Happy New Year 2024!

Happy New Year 2024! I cannot believe how much time has passed and how much have changed since my last enter in August of 2016. Well, might as well use this time to catch you all up. I am now a divorced mother of 3 adult children who have all graduated college, are independent and working in their perspective careers (RN, police officer, paralegal/teacher). I relocated and am adjusting to my new location and home. I haven't made any art in almost 3 years but have decided to immerse myself into making art again and to blog my journey back to my creative self. I hadn't realized just how important that part of me was. I am happy to have the opportunity to make a go at it again. First things first, I have to get my creative corner together (a reasonably small space). I found and purchased an old antique desk at an antique shop near me. For now that and my MAC will do. Let's see how it all comes together over time. Health, Blessing and Joy to all❣️

Good night everyone. It has been a while since I blogged, mostly due to new life situations and a new hobby. I have put aside doll making for a little while and started painting and making mixed media portraits. I have learned different techniques through the use of on line tutorials. I hope to improve and integrate more and more mediums as I progress. I'll get back to dolls making in the next few months. I think if I set a deadline for myself I can get one made by the end of this year. In the meantime here is a piece that I made called "Dowry" or "Bride Price." That came about because as I was pasting down the papers I realized that the top portion had somehow formed what looked to me to be a head wrap with a 300 pin attached to it.

Here is an angel I completed while taking the Theresa Kogut "Angelic Strokes" on-line tutorial. I am quite please with how she came out. I absolutely love angels and hope to make more using other techniques.

I'm Published!!!

Merry Christmas to everyone.
This has been a wonderful Christmas that I shared with my family. I hope everyone reading also had a wonderful Christmas.  This holiday was especially special because I received a complementary copy of PRIMs Magazine with my dolls published, Momma', Millie and Michele. I love how Stampington and Company posed the dolls for their photo shoot and am grateful that they chose to publish my dolls. Please if you can, buy a copy and take a look at them. For now, this PRIMs edition will be a part of my living room table decorations.

You'll Never Know Until You Try

Hello blog readers. It has been several weeks since I have posted but I have been busy, artistically busy since my last post. Have you ever wanted to venture out into trying other mediums but your fear of not being good at you stopped you from trying?  Well, two of the exciting things that I have done since my last post was to attend "Art Is You 2015" in Stamford, CT and the other was attending a Workshop in Manhattan, NY at the Ripley- Grier Studio. In Stamford I had the pleasure of staying days and three nights around some very talented artists and art instructors. In Manhattan I spent one gorgeous day with a group of  nice artsy women and very creative instructor. It was great to learn how to work in different mediums. This was my first time making a mixed media portrait, sculpting with polymer clay and painting with oil paints. Challenge yourself and try working in a medium you've never worked in before. You may find that you're delightfully surprised with the outcome! Here are pictures of the wonderful things I made during and after their class.

Jiggly Jointed Doll Class at Art Is You, Instructor: Doreen Gay-Kassel

Paint Primer on Primitive at Art Is You, Stamford, Connecticut.  Instructor: Karen O'Brien

Dear Little Deer at Art Is You, Stamford, Connecticut. Instructor: Colleen Colquhoun

Jiggly Ornaments:Workshop with Instructor Doreen Gay-Kassel at the Ripley-Grier Studio.

 After applying oil paints:

Mini Me Doll Challenge

This year's Day With Dolls challenge was to make a small doll that resembled yourself at any stage of your life past or present. I used Susan Fosnot's Effie pattern. After the doll challenge I decided to redo the doll with a different hairstyle. I really like how she turned out. By the way, in the lower left corner of the first picture is a picture of me at 9 months old, that I used as a model for my doll.  

Thank you Susan for creating such a lovely pattern. 

 

You're A What?

Yes, I am a hooker. A rug hooker that is.

My family hates that joke, but no matter how many times it is said in the company of other rug hookers, it still makes us laugh. I have only been rug hooking since 2014. Thus far I have done about five rugs and two are close to completion. Now to get around to whip stitching the edge.  Hopefully I will get all five completed before the end of this year. I have had  the pleasure of taking a few rug hooking classes with the beautiful and talented Loretta Scena. Take a look at the rugs I have hooked so far. And to all my fellow rug hookers out there...... "Happy Hooking!"

This is the first rug that I hooked. It is designed by Loretta Scena 

Mr. Iggy was a free pattern offered in Rug Hooking Magazine

I tweaked Mr. Iggy and hooked rug I call Mr.Snowman missing eyes but I'll sew on buttons for that.

This is my youngest son's frog

I hooked this frog, inspired by a frog picture I had seen on the internet. In addition to that, my youngest son has been a frog lover for years. He has been asking me for a frog since he was in elementary school. I always managed to distract him from realizing that every year I had a different reason for not getting him one, I am not a frog fan. Anyway, He is now in his second year of college and mommy always keeps her promises. This will eventually be a pillow that Iw ill give to him once completed. I told him I would give him a frog, I just never specified real or otherwise, smile.

Goldilocks and The Three Bears

Goodnight all. After adding the final finishing touches a couple of hours ago (rusty buttons and rusty bell, thanks Aunt Connie), I'm all done.  I decided to use the brown eyed doll head that I made and decided to save the green eyed doll head for another project. Tomorrow i'll get this pretty little darlings packed and on her way to a review/consideration.
How many of you have a Playlist that you listen to when you craft? I do.
I usually set my MP 3 player on and pop on big head phones so keep me in the "zone." I listen to different genres of music  for different crafts. For example, when I make clay dolls I listen to classical music, for cloth dolls any music with an up tempo mostly R&B, when rug hooking it's R&B and Jazz and when quilting it's almost always gospel music. Sometimes I'll put 3 or 4 songs on repeat until I complete a project. It's the vibe of the songs that push me to keep going when I'd prefer to just put it down and procrastinate one day more.  Below is the playlist for Goldilocks and the Three Bears along with the completed doll/bear pictures. Peace, blessings and have a good night.

Goldie's Playlist:

John Mayer- Xo

Michael Buble  - Everything

Beyonce- Get Me Bodied

Tank- You're My Star