I Painted the Little Dear

Here are a few pics of the painted piece. The 2nd and 4th pictures show the under painting. All in all, there is about 6 layers of different colors of paint.

The nose and cheeks are embossed with floral stamps.

These pictures really don't do the colors any justice, her skin is lavender and blue, the nose is blues and greens with an iridescent shimmer over top, and the cheeks are all rosey.

The Baby in the Oven!

Here is the finished piece, all baked and ready to be painted! It looks a little freaky because I used two boxes of Super Sculpey, and you can see that they fired different colors. I was intending for this to be a girl, but I'm not so sure now.... I am thinking a little boy in a tutu? eh?

These are the hands and feet I reworked last night, I just was not feeling the little shoes I made the night before. He felt like 3 different dolls.... really scattered! But, I am happy now. The little hands look a lot like Caels! I sat on the floor next to the oven and watch them bake because it was just so weird!




It fit perfectly on my turkey roasting pan.... I really need to work smaller! hee hee...

This Face Makes Me Giddy!

Hee hee.... I'm not gonna show the rest of the body quite yet though!

Rowan in her Tuff Dresses!

Man! I have been waiting to blog about this for soooooo long! I got a couple of kick ass dresses from my friend Betsy at tuffassnails.etsy for Rowan for Christmas. She looooooves them so much!

This one is the Aqua and Red Sugar Skull Dress. I had to get her this one, because Rowan has been obsessed with Mr. Bones since she was a baby!

And the most awesome Orange, Yellow, and Aqua Japanese Pop Dress - Octopus. This is the dress that was featured on dooce.com's daily style. Rowan recognized it immediately when she opened it on Christmas morning, and had to wear it right away!

These dresses are unbelievable! They are made so well, and Rowan says she loves them, and wants to wear one everyday! Thank you Betsy for being the sweetest and most awesome etsier!!!!! Muah!!!! I Love TuffasSnails!!!!!

Petti Pictures!

Wow!

This is the custom pettiskirt I made for a fellow CEM'er. I am so happy that she shared the pictures! This project took so looooooong to make! But, I was very happy to do it! And, how about that sweet little model!

sneak a peak.... new work to come!

So, it is here, I have officially put my shop on a 2 week vacation! It really feels nice after the mad rush of holiday sewing to be able to actually sit with my little lovelies and drink my coffee.... while it is still hot! I have a few small projects to finish up for some family members, but, that is it!

I am really excited to get started on some new work.... I am going to be ordering up some new sculpting tools and I will be making a few dolls over the holiday. I really miss sculpting... I used to teach ceramics and I had my hands in the clay 5 days a week. When we moved home I almost had to go cold turkey. I have access to a small kiln, but it is not really feasable right now, so I am hitting the polymer clay. I will post some WIP pictures once I get started, but for now.... here are a couple pages out of my sketchbook....

Dolhouse sized Poly Prims

Some more Poly Creatures

A Matroyshka companion to the HausMaus

Study for a jointed doll in either polymer or ceramic (we'll see how far I actually get!)

Head study for jointed doll

The Earthlies are on hold for a bit.... I have to find a source for knit ultrasuede. I have not been able to find it, and my last few attempts at making the soft sculpture has me almost in tears! The fabric I picked up is just horrid.... the poor babies have raisin faces, and I can't stand it! Ah well....

Older Pieces and New Beginnings

This is an older piece of mine, The HausMaus. He stands about a foot tall and is ceramic. The poor dear has a lovely crack running down his front after being badly abused as a door stop for a couple of years.

I plan to revist this little friend of mine in the coming year.... as there are big changes coming to the Pumpkinhaus.

With the advent of the new legistation (CPSIA) I will have to put my childrens items on hold until they can somehow ammend this poorly written law. It is happy/sad for me as far as my shop is concerned.... I feel I have been neglecting my first love of sculpture and dollmaking. I have always been searching for an excuse to fully switch gears and return to my roots, now, I have to. I am just glad that I have something that I love that I can fall back on... there are many, many wonderful shops that are looking at fully closing thier doors come Feb 10th.

I have plans to put my shop on a two week vacation starting Monday, Dec. 22. I will be doing some shop cleaning.... house cleaning..... kid cleaning.... kid cuddling.... Joe cuddling, you know, the important stuff!

And, I will return in 2009 with a bright, shiny new shop! I will post updates over the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned for an inside peek at all of the exciting new things to come! I can't wait to dig in and share!

I wish you the Happiest of Holiday Seasons! Now go give somebody you Love a Big, Big Bear Hug!!!!

Ah... Peaceful Snow....

Save Handmade Toys From the CPSIA

Daily Musings with Rowan

"Whew baby.... you stink like heaven!"

Could Someone Please Burn That Damn Target Wish Book!

Seriously... that is all I have to say.

While you are at it.... torch the Walmart one too. Thanks.

The Robin Capelet

If you go out in the Wilde Wood to meet your Robin... it is always best to don a cloak worthy of the Maid Marion herself!

This lovely capelet is made with vintage woven wools in plaid and rust orange. It is secured upon your shouders with a large button. The inside is the warmest, bright blue fleece with a paisley design, and the edge is trimmed in a sweetly woven jaquard trim. A green wool tassel hangs from the peak of the hood.

This is a one of a kind piece and will fit just about anyone as it just rests upon the shoulders!


Thanks for looking!

Big Brother Does it Again...

This will effect everyone in the Handmade Nation undoubtedly. Not just toy artisans...

http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA/

http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/national-bankruptcy-day/

Please sign petitions, write your congressmen, alert your state representatives, and by all means.... Spread The Word!!!

Rollin' With My Gnomies!

I knit little man a new hat while we were out of town for the holiday. I went to a shop called Crafty Hands in Bowling Green, Kentucky and picked up a grip of Lambs Pride Bulky in 6 colors. It is an 85% wool/15% mohair blend and is soooo soft!

It turned out so incredibly cute! I will be offering this hat in my etsy shop, and will be listing them soon at Hyenacart.

The Gnome Hat

The coolest thing about this hat is that Cael plays with it all day long! It works great as a pouch he can sling across his shoulder postman style!

It fits an Earthie sized doll perfect!

All of the knit items in my shop are my own design. I like free form them until I get the desired shape, and then I write down the pattern for future reference. All of the booby hats are one of a kind as well.