05.30.08
Fraulein Finished Foto
I just sent this pic in for the Expo Flyer.
Updated Jamie
Unfortunately, I didn't have time to set up in the photo studio last night, but I did manage to snap a quick workbench shot of Jamie with his new brooch, belt buckle, shoes, and wood base. Hope to set him up tomorrow and get some proper "pro" shots on the black velvet backdrop for the website before I ship him out. He'll also have to see the hair stylist before he sets sail-those red locks have gotten a little wild from shuffling back and forth from the last show. Not a problem, he'll be perfectly spiffy for his trip to the UK.
I'm going to miss him!
05.29.08
Bye, Jamie
I just sold Jamie Fraser to a Scots collector in Northumberland, UK! When I asked her how she found me, she mentioned CDHM and PDMAG. That's a couple of memberships that were well worth the price! I need to take some updated shots of him before he goes–I've since fixed his shoes and replaced his brooch and belt buckle, and he's been set up with a nice manzanita base like Ian.
05.27.08
A man and his car–it’s a beautiful thing
At least Jim didn't spend the entire weekend mowing or chain-sawing trees.
His dad passed away last week. Viewing is tonight, funeral tomorrow. He's been going crazy doing farm chores, I'm sure because they need doing, but I would imagine to take his mind off it. Brings back all the stuff I went through a year ago when Dad died. My dad went quick, without warning. His dad lingered in the hospital for a month after a slow, year-long decline. Neither way is good. Death sucks, no matter how it happens.
From what he's told me, he got his love of fast cars and motorcycles from his dad. I hope he saw a reflection of his dad smiling back at him in that shiny hood.
Fraulein Finished
Well, after a long weekend of running around doing chores and errands, I finally snuck down to the trailer for a few hours and finished the Fraulein. Nice way to end a long weekend, even if I didn't get the dishes done or the catboxes cleaned.
These are just crappy workbench shots–angle is too high and makes her legs look short. I need to set her up in the photo box and shoot some real ones for the main website. That will be AFTER I clean all the orange cat hair off my black velvet backdrop–Rusty has decided the photo box is his personal nap pod.
She now has new hands that fit her, Swarovski crystal earrings, hair ornament, and shoe accents, gold bangles and a nice black lacquer base with gold trim. That, and I had to spray her hair to keep the fuzz down and the Marcel waves in place. Ready for EXPO!
05.25.08
Sunday night blues
Memorial day weekend–been running around doing anything but dishes and catboxes, the two things that need doing most. Here it is Sunday night already. Even though I don't have to go to work tomorrow, I've still got the Sunday night blues.
Haven't gotten half the stuff done I'd planned, as usual. Slept in til 9am, didn't get my ass in gear till 11am, then just started puttering. I did get some stuff done. Finished planting the flower boxes, transplanted the roses, got salt for the water conditioner, pulled the zillion tomato plants that came up in the flower bed from last year and transplanted the biggest ones to market packs. And yesterday, I did manage to finish some manzanita wood bases and a few of the cheap wood rounds too. Not to mention grocery shopping, car wash, and hardware store trips.
So I guess I shouldn't beat myself up too bad, I haven't been a total slacker after all. Screw the dishes and catboxes. Tomorrow, I will do them first thing in the morning, then let myself have the rest of the day in my studio. I still need to finish Fraulein Kost's base and replace her hands. then I can photo her for the website.
Hard to believe it's been 9 years to the day since I met Jim at Bob's place.
05.20.08
Wish my bank account would add up as fast as those damn points
Back on the WW wagon this week. I totally blew it yesterday, but forced myself to enter everything I hogged on just for a reality check. 67 points. A point here, a point there, just a couple more, next thing you know the weekly extras are gone and then some. IN ONE DAY. And I've been doing that EVERY DAY. No wonder I'm where I am.
Even if I could afford it, I don't think I'd go for the surgery. I know enough people who have done it, and they end up still having to diet a year later, or worse–they gain it all back. I might as well just skip the surgery and go with the diet.
A big motivator was going through the photos of my theater stuff. Every show, I got a little bigger. I figure I've put on about 10 pounds a year for 10 years. Yeah, do the math.
248.4. OINK.
05.19.08
IGMA–I MADE IT!!!!
Just got the news from the IGMA committee:
Dear Deb,
On Friday and Saturday, May 16 & 17, 2008, the Artisan Selection Committee met to evaluate the submissions of members applying for Artisan Membership in the Guild. The Committee’s recommendations were reviewed and approved by the Guild’s Board of Trustees on May 18, 2008.
I am delighted to inform you that your submission met the Committee’s criteria, and you have been elevated to Artisan Membership in the category of Figures. Congratulations!
I will return your submission to you very soon. I will also send you a letter with the Committee’s evaluation comments, as well as your Artisan Certificate. Please be aware that we had quite a large number of submissions, so it may take a little longer than usual to handle all the shipments and correspondence.
Sincerely,
Misty Barth
Artisan Selection Chairperson
I.G.M.A.
05.15.08
Surfin’ with Murphy
Murphy's law states that no matter how hard you have been working on any given day, the minute you take a little break to look up something on the net, the boss will magically appear in your cubicle.
This particular law also states that you will have a real gem on your screen at the time, such as "Nazi Uniforms of WWII" complete with animated Swastika logo at the top. Attempts to explain that it's part of costume research for your German sailor doll who will accompany your German Hooker doll (Fraulein Kost) will most definitely NOT remedy the situation.
Wringing of hands, gnashing of teeth
Well, this is it. The five dolls I sent out for my IGMA Artisan status application will be evaluated this weekend. They are:
Brian Boru & Aoibheal of the Grey Rock
And I laid awake last night visualizing every little flaw, every little glue blob I might have missed. Did Brian's cape wire collapse and reveal the blob of epoxy I had to use to make his sword stay put? Did Aoibheal's harp come loose again? Will Road King and Vespa sit on their bikes without falling off? Will CanCan Dancer's wig get messed up in transit? That, and I just read on one of the forums that they're particular about ears being detailed. I SUCK at sculpting ears. That's why I usually hide them under HAIR! Damn.
Then one of the people on the CDHM forum said she loved my work and that she was just sure I'd be getting a phone call on Sunday night telling me I made it. They CALL with results? I figured they'd just send word in the mail. Now it feels like the old days after a theater audition–if you don't get a call Sunday night, you can pretty much assume you didn't get the part. And on Wednesday you get a card in the mail with a list of the cast members and a note inviting you to join the lowly chorus. Sunday will be a long day.
I have to stop this paranoia–I need to just put it aside and not think about it. I'll just feel like a total fool if I don't make the cut!
05.14.08
Seed bead trivia
Now I know why the little suckers cost so much. It's not just because they're antique. Thanks to Jen Y. for digging up this interesting little factoid:
Beaded Lady
I did find myself with a little time to kill yesterday, so I strung some of those pesky seed beads onto some thin brass wire. This morning I tried them on the doll. Works for me! Now all I need to do is fix her hands, and finish her base. She could use some earrings too. That and there's a couple of glue spots here and there that need to be cleaned off.
05.13.08
Blinded by seed beads
My antique seed beads came in. Holy crap, they are even tinier than I expected! Got them from Barking Rock Farm. The black ones are 18/0 (40 to the inch), and the pearl finish are *gasp* 24/0 (50/inch). They look like microbeads with holes. I had to get out the super magnifiers to see that they actually HAD holes. Not cheap, the tiny 2gm bag of pearl finish beads ran me $15, and the black ones $8. They're a real pain in the arse to get on a wire too, but the size is PERFECT for miniature dolls. No more "Wilma Flintstone" beads for my ladies.
Apparently, round seed beads smaller than 15/0 have not been manufactured since before WWI. According to the folks at Barking Rock, these were made sometime in the 1800s. Cool.
I tried making a new pair of hands for the Fraulein this morning using Mark D's suggestion, but made a fine mess of it, and had to pack it up to tread off to the hated day job. I can see that it will work, it's just an unfamiliar technique I need to mess with a bit more till I get the hang of it. I did bring my new beads and some wire with me to work in case I find myself with nothing to do this afternoon.
05.12.08
Murphy and the Bus
Murphy's Law states that when it is pouring rain, the dim bint boarding the bus in front of you will not start mining her oversized pocketbook for the one-hundred and fifteen pennies with which she intends to pay her fare till she steps on the bus, even if she's been standing there waiting for it for half an hour.
Trailer Trash
I tell you, after working in Mark Dennis' beautiful studio space, I'm now lusting after a new one of my own. I do consider myself fortunate to have the old nasty trailer-thing, I know many fellow sculptors are still working on their kitchen tables. Still, I can't help trying to figure a way to wrangle replacing it this summer instead of next…
Landscaping helps a little…but it's still a beat-up old trailer.
Inside–such a mess! And I can't even blame it on Rusty (studio cat-that's his tail in the bottom of the pic).
I've already spent a small fortune on the table fees for the upcoming shows, so I really should just wait. Besides, the trailer will be replaced next year whether I sell dolls or not, because we need it to live in while we demolish and rebuild the house. Patience is a virtue…
Plastectomy
Woo HOOOOO! I just hacked up my Bank of America Visa. See ya, suckers. I dearly hope your "target" customers will keep me in paychecks, but you won't be screwing me with 30% rates any more. Not when Chase is giving me 0% for a year. So there. Ptthhht.
Fraulein Kost Wigs Out with Mark Dennis
Spent the day Saturday at Mark Dennis' studio in Lancaster, PA. He graciously invited a bunch of us from PDMAG to come hang out at his studio and bring whatever projects we felt like working on for an informal day of sculpting, picking each other's brains, and general BS-ing. Several people said they were coming, but only myself and Bev Gelfand showed up. It was fun. Bev is a fellow miniature doll artist, in fact, hers are half the size of mine! All of us are planning to show at EXPO in August.
Mark's studio is unbelievable–a classic old barn restored and re-fitted to be a sculptor's sanctuary. Plastered walls join the hand-hewn beams, and every amenity is there, from the big windows and french doors letting in the natural light over the sculpting table, to the cozy sitting area around the wood stove. It's an artist's paradise. The place is also neat as a pin. Made me want to run right home and tear up the mess in the trailer!!!
I would love to take one of his workshops someday when I can scrape up the money. Watching him work was a rare privilege–he is truly a master. But he's more than willing to share his skills and help out us newbies. I worked on Fraulein Kost most of the day, getting her wigged and finishing the costume. I started work on a German sailor to go with her while waiting for the glue to dry on her headband. It was nice to find out that I'm not the only one who's created press-molds of my work to start from!! Bev does too, and is also working on some pieces to be cast in resin. "Why re-invent the wheel every time?" she says. Mark is even making his own "glass" eyes, from a tut he picked up on one of the forums. It's also nice to know that someone of his caliber is hanging out on the forums and picking up stuff from it like anyone else.
When we got done and started wrapping up later in the afternoon, he signed my copy of his book, and then took a closer look at the Fraulein. I told him I thought her arms were still too long, because something just didn't seem right about her. He nailed it–it's not her arms so much as her HANDS are too big. He then showed me a way of partially baking them before adding the fingers so that the size would stay correct and not increase as I worked them, which has been a problem of mine from the start. So, I think while I'm waiting for her seed beads to arrive, I'll re-make her hands.
Here's where she ended up at the end of the day:
05.09.08
Eyeballs
Made a fresh batch of eyeballs since I couldn't FIND the ones leftover from the last one. I think I have it down to a science now. I also made them in green and light brown.
In for IGMA, and a crazy year
Got accepted to the IGMA show for 2009! Damn, do I have a lot of work to do. The Escape Express is gathering steam…
Even this coming year is going to be nuts–In August, EXPO doll show in DC, then our week-long parkway trip, then the Arden Fair…then in October is FaerieCon. This is one summer I cannot afford to ignore my studio.
Tomorrow is a "sculpting party" at Mark Dennis' place in Lancaster. Not sure what I'm going to work on, or how long I'm going to stay, but it will be cool to see his studio and meet some of the fellow dollmakers from the PDMAG group.
Fraulein Kost revise
Haven't been able to work on her for a couple of days, but I did make some revisions.
I shortened her left arm by 1/4 inch, shortened her dress about 1/2 inch, and added the silk hankies around the skirt. What an unholy pain in the ASS those things are. Silk gauze gets all squishy and nasty when wet-draping with spray starch. I gave up after I ruined several of them, and then just dry-pressed them into shape with the mini-iron. The glitter paint around the edges melts just enough to hold the drapes in place. I also got rid of the heavy-looking fringe drop-sleeves. They'll be replaced with silk hankies like the ones on the skirt, which is what's on the original costume as well. I had to make some more, but haven't had a chance to drape them and put them on yet.
That, and I managed to find a photo of me in the dress. Unfortunately it's with Mr. Psycho. He did play a right nasty Nazi in that show, I'll give him that much. Wonder who he's making miserable these days… At least it's not me anymore, thank the GODS. I do miss doing theater sometimes, however.
For those who don't know the show "Cabaret," Fraulein Kost is a hooker with a taste for sailors, who ends up being a Nazi sympathizer. I'm thinking about making a German sailor doll to go with her.
