FRONT COVER

MY FIRST! I was so excited the other afternoon when I woke up to find the October 2008 issue of Doll Crafter & Costuming on the counter waiting for me. There on the front cover was my piece Trick-or-Treat. I actually did do a dance, and that was before I gulped down a cup of coffee! I'd been asked by the editor to do a piece for the Halloween issue of DC&C. I was honored to have been asked, but then what to do. I decided to start at the very beginnings from pattern making, to sewing, to beading the doll. I chose 5 basic simple templates to get people interested in beaded dolls. My hardest decision was how to present the 5 dolls, so I decided to make them all sitting on a tree. Again, how to make the tree? I was pouring Half&Half into my cup, when I saw the answer in my hand. I used the empty plastic container along with wire and did a wrapped doll tree. Then I attached all three dolls to the tree. I was still nervous that it wouldn't be worthy of the cover, so I didn't tell anyone about it. The editor love this piece, so I got the courage to take it with me to Enchanted Doll Artists Conference in Albuquerque. I entered it in the "Other Side of the Mirror" challenge saying in an old enchanted forest is a tree which grows Trick or Treaters who magically appear only one night on our door steps asking for candy and then disappearing. Guess what? It came in 2nd place in the beginning professional category. Can we say I was too happy!

Beading for a Cure

Well, I've had both of these pieces done for awhile, but my problem is always finishing. Finishing the paper work & getting pictures, and going to the post office are three of my worse procrastination faults. So the deadline to send in projects for Beading for a Cure is July 15th. I'm going to be leaving here for Albuquerque tomorrow afternoon, so I must get to the post office today! For those who aren't familiar with BFAC, Beading for a Cure started out with a group on All About Beads who decided to do something in memory of a friend (Layne's Legacy) and what better way to do that than to call for a beading challenge & all pieces donated to a worthy cause. Three bead shop owners rotate making up the kits each year. The only rule is that you MUST use at least one of every bead in the kit. You are allowed to only add one additional bead type to the mix. BFAC donates proceeds for all pieces to the National Colo-Rectal Cancer research organization. March is Colo-Rectal Cancer awareness month. so items are offered for sale on eBay that month.

This year I made two pieces. Oopsie is an original pattern by Cyndy Sieving which is shrunk down. I added matt gold 11s to the mix, and sequins to enhance the sparkle quota. The other piece is my original design of the Podlings which was in the 2/08 issue of Doll Crafters and Costuming. Another BFAC member could not finish her pieces, so I offered to take the kit from her & do one in her name. For The Podling, I added dark topaz 11s. I'm pretty happy with both dolls, and hope in March they make their way to good homes.

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Pink Ribbon Turtle

Jena Tuntas has done a project for breast cancer awareness & decided to do another project for this year. It is called the Pink Ribbon Turtle. It is a quilted wall hanging & is going to be auctioned off with money going to Breast Cancer Research. Four different artist have divided up the quilt beading the shell, head, tail, and flippers of the sea turtle. So far we have two groups working on this project. I'm in group #1 with Jena, Gretchen, and Cynthia. I chose the upper right hand quadrant. I've finally got the beading done on this project. Now I need to sew the beading sections on the quilt square, and send it off to Jena to be completed. For Jena's site & more information about this project, please go here .

I've also got to put the bottom on my piece for Beading for a Cure before I photograph the doll. Meanwhile, I'm gearing up to head out to New Mexico next Monday.

Ruby of Oz & BJP

This is another one of the dolls that I made at Think Pink. She is from Barbara Willis' class. I did like the technique of covering a paper clay face with fabric & using pins & colored pencils to add the face. I'm thinking of doing this with some linen & possibly have it pre-beaded before it is stretched over the clay. Now to find time to do that. Anyway, I found the fabric at the Cotton Candy in Twinsberg Ohio which I just found out is closing. BUT...I did see the same material in a quilt shop in Berlin Ohio, so at least I know where to find more Wizard of Oz fabric. Ruby is a stump doll, or pedestal doll. and I was thrilled to use some of the dyed lace that I bought at Pacific Fabrics out in Washington when I attended Art Fiber Fest. Lesson here, is that if you see something that tugs at you, buy it NOW. I've had this lace for 2 years & knew I'd find something to use it on.

BJP. I'm still trying to figure out how to finish this project. I want to do a quilted wall hanging of a tree with the leaves hanging from it, but I'm so lacking in that skill. I think what I'm going to do, is just pull out some big pieces of paper, lay it on the floor of the Art Cave, and draw my own tree shape. I have this perfect fabric that looks like tree bark that I found three years ago at St. Theresa's Textile Trove in Cincy. I'm thinking of just either using Seam to Seam & adhering it onto a back of possibly batik fabric & then tacking it down for the quilt part & then applique the leave on that. I hope to get all this done soon. I don't want to pass up this opportunity to be on the webpage: http://www.beadjournalproject.com/

well, gotta finish up a doll that was damaged at the High Road Gallery so it can go to its new home.