The Altered Bride

Her top skirt is silk upoltery
fabric with the backing
removed.  Her underskirt
is reembroidered Alcyon
Lace that was gifted to me.  I
antiqued it with Distress Stain
Her "slip" is feathers..

On facebook a very talented doll artist, Dallas Sills posted pics of her lovely doll she was submitting to the Bride doll challenge of Art Doll Quarterly.  I had let my subscription lapse so wasn't aware of the challenge until she mentioned it - though I did purchase the issue I was missing and renewed my subscription.  I had made a few brides to honor my neices in law but while at The Artsy Soul owned by my dear friend Colleen, a client came in and we were talking dolls.  I have a few Steampunk and showed her pics and found out she would love to have a Steampunk wedding but her fiance wasn't too keen on the idea.  So then I got to wondering what would a Steampunk bride look like?  Well I finished it in time to submit it.  Not enough time and money ($70! YIKES!!) to send the doll, but I will send jpgs.  So here she is in all her glory.  I used my Flirty Flora pattern mainly because I had a head already made.  Don't know why I didn't use it on another doll, but I rejected it for some reason. Like it now!

Her corset is painted ultra suede - didn't like
the original color.  The front is a key hole
from Tim Holtz Ideaology.  The charms
are from my collection.



Her Hat started out black but with
a few coats of gesso, paint, crackle
finish, and gilders paste, it is now
a lovely antique white,

Her boots are faux leather I created with
acryllic paints, crackle finish and gilder's
paste.  More tim Holtz tassels, wing
charms from my stash, little flowers
and scrolls around her ankles
from my friend Colleen.

She is holding a birdcage with love bird
charms.  It is made from Grunge
Board cut with a Tim Holtz
Sizzix die.

Hope she gets in the magazine!

Working on Christmas Gifts

I am so enamored with the little suitcase die from Sizzix!  I decided to do one in cloth.  To siffen it up, I used fusible web to adhere cotton fabric to both sides of stiff felt - the kind you can get at any craft store in 12 x 18" sheets.  I was going to use Timtex, but it was too thick and didn't fold very well.  The felt has some issues too, but it is better.  Next one I do I am going to adhere the fabric to chipboard.  I made the suitcase into a mobil sewing kit.  I put a scissors holder on the top, a pincushion on the bottom and left enough room for bobbin size spools.  I used other Sizzix dies to cut out the flowers and lots of pearl buttons for fasteners and decoration. I used distess dies on the edges of everything including the ribbon.  I added Dimensional Pearls to all the edges to keep them from fraying.  The stamp is from My Mind's Eye and the tag is a cut down version of the book plate from the Alterations large tag die.

Another Book Class December 6th!

A few weeks ago at the Artsy Soul, Heather showed us a book/journal insert she learned from Teri Sproul who I think adapted it from Laura Dennison (two wonderful artists).  We decided to make it into our own little book (finished size about 3 1/2" x 2 1/2") so I cut out covers for us and away we went.  I finished my book and decided to dedicate it to my little girl Diamond in celebration of her life.  This will be a fun class and would make a great stocking stuffer.  It can be personalized with small pictures (about 2" x 2" - the ones from the small poloroid would be perfect!  I arranged a bunch on a piece of cardstock and printed them out. I journaled the tags that are in each of the envelopes.  The words on top of some of them are embossed with a cuttlebug embossing folder on a Sizzix machine.  All materials will be in the kit for the plain book and the tags but we sill be embellishing them in class so bring pics and anything you may want to use to personalize it.  I chose to do the cover with paper roses, Dresden paper leaves and a picture of Diamond with her name embossed in metal.  Lots of possiblilites with this little gem.

Class Location:  The Artsy Soul, 59 North Main Street, Manahawkin, N. J. 609-549-6350
Date:  December 6, 2012, 10 - 4 with a short lunch break.
Cost:  Kit fee $10, Class fee $30

Last CQ Sample finished!

Here is the last of the CQ doll samples for the class I will be teaching in December at the Artsy Soul in Manahawkin, NJ.  This lovely lady has earrings made from Austrian crystals that were colored with Alcohol inks!  Class dates are December 13, 2012, one day class - just in time for one of those last minute gifts for someone special.  Visit the shop at 59 North Main Street to see the samples and sign up or visit their facebook page, The Artsy Soul  Some sewing experience needed, but the kit contains a completed head - all you need to do is add her "hat"!

I will also be teaching a class making a small book 4" x 3" with a metal (from a soda can!) cover overlay.  This will be on Tuesday December 11.  Another great Stocking Stuffer.  Here are two samples for inspiration.

 

Also coming,  two day Mermaid class in January!!!  More to follow.

 

Another CQ Doll and Twilight BD#2 AWESOME!!

Went to see the new Twilight movie last night - 10 pm show and it was AWESOME!!!  Can't wait to see it again.  Also finished another CQ Doll sample for the upcoming class (no date has been set yet, probably in the new year).  This one is all shades of oranges and bronzes.  Not colors I normally use.  Also received my 2013 Hoffman Challenge Fabrics.   The challenge fabric, shown in the center is a larger print than I expected.  Colors are interesting though similar to 2011. Love the blenders which look solid but have lots of gold metallic.

First CQ Doll Sample

Kit will include completed stuffed
head, muslin piecing map, and
access to lots of fabrics and trims.

One of the many faces available.  This one has
blue eyes.  Will also have Green and Brown.

What is a mermaid without fish?  This one is from
Germain Dresden foils colored with Inca Gold,
Perfect Pearls and Twinkling H20s.

I will be teaching this class at The Artsy Soul in Manahawkin, NJ.  I have been making new samples,.  This is the first one completed.  Colleen, the shop owner, loves Pink and Gold and since she is at the Jersey Shore and survived Sandy and the Snow, this one is for her!  A CQ Mermaid in pinks and golds.  Students will learns sew and flip piecing method, coloring lace with stains, inks, paints, dyes, simple beading and embroidery stitches.

Incadescent With Joy!

http://scottpublications.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/1139

Yesterday was a good day.  Lots of things happened yesterday.  Took my dead laptop to Staples and they think they can recover my data including patterns I thought I had backed up but didn't.  Finished stuffing the CQ dolls, stuffed heads, and embellished and put one together.  Got Tickets at a great discount price for the Breaking Dawn #2 early Thursday opening at a deep discount and my DIL asked me to sit my little guy Max this afternoon.  Oh and one more thing - got a complimentary copy of Just Steampunk Volume 2 and had the three items I submitted in it!!!!  My Steampunk pin made from matte board and metal tape, and my dolls, Jules Figby and Steampunk Flora.

Hope to finish up the dolls today, will post pics and the class dates, etc. when I do.

What I did with no Power

Original Samples

I am getting ready to teach a Crazy Patch doll.  Unfortunately, I hadn't planned on teaching it so gave away/sold the samples I had so I needed to make a few more.  So, while we had no powe'r and luckily I have 4 large skylights in my studio so access to natural light free frm the Sun, I pieced 4 and embroidered/embellished 3 fabric bases.  Still have to finish the Pinks/golds/ecru (Gee - Wonder who that could possibly be for???).  I try to keep the stitching to a minimum so there aren't lots of stitches to teach and use only one metallic thread (I like the Ricky Timms but YLI Candlelight or Kreinik #4 braid works great too). Once we had power, also redid the faces and printed out enough for 17 dolls.  Will sew them before the next storm so I can stuff them.  Right now I am catching up on my laundry.  Spent the day yesterday with the Grand Boys - hadn't seen them all week and I think 3 mo old Max put on 10 lbs!!!  My parents and both sons have power as of last night.  FINALLY!!!  Just in time to lose it again for the Nor'Easter!

FINALLY!!! Back on line but for how long????

After being without power except generator and no cable/internet/tv/news/radio, we are back on line. Still living on generator but Cable just came back!!!  Drove around but couldn't find any hot spots - many businesses are still without power.  Per the Electric company, 70% of my town SHOULD be restored by tonight, everyone by Wednesday!  My parents who are in the same town are not restored yet and have no heat or refrigeration but I have been going over just about every day to deliver needed goods.  They will not leave.  Driving has been an adventure - many lights are still not working and there seems to be a glut of rude people on the roads.  Getting gas has also been an experience.  Ed and his son went out Tuesday morning and filled gas cans to the tune of $200+ so we can run the generators (at $20/gas per day!)   My thoughts are with those who are still without power.  Love when you call the various phone/cable/utility companies and they all refer you to their website!  There was no wifi for miles unless you had a personal hotspot - my next toy I think!

Thanks to all who called to check on us - cell phones were working.  Also thanks to all those who left emails.  I am trying to get through all 500+ now.  I have GREAT friends and family.

New Lady Ragalia

 
Since my computer went kaput a few weeks ago, I have discovered I didn't back up some of my patterns - namely Lady Ragalia and One Kiss so I am making new dolls, taking lots of pics and going to reissue the pattern on CD with more detailed directions and lots of pics.  Here is my new Ragalia made with fabrics (except her legs) left from this year's Hoffman challenge.  The prints are large, but I think they work.  I flocked the bottom half of her shoes and colored the white flocking with alcohol inks!  After the ink dryed, I strained the flocking through a tea strainer to make it fine and it came out awesome!!! who know????  Now just have to rewrite the pattern and alter the pics to fit ( took over 400 of them!)

Book with Pockets and Tags Class Sunday Oct 28!

Cover of the "Grunge Version"

Fabric stamped and embossed

I'm teaching this lovely little 6 page book (finished size about 4" x 6") with embossed pages and colored tags.  This book has lots of possibilities - I'll be showing you two.  Fabric covered cover, beaded binding, pages covered in either old book pages or printed card stock - your choice!  The tags are the perfect size for wallet size photos.
Where and When
THE ARTSY SOUL, 59 North Main Street, Manahawkin, New Jersey.  TN 609 549-6350  Seats still available.  Class starts at 11 am and will run to 4 pm.  Contact Colleen to reserve your space and for more details.  Hope to see you there!



Old book pages stamped and colored with Twinkling H2O
watercolors.

Printed cardstock versin, Stamped and colored with
Twinkling H20's

Forever in our Hearts

Day we Adopted her

Monday we lost our little girl, Diamond.  She was the sweetest dog on the face of the earth and we loved her dearly.  We tried everything but the Vet said there is no cure for age. We will miss her as she was with us everyday except for maybe 10 since we got her in January,  2007 including vacations.  I saw that face on Petfinder and just had to have her.   She lived on my lap for the first 2 months and also the last two. They thought she was 9-10 when we adopted her.  We will miss her loyalty and her sweet loving prescence.


Mermaid Class

Class pic final day.  Thank you for a wonderful class.  Missing
is Donna.

Donna won the BestChest award!

Thursday, Friday and Saturday last week I taught my Soprana class to a lovely group of women in Kalamazoo Michigan.  I had the BEST time!  The shop where the classroom was had the most amazing silks, suitings, and other fabrics and really awesome yarns.  Needless to say, I left some of my earnings there!  The class room was huge with lots of room for everyone.   Here are some pics of the lovely ladies.

Ladies hard at work

Still working

French Ladies and Ragalia  by Tammi,  Bees Knees done as a club
project.  All are stunning!

I slept here!  At Tammi's lovely antique
home/palace.

Another view in the Bedroom.

In honor of the Blue Moon

For some reason I feel more creative during the moon cycles.  The new moon on the 17th became a Blue Moon - second full moon in the month.  I could see the cycles from my skylights in my studio so starting Thursday and ending Friday, August 31, the actual full Blue moon, I created a book.  I am really pleased with how it turned out.  It has water color pages colored with Distress stains, Inka gold Hematite, Graphite and Yellow Green  and Silver paint dabber.  I used Stencils and stamps to create the "images".  I also was given some new product to try by Colleen from the Artsy Soul in Manahawkin, NJ, Viva Modeling Cream.  This is similar to Dreamweaver embossing paste but very soft.  I REALLY liked it.  Goes on with a sponge brush and it doesn't bleed under the stencil.  I also tried using the Inka Gold watered slightly and applied to a stamp.  Love the effect.  After I stamped it, I sprayed the stamp with water and stamped again and got a "ghost" image.  Very cool.  The book cover was treated just like the pages.  The front has an overlay made from Soda Cans, cut, embossed, colored with Ranger Patinas.  Sizzix die for the star, Die-Namics mini doily behind the center clay medallion and yes it is cut from metal too!  Added charms - some made, some purchased and altered.  The star on top is grungeboard, embossed and attached to a bobby pin blank.  I bought MANY of these on Blitsy thinking they were something else and was a little disappointed when I got them, but not any more!  This will be a class at Artsy Soul also.  Interested?  Visit the Artsy Soul facebook page or the shop at 59 No. Main St., Manahawkin, NJ.

Progress on Little House book

Here is the cover done-I think.  Not sure about the bird though.  I have another variation in mind so he may change.  The rose is from the mold, the side pieces are from molds I made of resin pieces.  These all started life sprayed gold, then I gave them a wash of black water color paint, added some red (damson and cream gilders's paste mixed together) and green gilder's paste, next added pink and green mica powders (Perfect Pearls and Pearl-ex), finally a light touch with Old Silver Inca-gold (love this stuff!  goes on like butter!).  The cage was antiqued with some awesome Embossing Powders I got at the Artsy Soul Mixed Media supplies in Manahawkin NJ.  I used three colors, Bronze patina, Rusty Nail, and Weather Vane.  The frame at the bottom is metal covered in silver glitter but I added a coat of gold metallic paint and then some green Peridot embossing powder and voila!  The leaves on the rose are also colored with Patina Bronze and Asure Patina powders done in layers.  Love how they blend with the addition of a little heat.

Saving the best News for last

We are grands again and welcomed another little boy, name undecided yet, 7lbs 13 oz, 19.5", turqoise eyes (hope they don't change!) and light brown hair, July 31, 11:03am.  Mother, baby and Dad are doing great.  And big brother Jake is pretty excited!

Another project...

I really learned so much while in class at Create.  One thing was the use of watercolor paper for pages in a book (Leighanna Light's wonderful class)!  So, I have been playing with it and making little books.  I think they would make a fun class.  The book measures about 3" x 5", the cover is vintage (about 30+ yrs old linen with wool embroidery I think is Shiffili) fabric, the fly leaves are Mulberry paper, and there are 4 signatures created from watercolor paper that is inked, stenciled, and stamped with Distress inks and stains and clear gesso. Pictured is my third one - can't make just one!  Now to do something with the pages.  I'm thinking a flying or wings theme.   I made a rectangular shaped one (3" x 5") with Osnaburg covers embellished with embossed and colored soda can shapes.  Unforetunately, I didn't take a pic, but you can see it at the Artsy Soul in Manahawkin, NJ.  What do you think of this as a class?