DIP - Doll In Progress

This is the doll that has been showing up in the Wednesday WOW posts.

I may have to set her aside for a bit, though.  Just for awhile, until I get a few other "priorities" off the table.  Sigh!

She doesn't have a name yet (they usually get a face before they tell me what their name is), but I've been calling her Shiva.  Those odd marks on her legs and body are made with Shiva Paintstiks.  I wanted to experiment with some of the pros and cons of coloring a doll before stuffing versus after assembly. 

I'm not sure what she will be when I get back to her.  Maybe a tatooed lady?  In that case, her name would have to be Lydia.

The pieces were already sewn because I wanted to test the size and pose before starting on the Hoffman Challenge.  I don't like the legs, but I think the rest of this pattern will probably work just fine.  So, back to the drawing board to work out better legs and feet.  Then I will be working on the Hoffman doll.  It will be July before we know it and I hate having to rush through the finishing touches.  I seem to do that way too often.  Sigh again!

Anyway, you may not see the finished product for awhile, so enjoy what there is of her for now.

Wednesday WOW - April 28

After spending the morning visiting around town, Feeny and I worked on our journals.  It's nice to have a visitor who shares your interests!

A Visit From Feeny

You remember my doll Bobby?  I made her to take part in a sort of doll visiting exchange.  Each dolly in the group will visit the homes of the dollmakers over the next year or so. 

Due to bad weather, this group did not get started until this month.  Last weekend, we finally were able to get together for a little "Bon Voyage" party - or something.

Here are most of our travelers and their accessories, ready to start on their adventures.  (Two of them had early flights and couldn't be with us!)  There's Bobby, second from left.

 

Feeny (short for Phoenix - her mother was into mythology!)  was made by Mary and she is staying with me for the first month.  In the short week she's been with us, she has pitched right in:

Getting to know the boys . . .

assisting in doll construction . . .

and flirting?  Oh dear!  It promises to be an interesting month!

Not Wednesday

This might look like a Wednesday WOW post . . . but it's not!  I wanted to show you What's on the Worktable today (Sunday) because . . . well, because it's CLEAN!!!!  (As clean as it ever gets, anyway.)

This is a very rare sight, so make a note, write it on your calendar, or whatever. 

Oh, but don't be thinking there is a good reason for this state of affairs.  Something like having finished a project?  Oh No.  There's a small confession connected with this. . .

and this is the culprit!  You might notice it is not quite full at this point.  Well, it was before I knocked it over on the worktable!  This picture is after!  Yup.  I'm a klutz.  What can I say? 

So, after everything dries out, the worktable will undoubtedly return to its normal state of mild chaos.  And these pictures prove that the camera did not get too wet!

But, doesn't that table top shine?  Yummy!

Wednesday WOW - April 21

It has been such nice weather this week, that I've not spent too much time in the work room.  Today, however, things were hopping!  Working on a doll and experimenting with tucks, to name just a couple of things I did today.  Busy, busy!

Another Door

Today a package arrived from Leiden, Netherlands!  That's not something that happens every day around here, let me tell you!  But I knew right away what it would have inside.

A door from Cobi as part of the Traveling Page swap!  But that's not all!  She also included some photos of "real" dutch-style doors and a postcard from her home as well as a lovely note telling me about this page.

Cobi embroidered these beautiful flowers around the door.   I love the way the colors brighten up the pale brick wall.  And those red flowers are jillions of tee-tiny french knots!  (Well, it seems like jillions!)

But the best part is that the top half of the door opens!  That scene you can see there is on the postcard.  But I can put anything I like behind that door.  Maybe I'll find a Dutch girl to stand in my doorway.

Cobi and I share a fondness for Terry Pratchett's books and this quote is a perfect example of his wit.  It is also a perfect quote for my book of doors that go nowhere!

I'm in the finishing stages of my page for April - after a couple of false starts!  Still having lots of fun with this project!

Wednesday WOW - April 14

I had such a busy day today that I almost forgot to take photos for WOW!   I know how much you all anticipate these posts, so I'm so glad I remembered before it was too late!

I spent most of the day at the LQS for stitching therapy, and managed to finish five blocks . . . three for the Stars & Strips and two for Thimbleberries.  These two projects are moving right along!  If you missed earlier pictures of these, don't worry.  There will definitely be more!

Then I had a little time to spend on my journal.  These pages have been painted for a couple of days and today I pasted photos and clippings.  Tomorrow I hope to have time to add the journaling itself. 

For the sharp-eyed among you . . . yes, those are doll parts behind the journal.  They came from the "spare parts" bin, but I'm using them to decide on size and pose.  I'm hoping to get a start on the Hoffman Challenge next week.  It doesn't hurt to hope, does it?

Tomorrow is tax day in the US.  Have you done your taxes or are you burning the midnight oil?

Mess Making

Last week, I received a comment that implied my "mess" was pretty low level.  OK, I'll admit that my perception was a bit off because I wasn't happy with the way things were going.

But, today I managed to do better!  This is what happens when you can't find that package of Misty Fuse that was right here!

Yes, that pink package is Misty Fuse . . . but it hasn't been opened yet!  I need the other package!

What do you think?  Is it a mess yet?

P.S.  The missing pack turned up on the floor.  I wonder how it got there?

Goodies in the Mail

The last couple of days have brought some special treats in the mail.  I'm like a little kid when there is a gift in the mail!  LOL!

My first "gift" was a postcard from Winsome in the UK.  She was my swap partner for the March Stitchin' Fingers postcard group.  The theme was Let's Go Green.

OK, before anyone points out that this is not Green . . . the "green" in this theme could be either the color Green, or recycle-to-keep-the-earth-green Green.  Got it?  This postcard was recycled from a larger piece that didn't turn out as hoped.  Winsome said she cut it up and used the good parts in postcards.  What a good idea!  And I really like this color, anyway!  There is a lot more sparkle than this photo shows, too.  And you all know how I love sparkle!

This is what I sent.  I chose to use both senses of Green.  The shamrocks are used Color Catchers - in several shades of green.  And the round GoGreen piece is the plastic insert from a pill bottle!  I had fun looking for things to recycle.  It could be addictive I think!

The other special mail I received was another page from the Story of the Traveling Pages group. 

This door is from Chris.  Don't you feel like you can touch the coolness of the stone wall?  And that door really looks weathered.  I posted a close-up on the Traveling Pages site and I encourage you to go see what the rest of the group has been up to.  All the pages have been wonderful!

Wednesday WOW - April 7

It might look like a mess, but it is coming together nicely so far.  For a swap, so I won't tell anymore about it just yet.  Patience.

Pages

While I am certainly doing lots of "stuff" these days, not much is at a stage where it can be shared.  Sorry.  I'd love to have you all looking over my shoulder.

But, in the meantime, I've been doing a little journaling too.  Just a page every few days.  I can already see some improvements in my composition and skill using unfamiliar tools.  Still a long way to go to be called a Collage artist, but here is a little eye-candy along the way.

tissue paper gessoed onto the pages.

finger painted self(?) portrait

different kinds of tape, then painted over and rubbed with a paper towel

oooh!  green!

permission slip is inside envelope

Doesn't this look like a fun mess?  Let me tell you, the first thing on the permission slip should be "Permission to make messes" 'cause that's what I've done plenty of!