Icon Doll - In Progress

Thanks to some discussion and a challenge on the Wildart Dolls list, I signed up for an online mini class with Chaska (Mai Liis) Peacock entitled Icon Dolls. This is Chaska's interpretation of an icon, filled with tips and techniques, using a simple cone shape.

Following are a few photos of what I've done so far, though there's still a bit of work ahead of me.

Full front view of DIP

Face assemblage, in progress

Full back view, in progress

Some of the materials yet to be added

Chaska encourages us to work intuitively, quickly, don't over-think the process. Though I laid out the base materials that I needed a week before the class started, all the colors, charms, and add-ons that give the personality or theme of the icon came after I started the prep work. Once I did the basic prep, and began sifting through my fabrics and papers, the icon let me know what she wanted to be.

Yes...my light cube is still in storage. I can't figure out where I put part of it. Better photos soon, I promise.

(Polymer face cab by Linsart)

Finishing Dolls

One of things I do well is postpone finishing my dolls. I get them to an almost-done point, and then move on to the next thing. Sometimes I'm bound up with the finishing touch, other times I just feel I've worked on it long enough and have to step away.

It didn't take me too long to get back to finish my Rags to Riches Diva. Since I last posted her photo, the finishing touches are the sparkly headband, the flowered neckline, and the dabs of metallic paints along the hems of her ragged dress. (Adapted from a Cindy Moyer pattern.)

Head detail

Full view of R to R Diva

R to R Top Half

This doll is Lucrezia, made from a pattern I tested for Judi Wellnitz. I've had her finished for MONTHS, except for the finishing touch to the more visible hand. I knew what I wanted to do - a bottle of green poison, since she's named after Lucrezia Borgia. Last night, sitting in my husband's truck while he ran into his office to get something, I realized how I wanted to stopper the little bottle I had. Here are the results:

Lucrezia hand detail

Lucrezia top half

Lucrezia full view

Here's a doll I started last week and finished today! (I think.) This is my Day of the Dead doll, made with a Linsart clay head, a wrapped wire body, and lots of bits and pieces from a couple of swaps I held on the CPS list:

Day of the Dead full view

Day of the Dead detail

I still have several unfinished dolls, but I'm feeling pretty good about getting three finished up this morning!

Seeking Serenity (and a puffball)

So much change and so much emotion the last few weeks. Once again, I have to be grateful for my Oldtimer, and his steadiness and reliability. One of my greatest pleasures is the time I spend on the deck, appreciating sunsets, listening to birds, and seeing what's blooming, growing - or simply appearing!

We had slight damage from the Hurricane Ike winds, but never lost power, thank goodness. Mostly a lot of small sticks and small branches to pick up. Our driveway looked like someone had used a salad shooter to trim the trees.

Without further ado or much more verbiage, here are some recent photos.

An Easy Saturday

We left the house around 8:30 this morning, with the intention of having a bagel and cup of coffee, and nothing more. One thing led to another, and soon we were driving back country roads, looking for the apple farm we visited nearly four years ago. A trip back home, a search of the internet, loading the address into our trusty Garmin, and we were off again. Of course, once we found the orchard and country store, we had to go back to other things we'd seen along our routes.

We visited a couple of nurseries, looking for pots for the newly finished patio in front, we took a long route back home, taking us through a shopping area so I could look for tin frames at World Market, had a lovely lunch together, and ultimately made our way back home with chrysanthemums, pots, tomatoes, apples, peaches, and corn on the cob - plus two tin frames, and a tin eye (don't ask).

I was absolutely enthralled with an L-shaped barn we spotted on one back road, and had to take photos. If only that dreadful, modern, portable basketball hoop weren't in the way, it would be perfect! It was a gloomy and overcast morning, so the barn doesn't look quite the right shade of faded reds, but you can see a bit more of it if you click on the photo and view it full size.

When we got home, we found that my Oldtimer's single patio tomato had outdone itself - lovely garden "sculpture," no?

Last weekend I made a stop at Trader Joe's to pick up some goodies for dinner guests. (I'll use ANY excuse to go to Trader Joe's!) The mall where TJ's is located is fabulously planted and though I should have photo'd all of the wonderful plantings, I especially wanted one of this datura.

Also, the front window of the Anthropologie store is always strikingly done. Once, there were swoops of huge rag braids, dramatically hung across the windows. This time, there were artfully folded books, strung on ropes, and festooned the width of the glass. I took this photo and the datura with my cell phone, so the quality may be lacking. but I had to try to grab the images.

It was a good and satisfying day, and now I'm looking forward to fresh tomatoes and corn on the cob and not much else for supper - perhaps a bit of lemonade.