Thursday, December 22, 2011

Embarking.

So....we arrive in St. Cloud to the turn-of-the century Amtrak trail station. We have so much luggage (don't know why and don't ask) and it is soooo cold out. After a wait in the station the train pulls up and we all lug out there. We wait. And wait. And wait.
One party gets led to their car only to have on of them schlep on the ice while we all gasp. I look at the elderly waiting with their walkers and tentative steps. Wonder who will be next.
The station guy starts spreading salt while we wait some more. I go back inside since I freeze in no time flat.
Now remember this is at 12:45 am. Not exactly the best time to be out in the cold.
The train pulls a little further up the track. A few more people embark. Raino motions me to come out. I run out and we wait, and wait and wait.
The train needs to pull up again. We are told to proceed along the icy trail again. The door opens and we are told to go to the left. Now we had reserved seats but no seat numbers assigned.
We need to get our heavy luggage up the steps and into cubbies that are already full. We peek inside the car and walk around in the dark amidst sleeping people to look for empty seats. We find two empty seats together and two more single ones.
So I have to wake up one lady who jumps up like I was some scary ghost. Ashley gets to climb over her while I go sit with another kind lady who moves over for me.
Okay, train has already started moving a long time ago and we have our assorted luggage stowed - now its time to sleep. Right.
A few stops down the track two more seats empty out. Ash and Hannah grab them and we are good to go again.
Now to find comfortable postions when they weren't to be found. I did see Little Falls, Staples, Detroit Lakes and Fargo and Grand Forks. So pretty at night. JK
More later.....

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Amtrak to Montana

Our suit cases are packed once again. This time another one of our little families gets the honor of our presence for a few days. We had mini Christmases with some of our families here. The food cooler is waiting, granola bars and power drinks tucked into place in their tote, the Nook and Ipod's ready to go, what are we waiting for?
12:40 am. Of all hours. Geesh. Waaaayy past our bedtime.
Off we will trudge into the dark night with our pillows and blankies, to make the hour drive to wait out in the cold for our Amtrak to Montana.
After finding some seats we will have to settle down to....sleep?? We'll see about that.
Should be a fun adventure! We don't quite know yet what to expect but will hope for the best!
WoooooHooooo!
Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Monday, December 5, 2011

"I will make sure their wings don't fall off".



I am babysitting Laura's little cherubs for a few days while she welcomes her new baby boy into this world.
Since her kids are early birds (like me...!) I got up extra early to get some angels made. Avery was the first one up - 6 am. So by now, 6:55 she is bored and waiting for the time to go see her baby brother.
She already read "Children Like Me" and studied the globe to figure out where they all live. She looked through my Nutcracker book (she always finds things for me to make in there). She examined the dolls in my studio and declared that they are so "beautiful"!
So now she wanted my Bosu ball from my bedroom closet. I told her she would have to get it by herself - thinking she will go back to her books. No - she said she will drag it.
So off she went and got as far as the bedroom door. She came and asked me very politely that if I would carry it to the living room for her she would watch my angels to make sure their wings didn't fall off.
Stay tuned..it will be an interesting three days!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

New Sleeping Babies



Here's a few new orders I finished! Whew! These take a while - lots of fussy stuff. But they are all covered with German glass glitter - love the stuff! These are variations of my star and moon babies. Oh, yes and a pea pod baby. Shhhhhh.....



Monday, November 21, 2011

Snow angel ornament


So now that I have been "teaching" myself to shoot photos of my little stuff I am totally frustrated. The more I do the more I realize how little I know. So I quit!
Back to work - i have only two days before I am off to the western Rockies and so much to do.
So sorry for all of the bad pictures I took (don't confuse me with my great professional photographer Rod Radtke please. I am sure he is horrified that I would post some of the ones I took).
This angel ornament was a gift for my dear friend who had a birthday! I won't tell you which friend or which birthday though.....

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Snow angel!


A perfect day for a snow angel!

Another short night..




Another short night....sigh. But there is still so much to do. I spent the last few days on these snow babies and of course I keep thinking of new designs.
When I work on the large dolls the new ideas swirl and never get completed. There is simply not enough time to do everything. So even though I know IDEX is just around the corner AGAIN, I have to get these out of my head.
I think I spend more time photographing them then actually making them. Today I am going to let my 13 year old daughter do some photographing. She thinks she can take better shots. I will try to post later.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Pink snow babies in progress.



I really like these pictures. I will have to try some tomorrow using only natural light. I will be listing these plus three more snow babies on Etsy tomorrow also. Or should I do them tonight? Hannah needs me to help her with her art project so I better do that next....
Had a fun day creating!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Snowbabies



Okay, so I did a very bad thing. I listed some of these snow babies on Etsy and then i DROPPED THE PRICE. I decided that I would try to just get a few sold. They only had a very few views each so I thought nobody would remember the first price!
I know it is hard to get seen on Etsy at first so I don't know how long I will stick it out. My daughter (Ablemabel) does very well. But she has been at it a few years and her darling stuff is very affordable and very practical. Sigh.
Every year at this time I get the itch to just do Christmas stuff. Trouble is - I can't get motivated the rest of the year. I need a good Christmas show to do.....
Well, I will make more of these and if they don't sell then I have gifts to give! How good is that?

Monday, November 14, 2011

Hi again!






Okay, it's time to get started with the blog again. I am sorry for the no-update thing. Now it is almost Thanksgiving and time to write!
It has been a sort of weird year for me. I work everyday in this studio but I don't know what I ever complete. Maybe it is a learning year for me.
Or maybe just lots of messes.
This Little Red Riding Hood was one of my favorites this year. I discovered I can sew that wonderful silk velvet. You should see more velvet on my dolls after this.

Anne of Green Gables is totally different from Little Red. I like her also. She is one of my more earthy dolls. Her costume was so fun to create.
Now Suzanne and Sugar are more contemporary and fun! Sugar is having his birthday party and of course Suzanne made him a birthday cake! Had loads of good times with this piece.
My next piece is "The Velveteen Rabbit"...wish I would get it done already. But life has it's ways of interfering and maybe tomorrow I will get going on it again!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day! I know I posted this picture earlier but here he is again....!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

A few more...

Here are the pinkie twins...

And Marcy...


And Stella...
Callie...

And Monica...

Just some more little ones...

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

More little ones

Okay well I tried to share the last post with Facebook but it tells me I can't. So I will keep posting in both places I guess.
Here are some more of the little ones I finished:

I named him Tucker...don't you think he looks like him?

This one is Jasmine - a common name for me...

And Vivian...so pretty in white...

This is rock-a-bye-baby....so precious...(I think!)

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

IDEX is less than two weeks away and...


So here is little Cupid....all tired out. And it isn't even Valentines Day yet. Guess what I made those arrows out of.....



This is Chloe...all tucked in with her dollie.

And who can resist a sleeping lady bug? I know I can't.

This one could be my own! This is the Velveteen Rabbit doll. I think his blankie looks like an old chenille blanket. But it is glass....glitter that is....

So these are four of the little things I am bringing to IDEX. A little different from my BIG dolls. But these are fun and I am hoping some of my collectors will want to have more than one!

They are sculpted with clay and then covered with German glass glitter. I guess you probably already know that from previous blogs.

I bought some glitter from www.rosemille.com. Love it! I also bought from www.germancornerstore.com. There's is fine but I think the quality of rose mille is better. The German store has more choices.

I will post more pictures another time. I have to get back to work.

Friday, January 7, 2011

I'm still here!

Okay...so maybe I will write a little.....
So much has happened since the last post.
And here I am still buried in my studio.
I had such a rich but short time with my so wonderful family over the holidays. I got to visit most of my kids....except one.....boo hoo.....well, maybe I will see her this spring!!!
Anyways....Christmas is done, Carrie's wedding is over...out of state kids have returned (and the out of country one..well, two).!
This has been a weird year in terms of my dolls. At the last IDEX show things were smoking! I had orders and was on a roll. Then spring came and it sort of started spiraling slowly down hill.
Something was wrong with the clay (Cernit). Something was wrong with my sculpting. My neck hurt, my eyes ran, my head spun.
Any decision I would make would instantly change to just the opposite.
So I took the summer off and traveled!
Well, do you know what happens when you don't sculpt for a while?? It gets even worse.
But as IDEX is still my major show I knew I had to have SOMETHING. But NOTHING was what I was getting.
But then...something happened with one of the dolls I was working on (and still not finished with)...
I started sculpting these little dolls for her (I HATE sculpting small). And dressing small things? Not for me.
Now it would'nt be fun if I told you the whole story all at once would it?