Candee

When I moved my art studio from upstairs to downstairs, it gave me the opportunity to mentally inventory my Works in Progress, of which I have more than I dare to admit. One of the projects that caught my attention,I had started back in Feb. 2007 - I had taken a workshop from a well-known doll artist, Christine Shively. What interested me in this workshop was that it was touted as a Collage Doll. We made our bodies from cotton, then stuffed and wired them. We then painted the entire body using a crackle paint technique; to give it an aged look. We were then told to make the clothing with paper. I started making the clothing, but it wasn't working for me and I just couldn't get inspired - so I put it aside. For the past year, I've been delving into paper crafts and have become really comfortable creating with this new-found media. So when I rediscovered the half done doll I went AHAH! I knew exactly what I was going to do! So here is "Candee".










But here is my AHAH-We had gotten boxes of candy for Christmas-Lindt truffles and Rochere truffles (don't know if I've gotten the names right). Well, I asked John and Jeff to save me the candy wrappers. I'm always saving things to repurpose them. The Rocheres were wrapped in gold foil and sat in little brown and gold paper cups. The Lindts were wrapped in foil/cellophane wrappings. I carefully straightened out the papers and flattened them with a brayer. So if you look again at the pictures, the gold is actually the foil papers, the skirt and ruffles at the wrist are the Lindt foil/cellophane. The little cups I put on her arms, at her shoulders, ankles and as the top layer of the skirt. Her hair adornment is also one. The buttons on her outfit are actually foil wadded up and formed into a button with a black jewel placed in the centers. I'm not pleased with her face-and will do some more work on her. Candee is not done yet-I must convey who she is and that part hasn't been done yet. After my friend Carolyn saw her and listened to my story about her clothing she said it reminded her of the Candy Man. That's what inspired me to call her Candee. When I completely finish her I will repost her picture.

Beatrice

Spring is in the air! At least here in Katy, TX. The days are warm yet the evenings still cool. The shrubs and trees have had their dead growth cut back and the grass is getting greener by the day. I started and finished my spring clean-out in the house. I'm looking at everything with a fresh eye towards Spring. I even brought out my Spring Challenge Art Doll I did in 2007. I decided to load new picures I took of her the other day. I never really took any good close ups of 'Beatrice' or even any more than the required 3 pictures to submit for the challenge. When I made her I imagined her in the annual Easter Parade, strolling down main street, enjoying the warm sunshine and fragrant aromas of the blooming flowers. So without further ado - I give you Beatrice!















Everything, except the basket and silk flowers, I created. The umbrella was made using paverpol. The fabric was dipped in it and then laid on a bowl to shape it. Her green dress is hand beaded all along the edge; the little pink silk flowers all over her dress -I also hand-beaded the centers. If you click on the pictures to enlarge them you will see that she even has eyelashes (I got them at the drugstore). Her face is done with colored pencils; her "skin" is actually a thick fleece. I used scrapbooking eyelets to thread the ribbon through for her "corset" top. Her Apron is actually an antique handkerchief with swavorsky crystals added. She is a lop-eared rabit, with flowers as her bonnet; she has a bee and a ladybug resting on her. Her easter basket contains collaged eggs that I made; I also made her Heart charm bracelet. Oh-and she had a pedicure! -even though she has a long dress, everyone always, always picks up her dress to see what is underneath. She is the sweetest little rabbit I ever made!!

Mud bugs

John and I went to a crawfish boil at our friends house, Lisa & Don, in Georgetown this past weekend. We were going to spend the night, but no sitters for the dogs brought us home the same day. 3 hrs up and 3 hrs back. They have a beautiful place on 2.5 acres. Really, really nice. When I got there I told Lisa that I thought I was going to have to call her to bail me out of jail for killing John-he had quit smoking 2 days ago and here I am cooped up in a car with him for 3 hrs!!! NOT FUN! However, definately worth the trip to see one of my dearest, bestest friends, Lisa. Don and Lisa have been having an annual crawfish boil for a while now and we've been to 3 of them - and I CAN EAT CRAWFISH! 10 lbs at a sitting without blinking an eye. So here are some pics from the day. Hey Lisa-GREAT TIME AND GREAT FOOD!! Next time we're spending the night. Love Ya!! Thank you DONNNNNNNN!

More pictures of my work. I had 2 challenges I did last week. One was House/Home: requirements were that it had to include a shape of a house or home. So I did an ATC (that's the smaller one) and a 4"X4". I've decided I want to make a small 2 ring book out of the 4"x4" work I make or get. I'm also in a swap-I had to use a "kewpie" image - any theme - just had to use the image. Not an easy image to work with. I'll post a picture of the kewpie later. I have to make 5 of them and will recieve 5 different ones back-all ATC size. It took me almost 3 weeks to figure out what I was going to do with this naked little thing. I made my sample this past Sunday-so here you have it: Life can be a circus. I have no idea where these ideas come from. Will write some more later. I'm at lunch and need to get back to work.

P.S. Karen M.-cheer up; stay confident. Something will come up for you.

Just found another of my ATCs - the challenge was Red&Blue. Will write again later. The title is "Forget Me Not".

For those of you who are wondering, who is that person in the picture with Nancy anyways? She is Lisa, one of my very close friends who I consider a kindred spirit. I don't think that of many of my friends. I only have a handful of those I consider kindred spirits and they know who they are without my saying. My kindred spirits understand what I mean when I only speak half a mind, they know how I feel about certain things that are important in my life, such as my husband, my son and my grandaughter; they "gets" me. Lisa GETS ME! She came down from Austin one day (she used to live here in Katy close by) and we hung out-that's when this picture was taken. I love her dearly and I miss her not being here in Katy. But we are going to Austin to see her and Don Easter weekend for their annual crawfish boil and I'm looking forward to it. Don always makes 50 lbs of crawfish and I can eat as much as I like-as long as I help peel all the left-over crawfish. I'm ok with that.....
We got a pedicure the day we hung out-Look Lisa-your toes are on the internet!!

Ok-this is to expand on my last entry. I joined an on-line group called Paper Imagery Design (PID). It's an online art group, one of many that I belong to, that has weekly challenges. The challenge is posted each week with pictures of 2 samples made by the artist. You then have 2 weeks to make and post your art, and sign up to swap it. If you sign up to swap it, they post the name of the person you send your art to. I ABSOLUTELY L-O-O-O-VE IT! I now get art in the mail each week -besides just bills. The first challenge I participated in was red&blue; then buttons, then arches, then time; then grunge. The monthly challenge (which is a jackpot drawing!) was wings & flowers for March. I didn't do that one cause the ATC (Artist Trading Card) I made was too beautiful to give away. I got carried away with it and spent too much time on it to hand it over. By the way, for those of you that don't know what I am talking about, an ATC is miniature art using anything and everything-images from PID are a requirement (they of course sell them in sheets)and at least 1 must be included on your piece. So-o-o-o-o drum roll please, this is what you all have been waiting for.....here are my pieces-it will be very easy to match the artwork to the challenge. I don't think I have the red&blue challenge on this computer though. Last weeks challenge was Home/House. My piece is not considered an ATC because it is too large 4"x4" - an ATC is 2.5 inches wide by 3.5 inches high. But there is an "other" category. Anyways-as my Dad will always say-come on, come on-get to the end of the story......ok - I could only find four of them.

Sophie

This is one of my my Art Dolls, Sophie. I took a workshop from Barbara Willis at the International Quilt Festival here in Houston . Course I did't get much done on her at the workshop. But art dolls can't be made in a few hours. Her face is done with colored pencils; her hair is made of mohair. I also made the purse. I specifically made her as a gift for my Mom - to hang on her Armoir. I've decided I now need one for my Armoir...one of these days I'll get around to it. Right now I'm too busy having fun swapping ATC's over at Paper Imagery Designs yahoo group. LOVE IT!! It is so much fun to get art in the mail instead of just bills!!