Meet the Koggies

I am a bi-crafting artist.  I said it, now I guess I need to explain what that means.  I have two areas of crafting that I spend most of my time on.  The number one is beading.  It consumes me and tries to take completely over my life.  But my second craft steps in there and wants an equal share of attention.  I almost feel like I have two Artist residing inside my head each wanting to take over.  I sometimes think if I let one take over more than the other, I might have that break through and master one craft over the other.  But after months beading or months sewing, the other get jealous making me switch. I love beading and making jewelry, but I get just as much satisfaction making dolls.  What really makes me very happy is when both craft personalities get to meld together and create at the same time.  Happily I sew up a new pattern tweaking each shape and stitch, and then out come the beads.  I'm extremely happy when both get together.  I would absolutely love to teach both of these together, but most people are not as crazy as I am nor do they want to obsess completely covering a pain staking hand sewn small doll form.  I know there are a few of you out there, but the majority just can't commit hours, days, or weeks.  If I want to continue teaching my love of doll making in the future, then I need to take a year or two to learn to sew better, construct dolls with actually patterns and then write a legible pattern that others can follow.  Now if I tend to bead those figures when done, then that makes me happy, but for now, I'm going to commit myself to create both new figures AND write patterns for them. So that all said, I would like you to met my second attempt at creating a new figure for artist to embellish or just enjoy constructing on their own.  I'm working on the actual pattern and instructions for later in the year for sales.

 This is a Koggie.  Where did the name Koggie come from?  I have a group of friends that I go to San Francisco with every year.  We like to text and share our day to day lives with each other.  I posted a picture of my first figure.  I asked if it looked more like a Doggie or a Kitty.  Beki wrote and combining both words coined them Koggies.  I liked the name, and it stuck.  The fun thing about constructing these is that there are so many different combinations to create a different face each time.  I also did a small bit of needle sculpting to give each more of an animal's snout.  Using different components for the muzzle makes each Koggie distinct.  The noses are actual vintage glass sew on that I bought years ago in New York City never knowing what I was going to use them for, but they just fit perfect here. 

Of course I had to bead a few.  The orange Koggie uses a bead mix I purchased from Whimbeads called Mamba.  I used my version of a flat peyote to cover the body.  This one was actually purchased as soon as I posted it on Facebook.  I was sad, but he lives in a brand new home in Washington state where he is cherished. 

The pattern still needs a little more tweaking, and I need to find other alternative sources for the noses for those not wanting to purchase the glass sew on from me.  So stitch stitch stitch...draw draw draw...bead bead bead.  I'm a happy girl with each craft personality happily entwined with the other.

Getting a few things done.

Yeah! Post office chore was accomplished & everything is out the door including my entry for the Illustrative Beader for Land of Odds. Sorry, but can't show any of that until I find out if my piece gets into the challenge. Also send out my beads to Gaea. We decided to take a tiny ride out of town & found a place with CORN! Fresh picked Ohio corn! I can't wait until dinner tonight.

This week, I was able to finish up some of the kits that I bought at B&B. One was Melanie Potter's Petalicious. It took me forever to get it done. One thing I'd like to say about Melanie's kits is that they have plenty of beads, and the instructions are just awesome. I had no problem following the thread paths or how things fit together...it just took forever to complete. Here is also a picture of Marcia DeCoster's Rising Sun from the class I took at B&B. I have it mostly done. I have to sew a couple more snaps onto it, and though Marcia has a step to connect the bumps together, I think I like it better without the connections, but maybe I'll change my mind once I once try to wear it.


I've also been playing with sculpting heads out of paper clay. The two classes I've had, we actually have used foil as the base of the head, but I was going through the basement trying to find something & I came across some styrofoam eggs that were suppose to be ornaments. I looked at them & thought what great heads they would be. So out came the tools, the paper clay, and paints. Now, I know it is going to take me a very long time before I can do sculpting that actually looks like a real or pretty head, but I just had a ball making these troll heads. I'd get the noses right & the next day I would work on the ears. It was fun. Then....paint! I tried to remember what I've learned about painting and thought to myself to just paint and see what happens. So here are two troll heads I've made. One keeps telling me he is H'dor and the other is S'leas. I'm working on the bodies right now. Now that is even more investigation. I had many members of Doll Street Dreamers giving me suggestions about how to proportion a pattern for the cloth body, and let me tell you that it is not easy! I have pencils, rulers, and you name it out along with fabric and Hal (my sewing machine). It is going to be a struggle, but I'm beginning to see how this pieces to that, and that goes with this, and all go on that...on and on...and on...



Also, while taking pictures, Chris grabbed this picture of me & Fiona outside after she got "lost". Since being diagnosed with Diabetes last Summer, I've seen her slowly slide into a canine dementia. I know her age & being blind has something to do with it, but I truly think she is getting a little senile too. She gets turned around and stuck by the door or gate & doesn't realize that she only needs to turn around. The relief of her face when we call to her to for guidance or actually go & pick her up & swing her into our loving arms is just something only another person with an old ill dog can understand. So here I am with my sweet old girl.