Getting ready for Vacation

Well here it is getting twilight outside, and my car is already packed for vacation. We are heading for South Dakota. We are going camping for 10 days. Can't wait as we haven't been on vacation together for over 3 years. I'm sure Chris will be waking me up before the crack of dawn to get ready to go. He's so excited. The dogs won't be happy. They like to sleep in on the weekends. Poor poochies. My niece, Amanda, is going to be staying here when we are gone watching the house and the Scottish hoard. I hate to tell her that the three have finally after all these years learned to hunt as a team. In the past three days, they've caught two adult rabbits & tonight I stopped them from adding a squirrel notch to their kill belts. It is their nature, but still I hate to see them kill small animals.

I've got my projects all packed up. I'm taking my doll for the NIADA challenge with me. Can't show him yet, as he's not completed enough. Also taking my Beading for a Cure doll. Darnit! I forgot to take a picture of the kit we got to work with. Not my favorite colors, but I have finally come up with something fun. I even did my own original doll pattern for it. Also got a bag for the Guilded Lilies Round Robin that I must finish before I get back so it can go on to Liz for her to work on it.

Had a bunch of small things to do tonight also. Got my application for the Ohio State Fair filled out & ready to mail. The deadline for that is the 20th. Also took some pictures of my Scottie dog band for Linda Bassett. Linda is going to a Scottish Terrier antique show down in Cincinnati. She told me it is her 11th year. We met each other that long ago. I stopped going when Fiona had her litter of puppies, and things just always seem to happen so I don't get to attend anymore, but miss all those guys from Wee Scots. Linda is using the pictures for some presentation. She was telling me what she was doing & it sounds like everyone in Cincinnati is going to be laughing large!

I also submitted another doll piece to Doll Crafter's and Costuming. It is for the Fall Gallery titled Fearful Fall Fun. I sent in a picture of my Dead Pirates. They were the villain challenge for Guilded Lilies last September. They heads are ones I found at Archie McPhee when I was out in Seattle visiting my friend Cynthia & going to ArtFiberFest. I saw those pencil topper pirate heads & fell in love with them. I had to have them (wish I bought more now), naturally they became funky dolls. I might work some more of this piece for the Whimsical Beads challenge, but might not. I have no idea what I'll be doing once I get back. But I DO KNOW that I must start my Bead Journal project. Got some ideas...finally.

take care & see you all in two weeks.

dot

Whew....

This is going to be one busy summer for me. Along with doing the 12 month beaded journal project proposed by Robin Atkins, I'm also going to be working on three pieces for juried shows, a challenge doll for NIADA, and a challenge for Beading For A Cure. http://www.beadingforacure.org/

Now the later has caused me some discomfort indeed. We got the kit which is the challenge part, and none of the colors even spoke to me. Along with that there was a lamp work bead that threw me totally. I usually don't use lamp works in any of my work, so to even contemplate how to incorporate it into a doll design, put me far behind on the schedule. At first, I thought "why not just do a bracelet with the lamp work as a focal bead?". But that really isn't a challenge to me is it? I feel very comfortable doing beaded bracelets and to just do a bracelet wouldn't make me "grow" in my beading and doll making skills. So finally, two days ago at work I came up with an idea that has been growing inside my head until finally last night, I sat at my desk in the Art Cave picked up needle, thread and felt & began. I also looked in my bag of thrift store throw aways & found the perfect head for the doll I'm working on. Oh yes, naturally it is going to be a doll. Then I got out my hoard of sequins because I got permission from the board to use sequins, and I chose for my extra bead type to be added. I'll get a picture of all of this later on & post. It looks pretty chaotic for now, but I've got it all worked on inside the noggin. I've even got a name for this piece...SpamGuard! So, I'm pushing myself to get this, and my NIADA doll done by July. I'm wanting to have an NIADA artist critique SpamGuard as this is my second orginal doll design. My fingers will be smokin'! but my brain will be coolin' off.

Meanwhile I've settled on the form for my Bead Journal. It is a secret until September!