly waiting on "drying time") so in the meantime...we went shopping! We scour the countryside looking for vintage and artful ways to make your art (and mine) come to life...to be all you want it to be! We look for vintage papers,  game pieces,  jewelry findings,  letters, 

numbers and art supplies. The more vintage, the better we like it!. Our stock changes regular and many things are limited so shop wisely. Somethings we can never obtain again. We will be at Trace Creek Crop on Friday, September 17th, and Saturday September 18th from 7:00 until 5:00 offering some of the items. Hope to see you there! We've got LOTS of new things to show you! Thanks for visiting!