JANUARY BLAHS

I've been very remiss in keeping this blog up to date, even though I promised I would. Truthfully, I haven't been working on any dolls for awhile now.  I've been concentrating on other things - like I just found out I'm going to have another grandchild!  Such wonderful news after the roller coaster this past year has been.  I won't go into specifics as it's not my roller coaster to talk about, but suffice it to say that this little baby is a true miracle and I am so looking forward to her arrival in May.

The anticipation of this new little baby that will be joining us in May has gotten my creative spirit revved up once more and perhaps the sewing machine will be pulled out and dusted off to make new creations, whether they be dolls, clothes (because you know I'm just champing at the bit to sew dresses and other cute little outfits for our little miracle), and who knows what.  It's nice to feel like this once more.  Now, no more excuses.  I have a job to do and I can't wait!

Craft Show Looming

For those of you who are in Ottawa and are interested, I will be selling my dolls and ornaments and other stuff at two craft shows this year.  The first one is this coming Sunday November 17th from 10 to 4 at the Tudor Hall on Bowesville Rd.  The second one will be the following Sunday, November 24th from 10 to 4 at the R.A Centre on Riverside Drive.  Getting ready for them has been one of the reasons I have been so silent lately.  Once they are behind me I'm sure I'll have more to say.

Hope to see you there.

Failure Is Not An Option

Okay, to be fair, I did say this would be a blog about my successes and failures of dollmaking.  And it is true that not all dolls that I make turn out to be masterpieces.  So it is only fair to show photos of the ones that didn't make the cut.  The ones that will be ripped apart to start all over again.

My latest underachievement is the black witch.  Try as I might, I just couldn't make her sinister enough and she wasn't quite pretty enough to be saved for other reasons.  Think "Good Girl Gone Bad".  So, it is with a heavy heart that I show you these photos and begin the process of deconstructing her.

 

I'm thinking that my next attempt might not even be a cloth doll.  When I make these dolls I cut out their bodies from fabric, stuff them, wire them, needle sculpt them, make their clothes, embellish them, give them hair and paint them.  It's a lot of work and quite often I have no idea how a doll will turn out till she's nearly finished.

 

I've gotten interested in clay dolls lately and I think that might be the route I'll take.  At least with clay you can see how you are progressing and make changes along the way.  Maybe I should take a class first.  I'm forever starting something I have no business doing because I don't know the first thing about it.  But, hey.  That's how I started out with the dolls.  I think I'm coming along nicely even though I know I have a long way to go. 

 

Until the next time I want to wish everyone a Happy Easter.  Have a great weekend.

Listening to Mumford and Sons, Lumineers, Stealers Wheel, Sam Cooke, Curtis Mayfield, Heart, John Lennon.

I Think The Groundhog Was Mistaken

Apparently our illustrious groundhog didn't see his shadow, which meant that we would have an early spring.  Or so the story goes.  Well, it is March 23 and we're more than knee deep in what only could be described as, well, snow.  If my memory serves me correctly Spring officially began 2 days ago.  Only here in Ottawa, there is no evidence of it anywhere.  Now, I don't blame the rodent, but I do feel a bit misled in thinking I could start wearing my shorts anytime soon.  No sense sitting on my front porch with my seed catalogue trying to decide where I'm going to plant everything when I can't even tell where my lawn ends and the road begins.  I'm a Canadian.  I will just get on with my mundane life and just wait for spring to miraculously appear. 

I've started my evil witch doll.  Well, I think she'll be an evil witch.  Try as I might, I just can't seem to paint an evil face. However, I'm getting ahead of myself.  Here are my options for her body and clothing.

 

I don't really know where I'm going to go with it all, but it is a process.  Looking at everything now I can see that I'm not really keen on the black and gold fabric.  To me it's kind of matronly and somewhat stuffy.  There's not enough faux leather to make a whole outfit and the fake fur is just, well, it's just I don't know.  I just don't like it.  This is going to take awhile to figure out.  Stay tuned.

 

Listening to Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Billy Joel.