Marie Leveaux

Every once in a while, a project that I've seen in my head--for weeks!--takes a u-turn at some point, becoming itself instead of what I'd envisioned.

Such is the case with Marie.  What I had envisioned, believe it or not, was a droopy-faced sad clown, a bewhiskered hobo type, reminiscent of the 70's black velvet fellow with his bowler hat and shabby coat.

But at some point during the sculpting process, Marie showed up.  She's a sweet old soul, for all she's green and warty.  With a fondness for sparkles and fou-fou fashion, Marie still makes time to doll up every evening (she sells love potions and charms at a French Quarter sidewalk stand) and knows for a fact that her customers never truly believe her when she tells them; "Be careful what you wish for, Chere."

Made of a large and a small papermache egg, with lots of wooden bits for arms and legs, paperclay for hands and feet (and face and shoulders), Marie has a heavy bottom (don't we all?) and like a Weeble, she wobbles but she won't fall down.  She'll be coming with me to the art show in a few weeks.  Maybe she'll sell a few charms to the doll collectors there.

Have a great Tiw's Day!

Lookie what I got!!!

When Sheri Farley, at Little Cabin Creations, posted this doll, I had to have her.  As common as that is to hear, I don't say it often, because my practical side keeps my mouth shut on that kind of thing in general.  Being a "starving artist" (meaning my biz pays for itself, but doesn't come close to paying the mortgage) I can't justify buying every doll I want.

But there was just something about this one that had me ready to break my own budget to have her.  Sheri and I hit upon an idea: a doll swap.  How perfect is that?  So I sent her Lucy, whom Sheri will dress with her spectacular hand work and costuming skills.  To be honest, I'm a little jealous of Lucy, not only because of the dress, but also because she seriously gets to live in the woods in a beautiful cabin in Missouri!

Taney Butternut, w/ brooms and tiny wax cabin.

Yes, that's cartridge pleating on her dress skirt. 

Sheri sent me Taney.  Photos cannot convey how satisfying it is to hold this doll.  For one, she's stuffed with cedar sawdust (which turns out to be more like a super fine shred, not dust like on a woodshop floor) so she smells incredible.  But she's heavy in a way I didn't expect, with an antique-doll's lovely combination of floppiness and firmness of limbs.  She and her clothing are all stitched by hand--Sheri doesn't use patterns, so every doll is truly one of a kind, with clothes that fit...well, as if they were made for her.

If you were to research antique rag dolls, you'd see just how wonderful a reproduction Sheri has in this little doll.  If I were to have a collection of antique dolls, you can bet there would be a gorgeous "granny made" example or two in the mix, because they speak to me of that American Folkart tradition, of making do, but making art, too.  Taney is my constant reminder that tradition, and I am so pleased to have her live with us. 

When the big box came, I was shocked to see it, because Taney's only 14" tall.  But Sheri'd also sent a couple of little straw brooms (tomorrow you can see who was overjoyed with THAT little gift) and this tiny log cabin made of beeswax.  The wax is to treat hand-sewing thread, keeping out tangles--I have already used it and it works really well, but it's hard to make thread cuts on that cute little house.  Last, but definitely not least, Sheri sent two big bags of cedar stuffing!  My house smells incredible.

Just about the last thing I need right now is incentive to start a new doll, but just as soon as the August doll show comes and goes, you just hide and watch me.  I'll make a cedar-stuffed cloth doll (or dog? or bear?) to keep Taney company.

I hope your weekend was lovely and the coming week brings you pleasant surprises.

Goodbyes and helloes.

Goodbye to a couple of wee friends...Diego and Lexi are on their way to Florida.

Diego

Lexi

I set up my doll show display in the floor of the family room yesterday.  This always amuses my husband, because I make a HUGE mess with stuff strewn everywhere, but it helps me visualize the set-up, and correct things before it's actually time to set up.  Plus it helps me see what all I need to finish.  This time it also helped me see how well my new back drops and display props will work.  (Pictures after the doll show, of course.)

Hello to Pumpkin Jack and Friend, who are newly listed on Etsy, and to several others as I get A Round To-It.  (yeah, that joke is old, but I like it.)

Pumpkin Jack and Friend

He's like our foster cat...always waiting for food.

 Also: I just bought 128 pairs of eyes this morning.  How many people can say that?  I love my job.

Goals: finish what I've started!

Two doll shows coming up...one at the end of August and one in October.  I have lots of dolls finished, but lots in the works still raising their wee brows when I begin yet ANOTHER project instead of finishing them. 

So the To Do list over the next month:

Dress the Izzies awaiting dresses.
Finish at least three of the boudoir dolls (might be pushing myself there...)
Draw up the instructions for at least two of the pattern designs.
Stop starting new projects until I finish these things!!!

I have at least gotten the Izzies in unders, and finished the clothing for a couple of the Izzy-tpe dolls.  I set up the "photo shoot" this morning, and got lots of new listing photos, but there still remains lots of dolls I forgot to include.  Wondering if our insurance covers a psyche eval for this Start a New Project Every Day syndrome.  Hmph.

Sculpted Clown-on-a-box, and wee elephant toy pattern.

She's got a dress finally,

and a pale gray linen cape.

These girls have unders, but no dresses or bonnets yet.

This one has unders and a bonnet but no dress.  She's the loudest of the lot, reminds me of Charlie Brown's Lucy.

One of the "Velveteen Rabbit" rabbits from a pattern I'm working up.

A long legged frog pattern...

A pink nursery version of the elephant toy...this one has a gusset unlike the primitive one...

Pumpkin Jack and Friend.  He's a gourd art doll...looks a lot like my Papa.

A pattern for a duck pin-keep sewing pocket thingy. 

Renee (my daughter) has already claimed this rabbit...she doesn't sew.  :~)

More of the pin-keep ducks.  Can you tell I went a little gonzo designing patterns?  I have a lot more to sew up and get pictures of, and then to write up instructions for.  But there will be lots of patterns on my shop in the future!

Now I've got to tend to the house work I've put off.  

First step is to put away all the photo props, backdrops, tripod, etc. etc. etc.!  

And then, well, maybe a cup of tea to recharge.  

Have a lovely week everyone.

Little buddies.

Living out way out here, Phil and I get to enjoy lots of wild critters, and have admired many "helpers" who live in and around the house and gardens.  There's a little grass snake living under the house who's been here since we put in the flower beds near the back deck...he's not so little any more, so he must be doing his share of varmint control.

Checkered Garter Snake, living under broken planter trays I put out for "wildlife hidey spots"

There are always little anoles in the jasmine and on the turk's cap bushes.  They crack me up when they hold still, thinking I don't see them.  There are banana spiders who eat grasshoppers, wasps who eat lots of things, mantises and birds and frogs everywhere. Not sure if Waylon (Schultz's foster cat) counts as wild-life, but he's not exactly tame.

Banana Spider...she's about 3 inches from front toes to back.

Waylon and The Schultz, kung-foo fighting.

This morning we smelled skunk, so we had to go with the dog and escort him back in after his business.  He doesn't know any better than to go say "howdy" and in the dark it's hard to tell if that skunk is in or out of the fence.  Gotta take the good with the bad when it comes to wild life, I guess. 

This little lizard is a regular at our house.  Every morning, (we get up around 4:30 or 5:00) this little fellow (fella?) hangs out on our kitchen window screen.  There's a motion sensing security light over this window, and the swaying Japanese Yaupon sets it off often enough to attract night bugs.  It's like an IHOP for lizards.  I like his little transparent belly...sometimes you can see his teeny heart beating.

Our breakfast buddy on the kitchen window screen.

Well, that's all I have for today.  And now back to your regularly scheduled Wednesday.

Studio Clean-up!

I am currently working on several life-changing issues at the same time...not always the best approach, but I'm either brave or stupid and decided to tackle it all.

First change: giving up daily coffee in favor of tea.  I am a truck driver's daughter with java for blood, so this is much more difficult than you might imagine.  The husband has considered running away from home.

Second change: stepping aside to let the husband manage his leather shop.  This is hard--both because of my control-freak tendencies, and because he works a full-time job so I feel I should do it, but it's his store.  He's taken more of an interest in it since he learned how to post a listing--recently working on new checkbook covers to list.  I still do the daily checking in stuff, (we won't tell him that I edit once in a while) but it's been good to share this part of the load.

Third change: I have been in training...learning how to put things up when I'm through using them.  Now, I'm almost 50 yrs old, and this is not a tough thing--in the rest of the house.  I've managed to run a household (I didn't say tidy household) for a number of years.

But my studio seems to be a different story.  Maybe I get caught up in the creative frenzy or something.  Many's the time the hub has found me working on a tray in my lap because the available workspace is taken up with this creative frenzy...bottles of paint, bits of clay, brushes, wire, tools, doweling, cloth, etc. etc. etc.  So my mission began after this last cleanup.  (Pictures of before and after below).

I've done pretty well so far, and the room is still essentially in good order.  But between the lack of coffee, the control issues w/ Phil's shop, and this effort to be a grownup in my playroom...it ain't been easy.  Whew! 
One day at a time has taken on a whole new meaning for me.

BEFORE: 

AFTER:

I realize as much stuff as I still have out it looks messy, but a lot of that is work-in-progress and has to be out.  The following pictures show some ways I've stored things I need to use/work with...this is an 11 x 12 room, and the huge white cabinets at the back are 20" x 47" x 6 ft and hold tons of fabric.  I make good use of plastic drawer sets found at the thrift shop. Labels help too, keeping shoe-boxes of antique lace and ribbon under control.  It'll never make the cover of "Where Women Create", but it works for me, and I'm enjoying the ability to walk in, sit down, and start working on something without wondering where I'll put my paint tray.

I'll always be messy during the creative process...but I am learning to pick up at the end of the day so I can get more done.

Pumpkin Girl

Back when I designed a couple of bodies for my "big girls"--the ones inspired by the Greiner dolls and milliner's model type paper maches, I had made three doll bodies.  Two of them became Isabella and Anne, but the third just sort of sat around...having not turned out sculpt-wise the way I'd wanted her to at the time.  But I went back and revisited her a bit.

She ended up with pumpkin and crackle, with harvest colors and polkadotted stockings and Queen Ann-ish eyes.  I like her and have enjoyed her wide-eyed presence.  Now I guess I'll list her on Ebay or Etsy and see if someone is as hungry for cool autumn weather as I am.

I know, it's too soon, and I should be happy with whatever season is upon me.  But a girl can dream, right?

Send In The Clowns...

Serious earworm lately, ever since I thought of that line.  Isn't it rich?

But I've had Vintage Circus on the brain lately, in many forms.  And I discovered a small cache of antique jump-rope handles.  What's a girl to do but make dolls, right?  They're all different but similar...since there are only six of them--I don't plan to scour the world for antique jump-rope handles to make MORE--I guess you could call this a very limited edition.  The last two dolls I made from tiny blocks, but they're still clowny.
Click on the first photo to start a slide show.

Now, maybe that I've finished these dolls and posted their pictures, I will no longer hear that song in my head.  I'm not holding out much hope, however, because I also plan a (short) line of little stuffed clowns inspired by the plastic faced, cloth body dolls of the 40's.  I had so much fun finding polka dotted fabric!

Oh well.  Send in the clowns...there ought to be...clowns.