Thursday, March 31, 2011

ROCKET MAN


I've been pretty quiet this past week. Work has been extremely wicked with the Emergency Room full every night, and you know that means those folks need lab work done which means...I'm on the feet all the time. I get home in morning and after feeding the three Scotties, I'm in bed. Yet even when I get up my feet are aching. I bought new shoes, and they are making the pain a little better, but I think I'm going to have to break down & visit my Podiatrist again & see about getting more steriod shots. Sound awful, but it does work.



Chris & I are going to be having a vendor table at AFIC. I'm taking classes there, but Chris is going to man the booth Friday night, and then all day Saturday and Sunday. I'm so excited that he'll be able to show off some of the great work he has been doing in the past two years. He wanted for us to do a collaboration to show off at AFIC, and I agreed it would be fun to work together again. He went rummaging through the basement where we keep boxes of things we've accumulated in our thrift store wanderings. He found an old lamp and a box of Christmas tree lights from back when we were kids (think we found them at a flea market). So out came the vacuum tubes and he began on a lighted Rocket. He challenged me to then make an Astronaut that could ride the Rocket. I sat down and drew up a new doll pattern and began to audition fabric. I didn't want to paint the doll body to make it look like a space suit and was so excited when down deep in a box I found this fun fabric I bought last Halloween. I also wanted my doll to look cute, so instead of the big noses I usually sew for my dolls, I went for a tiny little bump of a nose & it worked fabulous. Then, it went to Chris & he came up with this perfect item for the Rocket Man's helmet. It originally came from a child's toy we found at the thrift store. Chris cut an opening in the bottom, and the Astronaut's head fit perfect. Then it was back to me to finish up the space suit. I added two life support packs on the front and back with crystals to mock lights blinking off an on, and I made a collar so the helmet would sit properly on the shoulders. Then back to Chris. He posed and mounted the Rocket Man. Then he plugged in the lamp. The flames light up and it really looks like it is headed for deep space.


We had so much fun working on this project together. We are now doing another piece I hope to finish and enter into Doll Street Dreamer's Steampunk challenge at AFIC. I've been drawing a design & he's been cutting and getting the pieces together. I'm so lucky.

11 comments:

AJ said...

What an awesome collaboration! You're both so clever and talented :)

DVArtist said...

Hey, sorry about your feet. Know how that is. I do love Rocket Man. He so very cool.
Nicole/Beadwright

Heather Simpson-Bluhm said...

First off, this is so cute! Second, how awesome that you and Chris are collaborating on art. So cool! Third, I miss you my zany friend...

char said...

This is so clever..great job by both of you. Fun fun fun.

Anonymous said...

LOL that is totally awesome!!!!

flyingbeader said...

Thanks so much everyone. I have so much fun coming up with things for us to work on together. We are going to try our hands at a true Steampunk doll. AJ...you know what I mean!

dot

Cody Goodin said...

How cool is that? I can't wait to see it in person.

Cody Goodin said...

How cool is that? I can't wait to see it in person.

Judi W. said...

Great piece, just love it!

Anonymous said...

Love it! You guys obviously work well together

Diane Lithgow said...

Dot
he is gorgeous. I love looking at your blog and pleased that Chris is feeling better. I enjoyed our time together.