Well, it has been a very pleasant week. No deadlines ... no creating ... just lots of cleaning, tidying, re-organizing and re-arranging. My craft stuff is now all in one place...my craft room@! Let's see how long that lasts! I can actually see my kitchen table.

Tomorrow I still have a bit more to do with the other storage space now that I have moved so much "stuff".... and then...I begin the new doll. Let's hope I have not short changed myself on time.....

Still have not had "show and tell" with little Kait yet! A micro mini by Edie Barlishen. She is my treasure from the bear show ... the first time I have actually seen one of Edie's bears in person. ~~p.s ~~ forgot to say that she is completely jointed; which means her head, arms and legs all move! My friend Kim, of Shonki Bears ... who got me started making bears ... says we always have to buy at least one bear at every show we attend. Whether we attend as a vendor or as a collector. I remember how she had trouble buying only one...lol.... I just know that could be a problem for me too Kim.

There are so many great bears, large and small, to see and hold. It is the "holding" that does you in. Trust me. Once you hold "it"?? ... you know what I am talking about .... once you hold "the one" ? .... once you hold "IT" in your hand ? .. you are done for!

And, in actuality ..... who collects bears more so than other bear makers? As a matter of fact...who, other than a bear maker, will ever understand the subtleties of stitching them; of turning the tiny bits; of attempting to embroider the perfect nose; choosing just the right eyes; sculpting or shading? Struggling with them; and finally having that amazing little face show up that melts your heart and actually makes you say "awwwww" ....... right out loud, to nobody in particular but yourself.

She is only just over one inch seated and not as big as Leonard's foot.











Posie, the pink needle felt, is "bearly" 1 3/4" tall and looks huge by comparison. Kait is very tiny!

Magical staffs... pixie chairs....

Here is my tiny bit of info regarding Apoxy Sculpt for the "dolling" people. I am not a pro by any means...I just tried it once and now, love to use it for making shoes, boots, staffs, pixie chairs...etc... sky is the limit...it is great for modeling, sculpting and repair work... I am not sure what the taxidermists use it for ..but that is the only place I can find to purchase it. Here is a pair of boots for my "cursed pirate"..oh!! and his bones too! And a well worn shoe for a clown dancer in the Moulin Rouge....

I like to make the shoes before I attach the legs...learned the hard way...it is a wrestling match the other way.




You must have a protector of some sort on your work area (I have a large towel that I spread out) and also a small container of water nearby... you must keep your fingers lightly moist to handle it or it will just be sticking to you! If water drips from your fingers...wipe it up immediately..it is like glue! Sticks really well to anything and everything. As a matter of fact..if you need extra strength or sticking power for something awkward... like, say... a skinny "bit" holding a larger "bit"?.. (the doll people will get it)...lol......just add a bit of Apoxy Sculpt and it will never fall off......whatever "it is.
When I use it for shoes I just begin to apply it directly to the foot of the doll. It sticks to the cloth wonderfully...no need to do anything else. I probably fiddle a lot more than I need to...but I like to add small amounts at a time so that I can control how they grow. You can sand it smooth once it hardens if you need to .... but if I can get a nice smooth finish when I am working with it I prefer that. It is air dry...hardens overnight.... you can paint it wet...or wait til it dries... a wonderful product really. Who likes waiting for things to dry to paint? .. Well, actually? ..me! By the time I have had my neck bent forward for as long as it takes me to apply the amount I need and shape it...I am glad to rest my neck. The next day..if I decide they are not nearly large enough shoes for my doll ( I have a habit of giving all my dolls tiny feet...then I can just add more Apoxy Sculpt over what I have done..it sticks ....no problem. Did I mention that I love this stuff?

This is another shoe I did for a fairy doll ...I wanted to make them look like they had a soft suppleness to them... and paint them in sort of a watercolour look...the trim is a bit of a fancy ribbon...I love how they turned out. Around the top edge I put a very skinny "rope" of Apoxy Sculpt...that was awkward...!! to finish them off nicely. I paint my shoes with acrylic paint and even brush them with a bit of gold shine... a finger dipped in gold acrylic and lightly brushed on strategic areas. This doll was the winner in her category for a challenge. I surgically altered her legs as well as a few other bits and pieces...