Sarah Niemela

Birthday cake again.....

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:14:00 +0000

Okay, I am on my third try for the birthday cake. This one will probably be the keeper. I made it smaller and now it is all glittered up and maybe ready to go.
I ordered some little tea sets and will add them to the piece if they are the right size. (You really never know until you get them in place.)

Happy birthday doll.

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:58:00 +0000

Okay, seriously, I never update this thing. I must think my life is pretty boring. Nothing to talk about.
Well, today I am finishing up a doll and making a birthday cake for her. I don't do cakes very pretty so I may have to ask my daughter Jen to do it for me.
Except she has never used clay to make a cake. I haven't either I guess.
I also need a set of fancy dishes. Should I make them also? I hate to have to go shopping for little dishes that are just the perfect size....
I wish I had a little chair and table also.....
but maybe this little person will just have to sit on the floor with her cake in front of her.
Oh, yes, I have to make balloons and a birthday hat and a squeaker for her to hold.
Better get busy....!! And all that before the end of the month!
See why I never write??

NYC Fabric Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:51:00 +0000

As I was re-reading a blog post that I had read before heading to NYC I realized that I didn't hit enough fabric stores!!! Now I wish it was only a few hours away so I could go again!
Don't get me wrong - I spent too much already.....but I hate it when I miss something.
I am happy with what I bought even though I cringe at the price per yard of this stuff. Maybe I will take a picture and post it so you can see it too!
Here are the stores I bought from:
Mood - a large store with tons of fabrics - I bought mostly silk brocades from here.
B&J Fabrics - another large store with very expensive stuff. I bought lovely laces - can't wait to use them!
Rosen and Chadick - I bought more silk and lace.
Tinsel Trading Company - tons of ribbon and fun stuff. I wanted some old metallic lace fabric but it was $175 a yard so I passed on it. But maybe someday - I can see it on an angel.....
Trim Art - more ribbon
Hyman and Hendler - expensive but I loved the ribbons.

I was looking for some really nice flowers to embellish with but was mostly disappointed. I guess I need to go back and look some more!!

New York trip!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:57:00 +0000

What a fun trip we all had! Lots of shopping, gawking, eating, walking, walking, walking, walking. It was cold and wet but we survived it all!
I bought lots of really sweet fabrics - can't wait to use them! You will see them all at IDEX - laces, silks, trims, brocades, fun, fun, fun!!!
Can't wait to go again - next time it will be WARM!!!

Between trips

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:51:00 +0000

After getting back from the Dollery show I am off to NYC for a trip with some of my daughters! But as usual it will be yuck weather - - rain, rain, cold. Someday I will go there in the hot summer.
But in the meantime I find myself wasting time, wondering what to do next, sitting at this computer way too much....
I need another deadline....

My Sister

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:27:00 +0000

Here is my latest piece - I named it My Sister. I found a picture of my friend's on Facebook and was inspired by it! So fun!
They are all packed up waiting in my suitcase for the trip to Boston and the Dollery show. I head out early tomorrow morning. I will be traveling with Diane Keeler and meeting up with Stephanie Cauley.!!! Can't wait! It is always so fun to visit other artists and see what they have done. I always come home more determined to work harder and better!
Friday night will be an invitation-only event. What fun to watch the collectors stream in! It's like they are in a candy store!!!
Saturday will be a little more relaxed. Then Saturday night we have traditionally had a lobster feast!! Another great thing about this show!!! My once a year lobster!!!!!
I fly home on Sunday and get ready for my trip with my daughters to NYC the next Friday!!!
Talk later!

Looks like I need to update...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:38:00 +0000

this blog a little more often.
I sent off four boxes today. They are going to the Dollery Show in Boston next weekend. You can see the online show at: dollery.com.
I am trying to get two more dolls done.....only have one more week....my eyes are going buggy....my neck is sore....my back hurts......why do I do this?????
I will think about it tomorrow.
Good night.

Grrrrrrr!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:38:00 +0000

Well after spending one and a half days sculpting a face (thought I would put some teeth in) I gave up in disgust. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I peeled off all of the clay and started over.....(the eyes were baked in place so that part was easy)....
Today I will finish the second try and MAYBE she will be good enough to save.....
Teeth are rare in my dolls. Lots of them have teeth that you can't see!!!!!
IDEX is coming up in January - lots to do til then....

Newest Asian toddler

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:26:00 +0000

Here is my newest Asian toddler mostly done now. I used pink silk batiste for her dress. Love that stuff - it just floats!! I pleated the silk ribbon trim - so tedious....
The older girl in the background is shown in the Dollery Catalog. The toddler with her has been sold and so she gets a panda bear to hold instead.
This new toddler can also fit into her arms but for now she will be her own individual!! I don't know if she will end up going to the Dollery show or not....

Polymer clay bead making party!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:15:00 +0000

Here are the eight artsy ladies who came over for a polymer bead making party minus one who had to leave a little earlier! They all completed at least one piece of jewelry and it sure seemed like they had a good time! (The one in the middle is the birthday girl!!) It's too bad I don't have a close up of the beads, they were awesome! They were called stacker beads and I found them on http//www.ovenfriedbeads.com.

Asian toddler

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 12:23:00 +0000

Here is my poor bald little Asian toddler. I will get her hair on soon I hope. But today I am hosting around 8 artsy ladies and we are going to be making polymer clay beads for a couple of hours. It is part of a birthday party for one of them (can't tell you her age).
I will try to take pictures and post them later!

Tarah and Tina

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:58:00 +0000

Tarah and Tina were bought by Melanie Friend of The Friend Company! They will be available through her. Check out her website at: www.friendcompany.com. She has some of my other dolls also!
Now they are packed up and will be on their way today.
Back to the Asian baby.....

Tarah and Tina

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:20:00 +0000

My latest piece - Tarah and Tina is finally finished. Tarah stands about 20" tall and Tina is about 16". They behaved very well at the photography studio!
Now I am back to work on my Asian baby....starting to sculpt toes (my favorite)!

Just getting ready for pictures tomorrow...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:25:00 +0000

Tarah is just getting ready for her pictures tomorrow....
I was at the middle school last night watching the other mothers fussing with their child's hair as they were waiting in the picture taking line. I let Hannah worry about her own hair as I didn't want her to feel more awkward and self-conscious about herself.
But I don't have to worry about that with Tarah...!!! I just have to remember to check ahead of time for those pesky hairs that always show up on her face in the close-ups...

Tiara's are done!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:44:00 +0000

Both tiara's are done now for Tarah and Tina. They were made with Swarovski Crystals and little flowers. So much fun....I will have to make more as soon as my fingers will bend again.
I am already planning the next one done in whites......
But first I have to clean up the mess. I will post more pictures when I get the professional ones taken.

Grandkids are gone back home.

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:12:00 +0000

After a busy two weeks of having my sweet grandbabies around the house is quiet again. I will miss them. They are on their way back to Montana so I won't see them again for a while. Besides it's time to visit the Colorado grandbabies again....
Why do they have to be so far away?
So anyways my studio time has been in bits and pieces. I started an Asian baby and I have her head and fingers done....I know it sounds pretty weird.
But what is left of today will go into designing tiara's for the newest piece that you saw in the previous picture. Don't know yet what I will come up with....

New sculpt

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:48:00 +0000

This set is not quite finished. I have to add tiara's or maybe beaded headbands. I ordered the beads today so when they get here I can play!
Today I worked on an Asian baby face with teeth!!! If you knew how many teeth I have tried to make in the past.....usually I have to close the lips and nobody ever knows about them! I am getting a little braver with them so look for more teeth in the future!

Curlers!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:42:00 +0000

This is part of the double piece I am working on....her curlers are almost dry....her little sister's hair is also set...I have some hand stitching of trim to do on their dresses and then I may try to make some flowers for their hair....
I am starting my dolls for IDEX in January - it always comes up too fast....

Almost done

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:37:00 +0000

I am almost done with another double piece...I just set the little girl's hair with curlers. I think I put too much hair on her but hopefully I can thin it out tomorrow.
I will take some pictures whenever I can find my camera!! I know it is here underneath something.....
After a quiet week we have happy feet once again around here.!
Daughter Heather and family are visiting us from their new home in Montana.! Toys everywhere!! Her four-year-old wants me to draw her out tomorrow so I can measure her! I did it when she was three but she thinks she has grown a little!
Good night!

Promises, promises

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:40:00 +0000

I now have 11 heads sculpted waiting for bodies and limbs!! I promise I will start finishing them up tomorrow!

Back from vacation!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:03:00 +0000

Here is what I bought (along with only two pieces of silk) from Nancy's Sewing Basket in Seattle. I hope to use them all soon!!!
I am back now from vacation and I dusted off my work space! Does that mean I am back to work? Do you have to unpack first? My girls are in a cleaning mood and they are digging into the housework! So I am free to start the doll making engine again....where should I start?

My facebook page

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:56:00 +0000

I have been ignoring this blog since I put my facebook page up. The other reason is that I have been on vacation for the past few weeks....
I promise to write again as soon as I get back to work!

School is done for the summer!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:07:00 +0000

The girls are done with school! So of course they had to have their "School's done - let's party" party. So we had 12 girls last night for an overnighter. They all slept outside - well - don't really know if they slept.
In spite of that i still got a decent amount of work done today. I started out sculpting an Asian toddler because I had seen one that I had to do!! But without a photo I had to just memorize her face. I did but somehow the sculpt is much older than 18 months. So much for that. It is a good sculpt so I will finish her one of these days.
Tomorrow I hope to sculpt another head- this time it will just be a pretty brown-eyed girl. But who knows.....sometimes magic happens and sometimes it doesn't.!

Waiting

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:13:00 +0000

Gee, time goes so fast and I forget to write....
Just to let you know I am still busy working away but I haven't finished anything since the last piece!!!
I have a bunch of heads again that are waiting to get some arms and legs....grrrrrr....I always think I will just work on one piece at a time....
I have to go now....the beautiful weather is calling me. I am going for a walk in the wind. At least the sun is shining!!!
Do you wonder why I can't get more done?

Visit by my nephew

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Niemela) — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:49:00 +0000

I got a nice surprise visit by my very talented nephew, Jason Grangroth! He is a wildlife artist living in Colorado. He has been getting his paintings into galleries and expanding his collector base. You can see his work at: www.jasongrangrothstudios.com.