Merry Christmas to all!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and healthy and peaceful New Year!
I look forward to soldering and sculpting again at the end of January. On Dec. 29th, I will be making a trip back to Ohio to spoil my first granddaughter, Jillian. She was born Dec. 15th. I have been buying lots of pink!

See you in 2011!

Heavenly Dessert Morsels

If you are like Iam, running out of time but would still like to bake for Christmas, here is a wonderful and simple recipe for toffee-like bites. People will think you worked for hours on them and only 5 ingredients!

Heavenly Dessert Morsels

1 1/2 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
12 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 package buttery rectangular crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9 in. baking dish with foil, cover with layer of crackers (I use Keebler butter crackers). In small pan over med. heat melt butter and sugar. Bring to boil. Boil 3 min, stirring constantly. Pour over crackers. Sprinkle choc. chips over butter mixture. Bake one to two min. to soften chips. Smooth over gently. Sprinkle with nuts. Chill. Cut to bite size pieces.
(don't crush crackers when you make this. Layer them whole!)

These are tried and true. I am going to make mine tomorrow!

New OOAK sculptures now available!

Just in time for Christmas, I have listed several new pieces on Ebay AND on my website! I listed at rock bottom prices on Ebay so I hope you will place a bid if you like them! As you can see, I have sculpted more than one Snow Girl. I started doing these several years ago, but each one has her own face because I do not use molds.
The nativities are another of my original designs. I have created several of these, also, but no two are alike. I stain them heavily to give them a very aged, almost relic look.
The pink tea cup baby is one of my sweetest. She comes in an Englis tea cup that is so girly, just like she is. Her antique lace hat gives her a Victorian look.
I know times are hard right now, so I started as low as I could go just to recover some of my supply expenses.
Thanks for your support! I will write more soon!

hand tutorial part 2

If I were going to actually use this hand for a sculpt, I would do more finishing, but these photos will give you the basic idea.

Please let me know if they help you create realistic hands. I appreciate your imput.

hand tutorial part 1

Here is part one of my hand tutorial that I keep promising you. I am sorry about the debris in the clay. I usually sculpt much cleaner than this, but I had used my desk for soldering and didn't get it cleaned well enough. I wanted to get this done for you, however, so please overlook the specks of dust.

I have struggled with hands ever since I started sculpting and could not make a decent hand with round fingers until I came up with this method. If anyone else is using this method, I have not seen their version. I tried the usual technique where you cut in the fingers, but they always ended up flat! I work so tiny that it was impossible to roll them into round shapes after cutting.

I will post part 2 later today.

hang in there!

I apologize immensely for not posting my hand tutorial yet. It was a busy busy week. I promise to post it soon.

that hand tutorial

I am still under the weather but I won't forget my promise. I will post photos of how I create hands!

hand tutorial postponed

I'm so sorry I didn't get the hand tutorial posted this weekend. To be honest, I did not feel very well today. When I don't sculpt or solder, you know I am having a bad day. I will try to post it this week if all goes well.

Coming soon! Hand tutorial

I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately. I have been working on jewelry and sculpts for our neighborhood boutique as well as keeping up with my soldered accessories for "Flatter Me....Again," a local clothing store.

As a gift to you, I am going to share my way of sculpting hands. I will be photographing the steps and posting them to my blog soon, hopefully by the end of this weekend, so please watch. This method has worked best for me. I have not seen anyone else use this technique, or, if they do, I am not aware.

Keep watch!

more boutique peeks!

Here is a mix of some of my purse mirrors and pendants. I have many more and am continuing to work everyday. Most of these will be one of a kind, or OOAKs.
Soon, I will be working on some of my Christmas babies, primitive Holy Family sculptures, and snowmen! I just need about twice as much time as I have before November 20th!

sneak peek!

I need to retake photos of my soldered items for our Big Sky holiday boutique, but here is a sneak peek. It is one of my Christmas pocket mirrors. Gina, always by my side, is making custom pockets for them. The one I am showing here is a vintage Santa with a rhinestone chain inside the glass. I have soldered it and put a dark patina on it to keep with that antique look. I love this one and I hope you do too! More to come later.
The boutique, by the way, is November 20th. I am posting a flyer along with my Santa.

Back to work!

My birthday suprises!

My sister has magic in her fingers! Everyone should have a sister like Gina Maria. She made my birthday extra special with her ability to create, wrap better than any pro, and find the most amazing bargains. Yes, I said "bargains." She and I take great pride in our talent for finding fantastic items without spending a lot of money. We brag about how little we paid, rather than how much.
So, I want to share photos of some of the gifts she sent me.

OT.........some general news

I am still working hard on soldered jewelry, purse mirrors, and sculpts for the Big Sky holiday boutique on November 20th! However, I am taking a much needed break starting tomorrow. I am going to Tucson to visit my dear girlfriend, Judy Roads Pickrell,a fellow respiratory therapist from many years ago from my days at Good Samaritan hospital in Dayton, Ohio. We will be going on an all girl trip to her cabin in Flagstaff where I will be teaching some simple sculpting classes. The girlfriends will learn to make glitter pumpkins and snowmen...simple, but magical little sculps.
Also, I just have to announce that my very talented daughter-in-law passed her California state boards for cosmetology today. I was her model and let me tell you that I saw first hand what those candidates have to go through to get licensed and it isn't easy!
Christine is a phenomenal artist in her own right. She is not only an excellent photographer, but she also does hair, make up and her own costume designs. Please visit her magical website here:

http://www.christinehmcconnell.com/

See the clothing in the opening photo (in the antique clock)? She designed and made each piece including Grant's hat! She is getting non stop bookings and she also does wedding shoots including hair and make up for the bride and bride's maids.
If you live in the Orange County or LA area, you might want to schedule your own special photo shoot with Christine. It will be like no other you have ever experienced.

I am posting a few of her other photos. She designed and sewed the blue dress with the matching blue gloves...fit for the red carpet! She also designed and created the swimsuit, the red dress, and the Roman clothing. Amazing! And yes, that is her own real rooster sitting in that pan!

Holiday Boutique!

I have been keeping busy creating fun and unique items for the Big Sky holiday boutique! Right now, I am working on the most wonderful vintage purse mirrors. As soon as I put the finish on the solder, I will post photos.

I will be selling a few sets of my hand sculpted and very antique/primitive looking Holy Family sets. They almost look like they were found during an archeological dig.

I also have some Christmas babies planned for the boutique. They will wear only lovely red bows.

Pictures will come soon, so please be patient! I am working as fast as I can!

Sculpting on hold for home redecorating...on a shoestring!

I had to take some time out to work on my house and do some updating. I love to decorate on a shoestring! So, let me explain. I painted my kitchen table and chairs black as well as my vanity in the upstairs bathroom. Thank you Martha Stewart for the wonderful paint in the color "Silouette!" I got it at Home Depot and it goes on smoothly and with very little odor. The paint totally transformed some things in my house that I really didn't like!
Now I have to tell you about the hutch? It was nearly brand new, but my son pulled it from a dumpster at his apartment building!!! It was free. Can you believe that? It sits on a white dresser that I got at the local thrift store for $29. It's a nearly perfect match.
You really don't have to go out and spend a lot of money to make your house look charming and inviting. You can do so much with paint and a brush! Beat the system and spend your money on other things that you enjoy. I want to travel, not sink my money into a household items that will just become dated in 5 years or so.
I hope you are inspired by my work and ideas.
See the three pictures? I made them from scrapbook paper, torn water color paper, and inexpensive frames that I painted white. My dad made the shelf for me many years ago. I painted it white to match the other pieces in the room.
So, this house is mine....not an interior decorator's. I put myself into and, better yet, I did it spending very little money!

Holiday boutique in Anaheim Hills!

I am going to be busy making my soldered jewelry and OOAK dolls for a holiday boutique in our neighborhood. So far we have 30 vendors, so it should be a really fun event!

As you probably can guess, I will be putting Ebay on the back burner because my work sells much better when a collector can pick it up, play with it, and see the details and quality.

My husband is retiring after the first of the year. He plans to be my rep and will be showing my work to owners of boutiques in Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Manhattan Beach, etc. I can't wait! I love to keep my hands busy and with Alan's sales background we should have some success!

I go back and forth from sculpting to soldering. Today, I put my clay away and got out my soldering iron. It's been a fun change for me.

If you are artistic and haven't soldered yet, you should give it a try. I used to think it was something that only men did when they worked on a copper plumbing pipe, but it's much more than that. Just make sure you use lead free solder. You don't want leaded solder on your skin. Lead free solder can be found at Radio Shack, Ace Hardware, etc. However, if you want the higher end solder for jewelry (it has silver in it), you should go on line and order.

Happy soldering or sculpting!

real deal

At least you can tell from my past few auctions that I am honest! I have no family or friends who bid up my work. That's called shilling and it's dishonest and against Ebay's rules. I don't do that! Many sellers do, but, with the coded names, they are not easy to spot like they used to be.

It's funny, people are like sheep. If they see a bid on an Ebay item, they think that is an endorsement of value. That's not necessarily true because shilling is rampant on Ebay.

Soooo, my OOAKs that didn't sell will be going to a holiday show and, hopefully, when people can actually pick them up, hold them, move the arms and legs on the jointed ones, and see the details and quality, they will want to take them home!

Ebay can be a very uneven playing field for honest sellers and artists. In spite of that fact, I am proud to say that my work can be found in homes all over the world. I get nice fan mail and that keeps me going!

I just had to talk about this today.

A fall OOAK baby fairy, Tula

Tula is a tiny fall baby fairy. She comes in a lovely round box (like a small hat box) with some fantasy film fiber for a soft bed. Her hat was hand made from mulberry paper.

She is currently on Ebay at this link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170533546394&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Her opening price is a low $25. Compare my price to a similar OOAK baby that just sold over the weekend for an opening price of $259 and you will see how generous my price is! (I think mine is much cuter, more realistic, and more "baby" too!).

Here is a tip for the day:
To make sure that your sculpt does not get dark while in the oven, tent it with aluminum foil. And, if you are series baking, cover the hands with tiny pieces of wet paper towels to keep them from getting darker than the rest of the body.

Thanks for stopping by and happy sculpting to you!

Lulu, my new fall child fairy art doll

This is Lulu. She is my second "poseable" doll *not jointed, but poseable). Well, her arms are poseable but her legs are in a fixed position. I learned how to make poseable dolls several years ago but haven't concentrated on them as much as jointed ones. A wire runs from the shoulder to the wrist, so you can put Lulu's arms in endless postions. It's amazing how moving her hands can add so much expression!

I used to start my auctions at $9.95 on Ebay. I got lots of bids and it was a win/win situation for me and the bidders. However, in this economy, I simply cannot risk starting my work out at such a low price. I tried it and ended up crying all the way to the post office!

I spend many many hours on each doll. There are so many steps. I start tediously sculpting with the face, then move to the body, limbs, hands, feet and detail with little fingernails and creases. Eyes are hand painted. Eyelashes are applied one at a time. This little girl's hair applied and spiral curled on lock at a time. I designed and created her wings from mulberry paper and wire. So, I hope you understand why price is where it is. After all, there will never be another Lulu like this one! She is one of a kind, just like you!

I love to sculpt and will continue with my passion for years to come. What doesn't sell will go to my children and my grandchildren.

I received a very reassuring email today. It was from a lady who won my baby carriage fairy and she said that, in person, my work is far more detailed than the photos show.

Here is Lulu's auction link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170532398264&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Pixie Pink~OOAK baby fairy

This is my new jointed fairy doll that I listed on Ebay Monday evening. Her name is Pixie Pink! I used soft pink chiffon to make her dress. I love this shade of pink with brown. You can read more about her here at her auction site:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170528386505&ssPageName=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT

new OOAK fairy

Here is my new fairy, Breeze. She is currently up for auction on Ebay. I really like the lighting in the some my photos of her. They have a very ethereal look, don't you think?
As most of you know, I struggle with my Parkinson's shake in my left hand, so I am always coming up with new ways to make sculpting easier. I figured out a new way to sculpt hands. Not only is it easier, but they look much better and more realistic. I sandwich the fingers into the palm. Anyone interested in a tutorial? You may be satisfied with your current way of sculpting hands, but I have never been pleased with any of the most popular methods. The cutting method is just lousy, at least for me. I suppose it would work with bigger sculpts like Nicole West's whose are about 9inches tall, but my beings are very small and to cut the fingers and then shape them is next to impossible. Actually, I sculpt much smaller than the "big girl" artists like FITA.
I was planning for this new one to be a little older than she is, but sometimes the clay leads you down its own path.
Off to the gym, and then more sculpting this afternoon! I have a jointed fairy baby that I am just dying to finish!

Lula and her pet mushroom

I listed Lula on Ebay last night and she sold almost immediately. I used Living Doll clay to sculpt this one. It was fun to use a different clay, but I am going back to ProSculpt. I think it's easier to smooth and is more seamless, but Lula turned out pretty cute!
I do have another doll to list later today. She is another Living Doll piece. I don't have photos yet, but will post them later today. She is a child fairy on a pedestal. My dolls are usually free standing or sitting and don't come with an elaborate setting. That's just my preference. I like to sit them on books, nestle them in crooks and crannies...just like any regular house fairy would do!
More later!

Don't miss "Interview With A Doll"

It's so difficult to come up with new ways to add interest to doll listings on Ebay. I am so proud of the idea that came to me last week. I did my first "Interview With A Doll." It's pretty cute and makes the description reading a lot more fun than just the usual "no molds used, made from polymer clay, hand painted eyes" etc. So, I may do other interviews with dolls who are old enough to "talk."

I hope you enjoy reading it!

See you soon with more dolls!