A Lot Going On.

There is so much going on family-wise that I have to slow down, prioritize certain projects and stop working on some other things altogether. Other things are taking up my time and energy. I can't keep running on full steam so sadly I have to scrap the majority of my plans and projects. There won't be much to see here on my blog for a while.

Basically this is the reason. My step dad is out of the ICU. He'll be going to a rehab facility in a few days and then home here with us until we can find him another senior living housing. His building is going through a 2 year renovation and we think that's why he got so ill. He's scared to go back and we don't want him to. So we are packing up his apartment and putting everything into storage for him and working on finding a safer & healthier place for him to live.

I'm so grateful for my mom. She's handling the majority of the details and I'm doing the secondary ones. Although they have been divorced for over 30 years they are the best of friends. He's really leaning on her to handle his affairs cause my brother is hopeless at those type of things and after the initial medical decisions he had to make he's now faded into the background. I'm a bit pissed about that cause hello it's HIS father!

Anyway here's the rest of my studio from my clean up and organize.

My computer desk area and to the right is my shipping 

storage. Going to have my brother install shelves 

on this wall for more storage.

My supply storage. It blocks the window but works for me.

It's difficult to sit and create with all this swirling around me. So be patient with me and I'll have things to show eventually. Oh and here's a photo of Lita just cause I haven't shown her in a while.

The Cleanest My Studio WIll Ever Be.

So I work in a pile of chaos and clutter usually. Things tend to pile up as I work which is fine. But it finally reached the point that I couldn't deal with it. I actually went into another room to cut felt... ridiculous! It was time to clean! I'm having some people in soon to look at my dolls and perhaps make a purchase so this really needed to be clean. I've only cleaned my work tables so far but they were the worst. Warning I don't have one of those super pretty studios. Mine is a make-do workhorse.

This is where I sit, sew and cut my felt. My 50 cent rummage sale stool, that one day I'll paint and recover. The folders on the right hold the paper patterns that I'm using right now. My living room is in the background and I watch t.v or movies as I sew.

This is my clay and paint table and I also lay felt body parts here before sewing. All the stuff on the very bottom shelf used to be on the table but I added the shelf to give me more room. The screen closes off the other door into the kitchen so kids and animals aren't running through.

I still have to tackle the computer desk and the storage shelves opposite my paint table and everything stacked on my ironing board. Plus I want my brother to put shelves above my computer desk so I can get more things of of storage bins. Sigh...so much to still do! But I do feel much calmer now so it's back to work!

Little Peeks Around The Studio.

A bad night's sleep and a scattered brain means I have nothing new finished to share with you. So here's peeks of what I have going on.

Pumpkins, pumpkins I got pumpkins!

French knots drive me crazy!

Painting a pumpkin head.

Zombie being born.

Stuff to make witch's brooms. Wish me luck

on this I don't know what I'm doing!

I've got a great pile of balls! LOL!

Have you heard of Blu Mudd?

It's a new shop on etsy that has wonderful handmade ceramic pendants. Blu Mudd's pendants have a lovely organic quality and are very unique. This shop is run and the pendants made by Moriah of MLBetterly Art Dolls.

She's having a fabulous giveaway with multiple winners!

To get all the details click on the image above or the button on my side bar to go to Moriah's blog. Help spread the word about this great shop and get a chance to win a pendant.

There Is A Reason I'm Called A Pack Rat....

....I always see the hidden possibilities in just about everything. So I bring that thing home and then it sits and accumulates and then gets packed away into bins. I call these my "someday projects". Do you have things like that? 

Well the other day I was staring at these drawer knobs that I saved from an old dresser and were sitting on one of my worktables. 

I remembered that I thought they were perfect for little pedestals so I got out the paper clay and started in. The feeling of happiness that exploded out of me for using something I saved and being creative with it was just amazing! 

 Not much to see yet but just wait until I paint it! 

I've grown so much artistically in the last year and have gained so much confidence that I vow to actually do something with all those pack rat saved "someday" things. Here's one I can't wait to get my hands on!

Do you see the possibilities? I have 2 different ideas for this so will have to see which idea will win. Is anyone else out there a pack rat like me?

My Friend Sherry Is Having A Giveaway

My friend Sherry from The Hive is opening an etsy shop in 9 days and is having a giveaway to celebrate. There are 3 chances to win so go to her blog Sherry's Cabin or check out her post on The Hive for details. Sherry is a wonderful artist and has a great Halloween piece to giveaway, you won't want to miss this one! Here's a sneak peek.

Wednesday Worktable

Wednesday has rolled around again and I am working on some things.

Painting paper clay bodies.

Started a skellie doll. So many bones, so much 

sewing! This will be a long project.

Another witch WIP. Showing her in a naked

state so you can see how my dolls stand

on their own without a stand.

 I received this blog award from June of I Sew Cute and haven't had a chance to acknowledge it yet. I'm pleased as punch that people enjoy my ramblings and creations. Thanks so much June!

Update on my stepdad. He's doing a little better. He's still on the respirator and still tied down cause he keeps trying to get out of bed. He's confused about where he is and what's happening. I feel more hopeful about his situation so am less stressed and am able to work again.

Good Witch Gana is Finished.

I finally finished this witch. She's a good witch. Her name means Garden. She grows plants to heal the sick. I haven't had time to write a story for her yet but here she is. Please let me know what you think of her.

She's about 25 inches tall and stands on her own without a doll stand. She's completely hand sewn and is my own pattern and design. I thinks she needs a basket and perhaps a broom.

Friday Worktable

This has been a week that I don't even want to talk about so I won't. I'll just show the very few things I'm trying to do to keep my mind busy.

The doll I showed before is finally getting hair.

Paper clay bodies all gessoed and ready to paint.

Do you love Halloween?

Well I do. I belong to a creative group called The Hive (see the button on my sidebar) and Patrick Gill from Cre8or's Touch is hosting a Second Anual Vintage Halloween Card Creative Challenge Exchange & Swap!

 Come join us and create something special. Patrick is also creating 2 wonderful pieces as prizes so not only do you get a fun piece of art in the swap you have a chance to win one of Patrick's great Izannah Walker inspired Halloween dolls.

This swap is for all kind of artists. You can make a sculpture, doll, shadow box, or dreamscape, ornament, or even a wall hanging or multi-layered scrapbook page. Your piece just has to be 3-D.

This is my second time joining in. I did the 4th of July Swap HERE and loved it. So come check the swap out and I hope you'll join us!

Retail Therapy

After I went to the hospital yesterday I felt like this.

So I decided some retail therapy might perk me up a bit.

 Adding more to my small paint collection and

glitter glue for faerie wings.

Fun Halloween fabrics for dolls and plushies.

Awesome spooky fabric for my large Art Dolls.

Yarn for hair for the doll below.

Prettier now that she's got her eyebrows

and lashes on.

Teeny tiny evenly spaced stitches are

oddly calming after a stress filled day.

A Crazy 24 Hours.

We got a call from the hospital last night telling us my step dad (my brothers dad) was in the ICU in serious condition with severe pneumonia. He's sedated and has a breathing tube and was severely dehydrated. It was a late night full of worry. He's stable today but we're just waiting to see how well he fights off the infection. July has really been a stressful month!