My New Passion...

On the right side of my blog is an icon for a group I joined called 'Cloth and Clay Doll Workshop'. Through a series of videos, Jane DesRosier demonstrates how to complete a doll from beginning to end. One of my favorite parts is her demonstration of the use of paper clay to sculpt the head and face. As I watched the videos it became very apparent to me that this paper clay stuff is very cool.

The other day I completed my first ever 'sculpture' and I love it. Do I think it is a great work of art? No. But in just 45 minutes I was able to create something that looked pretty much like a face and hair. I am enjoying this so much that just about all my other projects have been put aside until I complete this little gal.


This is a view of the head just after sculpting that also includes some of the tools I used.


This is a closer look of the head. This is also just after I finished the sculpting. She is definitely not perfect and she does have spooky eyes that seem to follow me.


This last one is a bit hard to see, but on the left is the same doll shown above with a black base coat and the first coat of her dress. On the right is a second doll I started. I wanted you to see what the doll looks like in the beginning before sculpting the face.

I will post other pictures as she progresses.

Early Morning Visit...

I love waking early - especially if it is a non-work day. I open the kitchen door that goes out to a screened in porch and my three cats run out and jockey for the best spots to watch the chipmunks and birds. One recent morning the cats burst back through the door and scampered around desperately trying to hide under something - anything! They had been startled by the black bear that stops in every so often. He usually grabs a feeder filled with sunflower seed and then slips back into the woods as quietly as he arrived.

Win a Madsen Cycle...

I realized today that I placed a link on my sidebar to the contest to win a Madsen Cycles Cargo Bike but never mentioned it. I heard about this giveaway around the same time SEWN and SewMamaSew had their giant giveaways. So, I was busy checking out all the web sites and entering giveaways. By the way, I didn't win a thing. Except some new friends and that really is what it is all about - right?

Anyway, I digress - back to Madsen. Please click on one of the links and check out this giveaway. It ends soon and my motto is (as always) you cannot win if you don't enter. Brillant - right? The giveaway ends this week - July 15 - so go ahead. Clink on the link. It is a gorgeous bike and just the thing to save on gas.

Rain, Rain and More Rain...

This spring has been very rainy. We have only seen the sun for 7 out of the last 39 days. Today was one of those wonderful sunny days and some of the flowers in my garden shook off all the rain and just blossomed. Here are two of my favorites. The first photo is of Pink Canterbury Bells and the second is of large greenish-yellow day lily. These wonderfully resilient flowers are among my favorites and I wanted to share.

As you can imagine, all this rain has kept us indoors on weekends. During a recent storm, as I worked on the doll for the Cloth and Clay Doll Workshop, my great little Quality Control expert examined my work.


Progress is also being made on the quilt for the Red Barn Quilt Along. All my stripes have been sewn and I am in the process of cutting them into blocks. I am enjoying this so much and slowly making progress.

Red Barn Quilt Along ...

I am so far behind on this quilt. This weekend I cut my strips and sewed them into strips of 6. I am now in the process of cutting the blocks.

This has been alot of fun. I do look at the flickr site to see everyone else's work. But the more time I spend there the less time I have to sew. You know how that is, I am sure. If you are stopping by from the Red Barn Quilt along, please say hello and leave a link to your quilt. I would love to see your work.

 

Spring Flowers - Iris

Here are a few of the Iris from my spring garden. I hope you enjoy them.

 

True Confessions - I am a goldfish...

Hello

If you knew exactly what the title of this entry means, than you must be a goldfish too. Welcome!

For those of you who don't understand the title, let me explain. Many of us are fortunate enough to be part of a e course taught by Marisa of Creative Thursday. The title of the class is 'Life as an Artist.Online. in the fishbowl' We are heading into our second class and this posting - though a bit late - is part of the homework. (or as some call it 'headwork') If you have a chance to take this course in the future - grab it.


As a fellow goldfish I know you are here to find out a little bit more about me and perhaps check out my answers to Marisa's questions.

The first question from the first class is: Why do you love what you create?
Because it is so much fun and very satisfying. Taking little bits of this and that and pulling it all together into something else is the best feeling in the world.

The second question: What are you working on when you get lost in your creativity?
Everything and anything. I get completely lost in the process and can spend hours locked away in my creating room. All sense of time is gone and the only thing I care about is one more stitch, one more panel, one more painting.

Well I hope everyone is having fun. See you in class !