Recycling Doll Parts Continued

One of my followers told me, in response to my request for suggestions last time, that it would be helpful to have pictures of the pieces. I was unable to post them until I worked out why my camera and computer would not interface. Since I have been able to work out that last issue, I can now include some shots of what I have inherited. I am only including a couple of examples, since most of the pieces are similar. The exception is the head with the dark markings, which my sister had marked as needing to be fixed, presumably due to a problem with the firing.

This is only a small range of the sizes I have available to me, but they are representative of the types and range of finishes. I did find I have a couple of jars of non-fire glaze in flesh tones, but have no idea how to use them, as I've never worked with them before.

On another note, I was motivated to reorganize my wet studio as a result of doing an inventory of the doll parts, This is how it looks, now, and how I have organized my supplies.

Once again, I'd appreciate any suggestions for using the doll parts and/or methods/products to use on them.

Until next time, I wish you peace and all good things.

Recycling Doll Parts

After seeing a post about this artist: Tree Change Dolls, I got to thinking about all the doll parts I inherited from my sister, who worked in porcelain. I really like the idea of giving older dolls a new life, yet I had forgotten about the doll parts that never quite made it into whole dolls. While I have been working on prototypes that are all cloth, I have boxes and bins of heads, arms, legs, and other parts she made that can be used.

Since I do not work in fired clay and have no access to a kiln, I need to work out how to use the pieces. Some of them are fully fired. Some are only bisque fired, and some need repairs. It will probably take a while, but using them is a great way to re/upcycle the materials and pay tribute to my sister. It will also be a challenge, since they range in size from what she called "poppets," (about doll house size) to 20" or more.

I am considering different types of paints I might use, the addition of materials like cloth or Paperclay, or using some of them as molds. The possibilities seem exciting, and I am eager to dive into learning what is doable.

I would love to hear any suggestions you might have about how I can use them.

Peace,

Time Management

I have been busy working on a prototype for a doll or dolls.

At this point, I am not really satisfied with the parts or the direction. So, I may have to take a different tack with it. In looking for solutions, I stumbled across Agosia Arts. Not only is Carmen Alana Tibbets a wonderful artist, she is also quite generous in helping others who are interested in making dolls.

I have also been thinking about the other things that I need to start or complete to get the shop up and running. There are all kinds of details to work out in order to simply set up a shop, from designing a banner through writing out policies, taking pictures of products, even deciding on a name for the shop, which has to be different from anyone else's.

In addition, I discovered last week, after finally getting my blog post done early in the evening, that I have to monitor my stress levels more closely. One of the reasons for my desire to have my own business was the ability to take better care of myself by having control over my work time. As a result, I find that my ambition to post blog entries every week will have to be altered. In order to do my best on all fronts, including the blog, I will have to reduce my entries to once every two weeks. I may post my thoughts on smaller topics more frequently on my Facebook page.

Until next time, I wish you peace & all good things.

Living with Joy

Years ago I maintained a very large garden, growing vegetables, fruit, flowers, and herbs. It was during a time in my life when I was a SAHM and had begun building the business, making, at the time, primarily useful items and some dolls. In the intervening years, I went back to get my degrees and ended up working full time until I retired. Also, during those years, my allergies got so bad that I could no longer work the garden. There are some leftovers of my gardening years, however, and yesterday evening I took the chance of an allergic reaction and went out to take pictures.

 

 

apple blossoms

 

lilac bushes

 

hosta

 

 

rose bush

 

 

lilac close up

 

 

even closer

 

 

When I graduated with my MA, my brother and his wife gifted us with two beautiful bushes. One of them has done well, since it gets full sun. The other sits unhappily in the shade of the fruit trees (pictured below). I want to have it replanted elsewhere, but do not remember what it is or know when the best time is to uproot it. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

 

 

One of the reasons I decided to go out to take the photos is that I lost a cousin, suddenly, last month. She and I were born in the same year, and so far as anyone knew, she not only did not have any health issues, but was doing everything right to stay healthy. I had expected she would outlive me by many years. While my first reaction, after concern for her family, was to dwell on the probability of death, it finally hit me that what I really need to do is live with joy. None of us knows how much time we have, but we need to make the most of whatever there is.

 

That spurred me to make some decisions about my creative work. I have several things in process, now, and hope to share them, soon. One is a new art doll prototype. I have also been designing some prayer flags. Perhaps of more significance are the decisions I have been making about priorities and incorporating more time for items I have started or have materials to make for family members. At any rate, it has had the result of kick-starting my creativity, again.

 

I hope that you will find ways to live with joy.

 

Until next time, I wish you peace.

 

Reorganized Studio

The last six weeks have been busy as, in addition to making the baby quilt I showed you in the last post, I have been working on reorganizing the studio. I resolved the question of fat quarter storage with paper covered boxes and Terry Atkinson's folding method shown on Sewing with Nancy. I'm quite pleased with the result. Thanks to all who offered suggestions.

Since that side of the room needed to be reorganized, a few changes also had to occur elsewhere. I cleared one of my worktables to use for working on dolls and other small projects . . .

 

 

I also added a rolling cart for doll-making supplies which meant I had to move the file cabinet and beading supplies next to the sewing table . . .

 



Obviously, there is still tweaking to be done, but the studio is much more work friendly. My supplies are all organized; I have a much better idea of what I have available; and I'm loving the expansion to the floor space, since it is a small room. I did end up keeping some bins, but they now hold WIPs (Works in Progress) and specialty fabrics (primarily recycled pieces).

One of the things that all this reorganization reminded me of was the post I wrote on Hopes vs. Goals last year. While there are still things I feel I haven't made enough progress on, I did complete or make progress on quite a few. That, in turn, made it clear that  making that kind of a list is a great help, not only in identifying what one wants to concentrate on in a given period, but also as a check in the future to identify how close one has come to one's hopes.

I find that I have also been inspired by the work of one of my friends. She has been working on building up a business over the last few years. She created the little box on the left of the bookcases.

You can find more of her work at Cross Stitch Treasures by CanvasFun. She has a wonderful eye for design and some interesting ideas. I hope you will check out her shop.

Until next time, I hope you will make progress on your hopes and that you enjoy peace and all good.

Focus

If you have been following my blog, you know that I have had some issues recently that are guaranteed to make a person think about their priorities and goals. None of us knows how long we will be able to do the things that might make a difference in our lives or in the world. For many years, I have been trying to discern what it is best for me to do.

Among other things, I have been trying to decide on a path for my artwork. After reading this book, I finally was able to narrow my art focus to two areas.

We Make Dolls 

 



My plan is to create dolls representing people from around the world and small wall hangings addressing environmental and social issues. It has been a number of years since I made dolls on a regular basis, but the example of artists like Mimi Kirchner reminds me of the joy I felt in creating them. In addition, the size of the priority quilt I made for AAQI or slightly larger feels much more "right" to me for my art.

It has been a long road to get to this point, and I know that it will take time to get production under way, but I feel I have finally made the breakthrough I needed. I am looking forward to sharing the results with you in future posts.

Until next time, I wish you peace & all good.

It's Natural

After storms that accompanied a system coming down from Canada, we have been experiencing cooler temperatures and beautiful skies.

Since I have decided to do more soft sculpture art dolls, I moved around some of the supplies in my studios this week to facilitate access. It seems reorganization is a constant these days, as is the fine tuning of ideas. However . . .

Nature continues to provide sources of beauty and inspiration . . . .

 

 

as well as the occasional, sometimes reluctant, live subject or two . . . .

  



It also provides food for thought.

 

One of my sons and his family are vacationing in California. When I spoke with him, yesterday, he told me the trees around Mt. Shasta are all brown and the waters of Lake Shasta are down 25 to 30 feet. It is a stark reminder of the severe drought most of the country has been in this year.

 

I came across this information yesterday, too: Sun Come Up - Trailer.  The movie depicts some of the world’s first “climate refugees,” inhabitants of the Carteret Islands just north of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. I was unaware that the seas were already rising, so it was enlightening.

The website describes some of the ways that people can address the problem of climate change through the "Take Action" tab at the top of the page. In addition, there are links for more information about the situation and the effects on people throughout the world. I hope that you will take advantage of them to see for yourself what the situation is for our planet.

For my part, I am more committed than ever to attempt to use materials which have the lowest possible impact on the environment to create my pieces. We already do what we can to reduce, reuse, and recycle at home, though I am always looking for new ways to do so. Any suggestions would be heartily welcomed.

Until next time, I wish you peace and all good.

To the Studio

Once again, I am sitting at the library, as our computer is down. Since the problem has yet to be diagnosed, I do not know how long I will be unable to use it. That, of course, affects my ability to post to the blog. However, I intend to make good use of the time by spending it in the studio instead.

Someone recently asked me to tell them about my art. The best way I can describe it is that I create mixed-media pieces, art dolls and practical items, using recycled/repurposed materials where possible, and expressing the concepts of global equity and sustainability.


Until I can return, I wish you peace and all good.

New Year - New Experiences

Happy New Year to everyone!

For me, today marks the beginning of the Sketchbook Challenge and an online Visual Journaling Workshop with Pam Carriker. Ideas are percolating and bubbling over! I expect it will be a fun learning experience and provide me with lots of new material for my artwork. I hope that your new year provides many happy new experiences and lots of joy!

I invite you to:

Treasure the Little Things!

Until next time, may you experience peace and all good.

Fine Art of Fiber

Thanks to my daughter, Jessica, an artist in her own right (http://www.flyngypsyarts.com/), I was made aware of the Fine Art of Fiber show at the Chicago Botanic Garden this weekend. We made a day of it, yesterday, and enjoyed the output of Weavers Guild of the North Shore, Illinois Quilters, Inc., and North Suburban Needle Arts Guild members, as well as the fall gardens. You can see more about the show at http://www.fineartoffiber.org/ and http://www.chicagobotanic.org/fiber/index.php.

Here are a few of my pictures from the show:

Debby Danford Wada gave a fascinating lecture on Japanese textiles.

Art dolls, jewelry, hand bound books, and felted items.

Jessica's favorite quilt in the show.

A selection of the diversity of styles and techniques shown.

Some of the wonderful woven items.

All in a beautiful setting.

All in all, it was a wonderful day and show. I am already looking forward to the next one. Lots of inspiration and beauty all around. I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into the experience.

Until next time, may you experience peace and all good.