Craft show in four days........eeek

Hi all,

Surgery is over and all went well.... I am finally back to work.. I haven't received the pathology report yet so I don't know how we'll be treating the cancer..... so I'm still keeping the good thoughts and praying for grace to deal with whatever comes.....

I wasn't able to do much sewing while I was home.... but this past weekend spent several hours each day... doll making.... the forest fairy/sprite is done except for the wings... if I make wings she's a fairy if not a sprite.... she hasn't told me yet which she'd prefer.....

This post is a short one as my lunch hour is over.... take care and remember "Tomorrow is another day..."

Bunny Annie's off to New Zealand

I said goodbye to Bunny Annie she's off to her new home with Sharon... My next swap partner is Ana in London... She's to be a six-inch mini doll... I'm thinking a historical doll... Ana said she is partial to the 1920's and 1820's so I'll have to see which era is easier to miniaturize...

I have 8 pin dolls to make... I have the design done and pattern drafted... Also, have six dolls to finish for the craft show in two weeks.... busy busy... but I think all doll makers work best under pressure does anyone agree?

It's 10:00am Friday, April 11th... I'll be leaving soon for the hospital... surgery is scheduled for 1:00pm... I hope I won't be to dopey to sketch... I have a mini doll to design.... As I said before Cancer is sooooo inconvenient....

Ta for now

Kim

Christmas in April?

Well I just received my very first swap doll from Sharon... and Bernice, as she is now named, looks great sitting next to Grape Annie on my family room wall.... she looks fabulous... Thanks so much Sharon...

My new mini doll swap partner, Ana and I have made contact and are ready to begin... I just love doll swapping it's so much fun to make a surprise for someone... and just send it off to another place..

I belong to several doll groups, Yahoo groups Vintage Cloth Dollmaking, Edith Flack Ackley Dolls, Cloth Doll Making, and Magick Dolls... and MSN group Cloth Dolls for Fun.... all of the members are wonderful full of helpful information and encouragement...

Who knew that at age 50 I'd be having the time of my life playing with dolls... If you don't make dolls maybe you should... perhaps it would promote world peace... quite a noble achievement for a bit of cloth and stuffing......

Dolling Saturday

Well I spent most of the day.... dolling with my darling daughter Karen.... she finished another mermaid and I finished a new fairy..... We also hit the local Joann Fabric for some sales... we needed tulle, organza, and some batiks.... all on sale... and some new colors of eyelash yarn... The fun never ends... I have some photos to post of some of our dolls.... None of the new fantasy type yet.... but some of my quaint or whimsical style..... I welcome all kind constructive criticism.... Well off to bed....

Back to Dolls..

Well I saw the surgeon this past Tuesday and my Mastectomy is scheduled for a week from today..... I can't wait to get it over with.... find out if the cancer is localized...(praying for that)... and get on with my life.... Cancer is so terribly inconvenient.... so now on to some good news.....


Annie La Bouche is done.... her purple high heel open-toe shoes turned out better than expected (I had very low expectations)... and I hope Sharon (my swap partner) will love her.....

My TOPS group is having their spring ARD (awards recognition dinner) and our group has asked me to make the name tags and t-shirts..... I've decided on a doll pin... a troubador holding a long trumpet with a banner... the banner will have our groups ID number and the wearers name.... the theme is "Make Your Own Music" so I thought he'd be appropriate.... the t-shirts will be painted in a similar theme.... appliqued troubador and musical notes etc....

My daughter and I are preparing for our local Guild craft show in 3 weeks.... so the sewing machines are humming making dollies..... Karen's new mermaids are wonderful... and the fairies are coming along..... I'm starting a vintage type of painted doll her debut will be at the show..... photos to follow....

The local historical society has asked me to sell my dolls at an event called "Shopping at the Mansion"... lots of high end artsy types of items.... and my poor little dolls.... I hope they won't be too shabby next to all the art, jewelry, pottery, etc..... but it's a way to get them seen and hopefully purchased..... this event is the week after the craft show.... I hope the Mastectomy doesn't slow me down......

And I am waiting to begin my next swap..... I never though I would have this much fun....

Keep a good thought.... and remember as Scarlett says..."Tomorrow is another day"

Today was fun the church youth group performed two skits at service this morning. Our friends daughter (Caitlin) and son (Matt) were participants.
Caitlin called Easter morning to tell us we had 1/2 hour to be at church... Rob explained that we would be unable to attend... and told her about my surgery. Bless her little heart she started to cry and said to take care of myself..... and asked if I would please come the following week to see her skit.... we promised we'd be there. When she saw us this week she came right over and greeted us with a hug, and asked if I was feeling okay...you know the future is safe when you meet such compassionate young people...

After church we had just enough time to run home for lunch, let Otis out and then off to our regimental (Civil War re-enactors) meeting. I took Karen's new mermaid to the meeting and the ladies loved it.... looks like a winning pattern for our Crafter's Guild show in April.. The meeting went quickly and was very productive... We went out for lunch with the gang and then home to study for my Life Insurance licensing class.... reading eight chapters of the most dry boring material ever printed..... Well, nobody ever said my career was interesting......

I didn't have one minute to spend making my dolls.... it'll have to wait until Tuesday.... on the up side I get to spend all day tomorrow with my daughter Karen... she's taking the class with me... and she always makes me smile... great sense of humor that one has.....

Our youngest called this evening, Kate is wonderful, she is a very direct lady, says what she thinks, thinks before she speaks...., and tempers her honesty with compassion.... no diplomat our Kate... but you'll never meet a more sincere woman.... Politicians should take ethic lessons from this girl.... she'd have them squared away in no time.....

I researched a web site today... my friend Carolyn suggested it after our discussion of Kawaii and japanese cartoon characters.... www.j-list.com but I only checked out the under 18 site... They have some very interesting characters.... I was looking for some ideas for a swap doll.... I'll keep you posted as the design progresses....

Well I'm off to bed early I have to leave for my class at 5 am tomorrow morning......

Well today was fairly productive... I worked on my swap doll... using the Kate Erback Annie La Bouche pattern. She now has a tail, collar, cuffs, and her high heeled shoes are drying... I used air dry clay.... they look like they'll work out okay. I should be able to paint and assemble them tomorrow.... they'll be purple, with open toes and ankle straps... can't wait to finish them... then in the box and off to Sharon in New Zealand.... I hope she'll love her...

My daughter Karen was here today finishing up her mermaid.... see she is lovely... very summery... in tones of orange and green.... now that "Shasa" is finished...she is working on a red one....



We went out for the evening to our friends house..... Jim made two wonderful soups. The first was a fish and mushroom soup with asparagus.... it was wonder... but the second soup was the best... he used a red pepper base, with seafood, potatoes, rice and beans.... just the right amount of spice... perfect we had about 6 red wines to choose from.... we brought a 2004 J Garcia Cabernet not too bad for $9.99 a bottle on sale...

Jim's wife Carolyn is one of the funniest individuals on the planet..... I often request that she and I collaborate on a comic strip... I would draw the characters and she could write the dialog... she has a very interesting life and has a unique perspective of the world... and has the best stories... I thought a comic about cats would be best..... oh well a project for another lifetime..... too many things going on already....

It's late this evening and I still have too many things to do ... so enough blogging for now.... Stay healthy, happy, and remember God has an excellent sense of humor....

Kim

I know I should be finishing my swap doll

Well here I am at the computer again.... I should be working on my swap doll for Sharon... the doll is almost done... just the collar, cuffs, and purple open toe high heel shoes.... and into the box she goes for her trip to New Zealand... Sharon is a lovely lady and she made me a wonderful witch... isn't she a hoot....

I'll post some of my dolls in my next post... comments and kind constructive critiques are welcome....

On a different note
I received the results of my biopsy today.. and it was positive for breast cancer.... oh well... I've been here before..... just have to decide what treatment I want..... so my doll making will be getting a workout.... as it always relieves the stress and calms my soul..... that and God's gift of grace....

What did Scarlett say.....ah yes the optimists prayer........"Tomorrow is another day"....

The Beginning...

Oh well... just jump right in... My Blog will be my journey into clothdoll making... the fun dollmakers I get to meet and the release of my "artistic" soul....
My grandmother was a wonderful artist... picture victorian roses in baskets... and sailing ships... talented in watercolor, oil, and pastel (her favorite). My mother was an creative inspirational seamstress... could make anything without a pattern... her eye for color and detail were amazing.... My daughter's baby clothes were the envy of my peers.... just the right trims and styles to make her gorgeous...
Then along came me.....the artisically challenged throwback.... I actually had all my lovely kindergarten drawings put on the "How not to Color Board".... and my dolls all wore my Mom's wonderful designs.... as I could never get my clumsy fingers to make straight tiny stitches..... sigh... I know Oh poor me....
What I never figured out was some people are born gifted and the rest of us must learn, adapt, and practice.... so just lazy was all it was...
So I started.. sewing... painting... playing the violin... quilting... crocheting... knitting... and finally made my first rag doll... Eureka.... a vessel for my minimal artistic abilities...I was hopelessly infected with the love of dollmaking...
My beautiful daughter (now 26) and I love to make clothdolls.... and of course she has all of the artistic genes that whizzed by me... but has beginner sewing skills... so we make a great team.... but we each have different ideas about what makes a cute doll so we have double the ideas.....

I hope I'll be able to faithfully keep up this blog... I just received some unwanted news... I am a 15 year breast cancer survivor and it seems I have it again... different breast this time... oh well I did it before and I can do it again.... just a bump in the road.... but treatment takes up dollmaking time therefore blogging time....... but I'll do my best.

If you are interested in discussing dollmaking... breast cancer or whatever I would love to hear from you....