Asterique needs a head!

I signed up for an online class with Angela Jarecki to make a doll named Asterique and I got started, but have not been able to keep up, so poor Asterique only has a torso and legs!

So Asterique needs a head and arms. The arms are done, but the head is still in pieces - oh, dear! I guess I'd better get back to work!!!

A doll for Alexis

My friend Leah asked me to make a doll for Alexis, who made her first communion last weekend.  Leah gave me two photos of Alexis in her communion dress and I made a doll to look like Alexis.  Take a look.

The photos of Alexis:

The doll:

More about dolls

I haven't posted much about dolls lately, so I want to send you to a new blog created by my friend Elsa Mora.  This is her third blog! (I can't even keep up with one.)  It is going to be all about dolls and the first post was published today, so go take a look at the fabulous doll Elsita made.
http://elsita.typepad.com/dolls-have-feelings-too/

Shoes

OK, I have to admit it, I love shoes.  My artist friends introduced me to John Fluevog shoes and they are wonderful, stylish,  and comfortable. So I have managed to acquire a few pairs and here are the latest.  When you wear these shoes someone invariably notices and makes a comment!

All Fluevogs have something written on the bottom of the shoe.

Check them out at www.fluevog.com

The Addams Family

On Thursday we went to New York to see The Addams Family on Broadway. Although we love Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, we were there to see my friend, Carolee Carmello.  I was the "boss" when Carolee was a Resident Assistant at SUNY Albany and have been so happy to watch her success.  We visited Carolee after the show and, as always, she was so gracious and happy to give us a backstage tour. This is quite a production with trap doors, puppetry, alligators under the bed - lots of stuff needed to be stored in the wings - a complex job for the stage manager to keep everything moving safely.

The show was thoroughly entertaining - lots of laughs and lots of fun.  I think it will play for a long time.  And of course Carolee was great - she undergoes a "personality change" at the end of the first act that is hilarious - ending up passed out on the dinner table!

So if you get a chance - go see the show!

It's been a while

So let me get you up to date on what I have been doing.  First - shoveling snow in February!

What a winter in Philadelphia!  I was used to this kind of snow when I lived in upstate NY, but not here.  We are lucky to have very good neighbors who helped clear the snow and to be able to work from home when we couldn't get out of the driveway. I must admit, it was beautiful.....

My niece came to paint our den.  It was great to have her here for a week and she did a great job.

And just recently I made two dolls for friends who are retiring.  Ooh ... I'm jealous - but only about a year and a half for me before I can make dolls and do blog posts full time.

This is Leah's doll.

And this is Aileen's doll.

Both dolls are made from patterns by Jill Maas, a great doll-maker from New Zealand. Check out her wonderful dolls: http://www.slightlyweatheredladies.com/

I am going to make a commitment to do a blog post once a week - see you next week!

Liberty Medal

Last Thursday (October 8) I attended the Liberty Medal presentation at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.  The Liberty Medal is given to recognize someone who has worked to secure liberty for people throughout the world.  This year's recipient was Steven Spielberg. It was a great night, held on the front lawn of the Constitution Center.  All the local dignitaries were there along with Whoopie Goldberg and Bill Clinton, the Center's chairman.  At the end of the event Richie Havens sang "Freedom" - really cool for all of us who are part of the Woodstock generation.

My trip tp NIADA in Tennessee

I don't usually put a lot of text in this blog, but I had such a wonderful trip to Tennessee a couple of weeks ago that I thought I would share some of my experience there.  I went to the NIADA (National Institute of Doll Artists) conference held at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg to spend a week taking classes and learning from an amazing group of artists.

I took two classes, one with Leslie Molen to make an Asian doll, Ling-Li Hua, and another with Diane Keeler to learn to sculpt a child's head in polymer clay. I learned so much!  From Leslie, how to insert eyes in a fabric sculpted face and how to color the face with chalks.  And Diane was a wonderful teacher who taught me how to sculpt a realistic face from clay - something I had never attempted before.  This is my Ling-Li.

And this is an in progress photo of my clay head.

The keynote speaker at the conference was Elsa Mora, a wonderful artist from California.  Her blogs are delightful - she makes friends and shares her extraordinary talent so beautifully through her words and pictures.  I was so happy to meet her in person and to experience her artful, entertaining, and moving presentation at the conference.  Please go take a look at her blog(s).  You will make a new friend.  Here is a photo of Elsita and me.

The NIADA conference will be in Chicago next summer and I hope I can return to reconnect with all the beautiful artists and friends!

Butterfly

This is a doll I made for an exhibit of dolls that hang on the wall, rather than stand or sit. That's a real butterfly in her hands, preserved with Paverpol. She's an original design.

Thelma's doll

Thelma will be 90 years old this week and this is her childhood doll - a German bisque doll. I cleaned her up and made new clothes.

Little Bo Peep

I started to make this doll for the Hoffman Challenge, but couldn't finish it on time to submit her to the contest. I like how she turned out.

Emily's doll

This an Annie I made from a pattern from De Powell for Emily.

More Bunnies

New doll

This is a doll that was inspired by a picture I saw on a blog. She ended up pretty cute and I think I will try some more based on this design. I don't have a name for her - what do you think?

Fuzz Bun

I signed up for an online class to make a polymer clay bunny. I had never tried to work with clay before, but this was pretty easy. Here is my first bunny.

John C Campbell class

I attended a weekend class in photography at the John C Campbell Folkschool in Brasstown North Carolina this weekend.

I learned a lot about how to take better photos of artwork. Here are some photos.

My dog

His name is JP and he's the best!

Snow!

We had a beautiful snowfall this week in Philadelphia - powdery, light, and really pretty. Would have been perfect on Christmas Eve. It was the best kind of snow - easy to drive in and by today all has melted!

Lots of Pixies

I made a lot of small pixies that I sold at Christmas time. Here are some photos.

Annies for Christmas

I made a lot of Annies for others to give as Christmas gifts. The blonde Annies went to twins Miya and Priya. The brown-haired Annies were gifts for three sisters.