Trick? or Treat?

Her name is Stella Skelly and she's 30 inches tall.  IF I can have her finished by Halloween, she will be wearing sheer black stockings, a black lace and silk corselette and a short, spider web lace neglegee.
And spiders.                                                                                                                                                        

They're Off!!

Today, I mailed Flynn Hollysharp and the Mardi Gras Marcher to Houston.  Praying these two dolls will arrive with no damage.  I put them in a 45 gallon plastic storage container and used an entire roll of bubble wrap on them - hope it was enough.  And one-way postage saved me about $100. this year because I will be there at the end of the show to pick up the dolls and bring them home.

Tomorrow, I will mail a CD to Art Doll Quarterly magazine in the hope that they will consider the doll photos   it contains to be good enough to publish.

Getting Organized - Again

I should probably strike the word "organized" from my vocabulary, because I doubt that I ever will be.  Cleaning up the aftermath of three dolls on two deadlines has presented its own problems, namely, storage.  Finished dolls are a particular problem because they must be protected from dust with large gift basket bags and  stored where the curious won't have easy access.

Fabric storage has become a problem as well.  My primary fabric storage unit is a 45 gallon plastic container  that now weighs upwards of 50 pounds.  The only place it can be stored where it's out of the way but accessible, is under my desk.   But, being a three-sided desk, there is also room (more or less) for eight copy paper boxes, four sweater boxes, one large dress box, a case of copy paper, a rectangular trash can, my Mom's old sewing box and a paper shredder.   Two arms of the top of this monster desk are covered with computer stuff, the third arm is a dedicated work surface.  Which is rarely clear of a project or two.

The rest of the room is just as bad.  It shows signs that I've tried to maintain some form of organization - but haven't quite made the mark.

Oh, well.

She's Finished - and so am I.

The queen of the Fairies had her photo shoot this afternoon after weeks of panicy preparations.  I do believe this is the first doll I've ever pulled an all-nighter for and I was still tweaking her look minutes before the photographer arrived.   She is lovely, though.  To my child's eye, she is the queen of Nordic fairies because of her very fair complexion, palest blond hair and blue eyes.   And she is tiny; the grasses and flowers tower over her.

I on the other hand, sit amidst the shambles of my office/studio - the battle zone between my imagination and my physical skills - or lack thereof.  The desk and floor are littered with the bits and pieces of bad judgement, bad cuts, wrong colors, wrong fabrics, hair I've pulled out and fingernails I've torn off.   It will probably take a week to get it all cleaned up, sorted and put back where it belongs.

Then I start all over again.

My Constant Companion

My little toy poodle Sassy is an Alpha.  As such, she considers herself to be my boss. To a large degree, she is.  She has taught me how to read her signals.   If she comes to my chair and puts her paw on my arm , most times, this means 'follow me'.  So I go to the back door.  If she wants food instead of a potty break, she stops in front of the cabinet where I keep her food.  She can tell time, when her meals are served, when it's time to get the mail, that she must go sit in her chair when someone comes to the door.  I've had to insist on this, because she will joyfully jump on all visitors and most visitors encourage this (bad) behavior.  So I'm training family, friends and neighbors as well;  no fussing over the dog unless she is in her chair.

Sassy isn't a cuddler and she doesn't like to be picked up and carried around.  But she will always be in the same room with me, quite often on my desk, looking out the window, watching squirrels and traffic.  Or she will lay with her chin just as close to my hand as she can. - with out getting her nose bumped by the mouse.  I can't imagine a dog owner who wouldn't admit in a heart beat, that the mere presense of their dog in the same room is comforting.   That love is worth every minute, every cent of their care.

Stepping Back

I've had to step away from this little doll that is driving me so crazy.  It's so bad I phoned my sister yesterday just to vent - even though I knew she had house guests.

I'll try to concentrate on other things over the weekend.  I have a bag of potting soil in the back seat of the car that I'll lug around to the potting bench in the lanai. There is tarragon and basil seed to start and rooted cuttings  that need to be put in soil.   If it will ever stop raining long enough for the grass to dry, I'll cut the grass in the back yard.  And, provided my back holds up, I'll pull up all the Roselle that didn't produce fruit this year.

Perhaps by Monday I'll be ready to tackle the problem doll again,

It Happens Every Time It never fails

. . . . . . every time I get in a hurry, I screw up.  TWICE, yesterday.   I'm just glad I had enough fabric (barely!!) to cut new pieces.  If these don't fit, I'm gonna be up the creek BIGTIME!!

I couldn't buy more fabric because nearly all of the fabric I have was given to me by two friends who were both professional seamstresses.  I was thrilled to get their scraps and leftovers.  Most pieces were more than adequate for a doll costume.   And some exquisitely beautiful pieces must have surely cost someone a month's wages for a single yard.

And leftovers from my days at Michael's made a pair of beautiful fairy wings.  Like most crafters, I hang on to anything that might be just the thing I need, in the future.  Consequently, because of the boxes of 'stuff', there is barely leg room under my big, U shaped desk.