Month: September 2008

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I was pretty good

I corrected one of my kitten drawings, traced it, and transferred it onto Claybord. I have a newer kitten drawing I plan to paint on canvas, but I’ve been asked where this other kitten wandered off too. I thought I should circle back and finish what I started. I usually work in circles, mentally. I do a bunch of things at once, then go back to where I started. That’s just how my mind works.

Check out my previous post for more on transferring a drawing.

I feel very excited about working on several projects right now, but today is Wednesday, and I promised Max I’d help edit doll photos and make up ads. Oh, take a look at this blog post called “Elizabeth Ruffing Rocks“. Thanks, Shel! That’s so sweet. I totally love that anyone thinks I rock…but some credit is due Max because Max rocks too. People tend to think we are all one person over on Ruffing’s, but it’s actually a shared site, even though I am “the webmaster” 😉 Some dolls are mine, but many are Max’s, including the new dogs. I’m always happy to pass a compliment along though!

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Fleece and priming the well

I bought a few quarter yard cuts of poly fleece over the weekend, to use for embellishment on some sock toys, but I woke up and thought, “What else can I make with that?” That seems to be common with people who sew. You buy fabric for a particular project, get it home, and immediately start to think of other uses for it.

I made this slug, of course…so cuddly and cute. I will probably keep doing this, making more and more. I’m tempted to make a pile. I know…I did say I was planning to paint. A couple of people have nudged me on this and I will. I will! 🙂 I took out my drawings and my reference materials. They are sitting on my work table right now.

I can’t say I might not push them aside, on and off, to sew though. I was thinking that Julia Cameron calls this sort of thing “priming the well”. You do simple, repetitive-type tasks that are meditative to unblock your creativity. I’ve recently begun rereading her book The Artist’s Way. In my case, it’s also called procrastination. Hah! I think I will try doing something on my paintings. I have a drawing I want to change a little. I’ll stick a toe in the water. What I don’t want to do is end up sitting for hours staring at my drawing, doing nothing, when I could be sewing and being productive. I want to get ready for the holiday season too.

I feel like I am on some sort of mad dash lately. I have a goal in mind. I think I see how to reach it and what I need to do. I feel like I did in high school when I was determined to get into “the best” schools. I got in. I’m not sure they were the best schools for me, but I did achieve my goal. Okay, well…I was eleventh on the waiting list for Harvard, which I withdrew to go to Yale….but c’mon, they make you choose one or the other in advance 😉 Anyway, I feel like that now, impatient and determined. I can even remember writing, ” I awake every morning with a sense of impatience,” in my college application essays.

I think it is important right now to “show up” and work on something each day, whatever that may turn out to be.
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Babies Everywhere

The “Gumdrop Baby” brood is growing.

These are the newest four.

These are Bethany,

Monica,

Dominique,

and Hyacinth.

They are all original art toys, made to be hugged or displayed, made from my own designs and patterns. Each has a hand-painted face. They are all currently in my Etsy shop, where you will find more info about them.

I’d like to thank Heather for featuring my “Hug Me! Slug” on her Fabulous Fun Finds blog. The blog features her picks for online shopping.
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And extra small makes five

Lined up like this, my “Hug Me! Slugs” remind me of the commercials where everything looked like those cell phone reception bars. I don’t even have a cell phone…

but, I do have an new extra-small slug. He’s pretty cute.

I don’t know that I will make any more slugs in his size though. I was already near sewing over my fingers with my machine, while trying to steer him under the presser foot.

My basic, mechanical Viking is great for being tough. It’s very reliable and sews through just about anything. But I could really use another sewing machine for the smaller details. I’d like some decorative stitches too. Mine doesn’t have any. I like the idea of staying with the same brand so I can use all my accessories, but I’m concerned that, I’ve heard, the Vikings are no longer being made in Sweden, like mine was. I haven’t revisited the dealer yet to ask her about this. Does anyone have any experience with the new models? I’m afraid to get a used machine, in particular an electronic/computerized one. One dealer told me you can’t tell how used they are and if the computer in them dies, they are very expensive to replace. I’ve never sewn on a computerized machine before, and the prices are scary. I don’t want to invest in anything that will give me headaches. Advice anyone?

By the way, the weather here is finally perfect! At least for today, and hopefully for some time to come. Oh, I forgot…I Skyped yesterday for the first time! I ended up eating a bowl of soup and a plate of penne with cheese, via webcam, in front of someone who was dieting, but the thing “rang” and there I was in the kitchen. It was kind of fun, for me anyway. I don’t know about my friend who was skipping lunch!