Chop wood. Carry water.

I have a creative muse, like lots of writers and artists.  Doesn't matter that we all invent these entities in our artist-brains...it's the voice that only we can hear.  When I was writing, and involved with writers a lot online, we used to joke about our muses, whine about their absence when we needed pages of manuscript, and blame them for distracting us with creative tangents.

Many of these writers described their muses as a She...maybe following the Greek mythos, where a Muse is supposed to come from.  Hmph.  My muse never got that memo.  You know the wizened old Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid?  Meet my muse.  And does he help me find creative ideas?  No!  He sasses me when I whine, pushes me when I don't want to sew another damned petticoat, and nags me when I can't find that trim, because I trashed my workspace.

One week before this doll show, you can bet your sweet bippy he's nagging about that workspace.  What I wouldn't give for a sweet muse...a lovely Grecian Goddess in flowing robes, singing melodic encouragement about how my dolls are the answer to all the world's problems.

Not so much.

Mr. Mig is telling me to stop fooling myself.  Stop trying to finish just! one! more! doll! before this show.  To get my silly self organized.  It's time to do the work part of my fun day job.  Drag out the boxes, sort through the show-cabinet, remember to get change, make sure everything has tags.  Even said I had to do the laundry and dishes before running through a practice setup in my living room floor (which is weirdly fun).

Hey!...I have a new set up!  New backdrop, new table drapes, new risers, etc. and I need to try it all out!  NOooooo.  Made me paint the danged backdrop yesterday.  Boring beige, too.  My muse is no Mr. Nice Guy.

But (I know how nuts this sounds.  Don't care.) he helps me keep my act together, and every doll show has been better than the last--in one aspect or another.  So.  I'll get to work, drag out those boxes, tags, stands.  And then go do the laundry.

21" Izannah Walker repro...Available.

Hello!  There's a new Jan-made doll up for adoption.

(Please note: new dolls available to mailing list members for one week before others can purchase.  If you're interested in joining the mailing list, see the upper left sidebar for the link.  Thanks!) 

Please meet: Elizabeth Ingles Walker

She's an older child version of my Izannah type dolls.  She stands 21" tall.  Brown hair and brown eyes... Elizabeth's hair is painted with the double set of curls in front of her ears, and a row of small curls at her nape.  There's a fine crazing texture of aging in her finish, not readily noticeable, but one that gives her a gently worn look.

With her bonnet and basket, Elizabeth is ready for market day!  Her bonnet blooms with bits of lace, ribbon and buttons.   Vintage cotton unders have antique cotton lace trimming.  Her dress is of a well-bodied cotton gauze in deep pine and linen grey plaid.  Natural linen with hand embroidery trims the neckline and sleeves, and mother of pearl buttons close the back.  Lots of hand sewing here!  This dress is one that feels good in the hands.  Her apron is a reproduction print cotton with embroidered twill and a wee bit of antique lace.

In her market basket, Elizabeth carries home her purchases; linen toweling and kitchen twine, a small bag of sewing notions, and a bag of Granny's favorite candied ginger as a surprise.

Burlap and Lace

Sounds like the name of a decorating blog.  But it's only the new valances I made this weekend for our front room windows.  They are set in under a ??? I don't know what this architectural detail is called, but you can see it in the first photo.  I liked the combination of the rough burlap and the fine lace, and I wanted something sort of neutral, so here they are.  I was covered in shed burlap fibers, and my sewing machine is not talking to me til I vacuum her out, but they're just what the doctor ordered.

I didn't want a heavy band of dark across the windows--one of the best things about this room is its natural light.  These are perfect for this.  With afternoon sun, you can't even see the lace, and the burlap is such an open weave it becomes translucent.  Third photo is of morning sun, still with lots of light.  Never would have thought of burlap as a translucent material, but it works.

Also, there's a photo of Schultz in his favorite spot...Phil's lap in family room.  He can see out the patio door and keep tabs on the neighbors from there, and he gets to hang with Dad.  What's not to love?

Hope your week is fabulous, dahlink.

Ch-ch-ch-changes...

So we're ten days into the new year.  Maybe a little late to go on about New Year's resolutions, but there's a rumor the topic won't expire til the end of the month.

Over the years I've seen what cycles swing around at this time of year. The gym gets suddenly and annoyingly crowded for a couple of months.  Magazines shout the diet that will slim you, books promise sure-fire ways to organize your life (for real this time) and Pinterest is rife with amazing photos of that gorgeous new decor that will make our skinnier, de-cluttered, virtuous lives complete.

Do I sound cynical?  I turned 50 in 2013, and I've failed at enough New Year's resolutions that my Cynic's license is duly earned.  That is not to say, however, that I have failed at making good changes in my life.  It's just that changes don't happen at the turn of the calendar page--that's a hard fact for an instant gratification society to accept.  Mea culpa--I've bought my share of diet books and let exercise equipment grow dusty.

A New Year's resolution is a tool that can work, in the right hands.  It doesn't for me, because of that inherent trap of "all or nothing" thinking.  Well, I ate that candy, I might as well blow it til tomorrow, or Monday.  Or 2015.

But constant evaluation--that's a tool I can use.  What areas of my life work well right now?  Why?  What extra mental (or physical) junk am I carrying around?  What small concrete steps can I take to make gradual changes that don't stress me out?  These days I'm more apt to make a big life change as a result of a medical scare (thank God it's benign) or a realization that my stress is self-induced, or a shock at discovering just how unbalanced an area of my life has become.  But I'd prefer to keep tabs on things as I go along.

The hubs and I have been married long enough to know when mutual (but gentle) reality checks are in order.  I am a grown-up...I know when I'm spending too much money on crap I don't need.  I know my house would stay clean if I'd put stuff away.  And I know I'll get stiff and old faster if I don't get off my ass and move.  I don't need a magazine to cozen me into believing it's not my fault or promise the magic pill to fix it all for three easy payments of 39.99 plus shipping and handling.

There is no magic pill.  That was as hard a lesson for me as it is for anybody.

But now that I've gotten used to it, I like it better this way.  Because at the end of this year, or next month, or six weeks from now, if I've made a change, I know it's because of my own strength, determination, and intelligence.  With each challenge mastered--no matter how unspectacular the process appears from the outside--I learn to trust myself. 

Here's to small, consistent efforts to help ourselves grow wiser in the 2014, and all the years to come.

It's official!

Last year in February (that long ago?  yes!) our Region III UFDC director approached me at a doll show and asked if I'd consider doing a workshop or seminar on Cloth and Clay dolls.  At the time, I had just really gotten the sculpting for the Izannahs where I wanted them, and had one at the show she liked a lot. 

Fast forward through a move into town, a new landscape, the completion of some dolls & ignoring of many...I finally presented my proposal and sent my seminar application.  I'd tried to figure out a way to do a workshop, but to be honest, the logistics of wet paperclay for convention attendees made a workshop unfeasible.  So a three hour seminar introducing the methods and materials was the way to go. 

Yesterday I got word that my application/proposal was accepted, and I get to teach the seminar at this year's UFDC Convention.  WHICH will be held right here in San Antonio, TX.  I've never attended a convention--there are only so many things one can spend disposable income on.  But as the hubs pointed out last night, this event is here, not in DC or NY or LA.  No air fare, no hotel.  So he talked me into it.  (You just imagine how hard that was.)

I have lots of work to put this seminar together, but I'm excited to dust off my Instructor/Course Writer hat and get busy.  It's been a long time!  If you're attending the 2014 UFDC Convention, look me up and say hi, pretty please?  New/old friends and a world of dolls...I can't imagine a better way to spend a week.

A mailing list is born...

A very nice lady wrote to me the other day and asked to be informed about dolls available, and we discussed a mailing list.

Up til now, I never really thought about it, since I'm always making dolls!  With two and sometimes three shows a year, plus an Etsy shop, it would seem I'd never have a doll that hasn't already introduced him or herself.

BUT since I tend to work in batches, that's not really the case.  I have quite a few in the "dressing room" right now---unders are all trimmed with antique lace and now we're working on dresses--that haven't really gotten their proper introduction.



To that end, I have enlisted the help of yet another primate (still having a ball with PicMonkey), this time it's MailChimp.  I wanted something to help me organize and create a secure mailing list.  It allows one to sort which type of doll they'd like updates on, to unsubscribe if they prefer, and to return anytime they want.  I've put this handy link up there on the left sidebar.

Not sure if I'll ever get around to a newsletter...I'm just too busy making dolls, gardening, and taking care of my two and four legged family.  For now, there are Jan-made Doll updates.  That is all.

Happy New Year!