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....