Spam Guard

Boy, I'm a horrible blogger. Here I haven't written a thing since I got back from vacation. It was fun. Made it all the way out to Wyoming's Devil's Tower. Awesome place! Anyway, since this is about Beading for a Cure, I thought I'd share a couple things. First off, Beading for a Cure is a wonderful group of women who do this all for the love of a long departed friend who died from Colo-Rectal Cancer. They all decided to get together to raise money for cancer research in her name. Being beaders, they decided that what better way to honor their friend's memory, than to have a challenge & auction. This is my second year with the group. I never knew Laney, but I do know people who battle colon cancer and was ready to stand up & add my name onto the list. We pay & receive a kit of beads. We have to use at least one of each bead to the project & am allowed to add one extra type of bead of our own choice. I decided to do a doll, but needed more to cover the larger area than size 11s so I asked permission from the BFAC board & was allowed to also use sequins.

Now back to my vacation & BFAC. I can't go anywhere without taking a beading project. Yes, even when camping. So there we were in the camp grounds at Devil's Tower. It was hot & there was no shade, so we decided to go to a very nice park at the base of the Monument which is near where the largest population of prairie dogs live. I was sitting at a park table with all my beads surrounding me working on Spam Guard's body. Several women came over to see what I was doing. I tried to explain the concept to them, but all I heard was..."those colors don't match". Yeah really...I already knew that. So I told them to wait & I'd show them what he'd look like with his head attached. Still got the comment "still doesn't match". So I was very disenchanted with this doll. I put him aside, for the rest of the trip & worked on my MoonMan instead which the same women the next day exclaimed he was "just gorgeous". Poor Spam Guard! I did finish him & with each pull of the thread as I attached his helmet, I began to like him more & more. I brought him home almost finished & he sat on the top of my eMac doing the duty that I gave to him (he's not too good at it, but I still like him). Every day I'd look up & see my wee warrior smiling down on me & began to like him more & more. Finally the day came where I had to send him off to AJ. He's gone. I miss him. So what am I doing to get over my grief...I'm making another Spam Guard just for me & oh yes, this new one does have colors that match.

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!

Is it Summer???

Yeppers, it is HOT. I mean turn the air conditioner on hot! But we are NOT letting AEP get a bite out of our wallets yet. So I've been spending alot of time down in the Art Cave playing. I spent all day yesterday working on the ATCs for a swap I'm in. All I got left to do is to put the rivets in them & sent them off to Tracie. I'm also working on my NIADA challenge piece. NIADA is going to be in Detroit this year. Only a three hour drive, so I'm going with my friends Linda Apple & Cyndy Sieving. Also a couple other Columbus doll makers will be there, Judy Skeel & Inez Bausch. Hope to run into them & have a few laughs. I've heard that this is the most drool worthy thing there is when it comes to doll making. I'm looking forward to getting to see the best of the best in person & get my Muse sparked with ideas. I'm not taking any classes, as I've got to get back to work, but I'm always open for some inspiration. Linda talked me into doing the Challenge for NIADA. The theme is Over the Moon. Naturally, I'm making a beaded doll. I'm doing a Moon Man, so we'll see if I can get it done in time. Between NIADA in July & now is our vacation. We'll be going to South Dakota for 10 days.

Guess I should mention my dogs. I love Scottish Terriers. I guess I should say that is how I got into beading. I met Cynthia through a Scottish Terrier e-list & be became friends. She is the main culprit in my beading obsession. I blame her every single day! I know her ears are BURNING! But if I wouldn't have fallen in love back in 1989 with a sweet little Scottie dog I named FalaPink, who knows what I would be doing now. So my FalaPink is the one who got me on this course in my life & made me realize I'm an artist. Thank you my sweet puppy boy who is waiting at the steps of the Rainbow Bridge with our sweetie wheatie SkyeBlue. Love you guys every single day.

5/27/07

I got up very early this morning, even before the dogs & decided to work on a few ATCs for a swap due June 1st. Yes, I'm always one of those last minute kind of people. I know what I want to do, but just can't seem to get the gumption up to finish on time. I used some of the Hoffman Fabric for this year's challenge which has beautiful flowers and butterflies on it. I did a bit of sewing on it, but I must admit this is something for me as I'm not very good at using a sewing machine. I only bought one last year for a conference in Ky. I'm learning to use it, but am always amazed at what other artist can do with fabric and thread. I really wish I didn't have to work full time so I could just sit downstairs in my Art Cave & play. But alas, gotta work to feed my addiction and the poochies. I joined a new group on Yahoo called CrazyArtDollz. Sounds like fun. Great excuse for me to explore using different techniques & media. Don't get me wrong...I still am in love with beads. They obsesses my soul, but I want to venture into some other territory & see if I can get into more trouble! LOL! Well, enough for today. I've got a picnic to go to & the weather man is calling for thunderstorms. GREAT! Think I better leave my beads at home. Don't want to be like Dorothy & get caught up in a funnel cloud blasted with all those sparklies. Wait, maybe I do. It'd be one heck of a rainbow, wouldn't it?

First off 5/25/07

Just got off work & decided to work on my blog page for awhile before I scoot over to Judy Skeel's house for a doll maker's tea party. I'll be tired since I worked all night long, but I still gotta spend some time with my Guilded Lily pals. Judy taught me alot about doll making. I actually called her one evening & questioned her about what a "dart" was. Okay, so I flunked home economics back in the dark ages when in high school. I really didn't know what a dart was & when she laughed...so did I. I'm working on a pattern of my own right now. It is for the NIADA challenge (over the moon). I'm making a moon man eating the Moon which you know is made of cheese. Naturally he WILL BE BEADED! I'm sharing this picture of my last beaded doll. He was for the AFIC (Artistic Figures in Cloth challenge called "Object in my Obsession". Since I have Asthma & breathing is definitely my obsession, I did Gustave Breathe. He is a troll pattern called Mopsey by Ute Vasnia. I loved working on him & learned alot about needle sculpturing. He's not totally beaded, but I still love him. Unfortunately since the doll pattern is not my original design, I can't enter him in any juried bead shows. So poor Gus will stay here with me & make his "professional" coming out at the Ohio State Fair. Enough...I must drink my coffee, wake up, change clothes, get my stuff together & get over to join the girls in a fun morning