Merry Christmas!

I hope you are having a beautiful holiday season. We are blessed that Alan is still in remission from lymphoma and I am making good recovery from my spinal fusion surgery.
I was looking at the Christmas tree lights as I was lying on the couch one evening this past week. I remembered how I cried and pleaded with my family to take me home when I was in rehab after my surgery. As I looked around my family room that evening, I took a moment to thank God that I am able to be here in my cozy home this Christmas season. The simple things in life, the things we take for granted, are the most important.

When the holidays are over, I plan to start sculpting again, work on new sculpts, and design some new jewelry. I also want to work on my website and perhaps have my youngest son, Grant, who is a graphic artist and website designer, create a professional website for me.

I will see you in January 2012! Have a peaceful and meaningful Christmas and holiday.

Sue Anne

Altered artisan necklaces special pricing and free shipping!

I am offering $10 off on my altered, or collage necklaces in addition to free shipping until December 18, 2011. If you see one you like, grab it now because I won't any of them exactly the same. No one else will ever have your necklace!

I am working on a new human baby sculpt, but am very busy putting up Christmas decorations and getting ready for relatives coming in from out of town so she is patiently waiting for me to finish her. I might get back to her in a few days, but then there is wrapping, baking, etc. I wish there were more hours in a day, or that I could get by with just a couple of hours of sleep.

I'll post here a couple more times before Christmas. In the meantime, enjoy the season!

Here they are! One of a kind necklaces!

Here are photos of my collage or altered necklaces that are available on my website. Please don't refrain from purchasing because you don't have a PayPal account. Write me at am803@aol.com for another payment option.
I love assembling these one of a kind necklaces. If you want something very unique to wear to the holiday office party or just to wear all year, these are for you! They are eye-catching. Believe me, when I wear one, I always get compliments and questions.

New Collage Necklaces!

I listed my new collage or altered necklaces on my website! I'll post photos of them here on my blog tomorrow, but if you would like to take a look at them on my website, here is the link:

http://toodlesocks.com/collagenecklaces.html

Please contact me at am803@aol.com if you are interested in them or would like another method of payment besides PayPal.

Just a reminder that each necklace is unique and one of a kind. I will never repeat a necklace, although I will be using some of the same elements, but always in different ways. Some of necklaces have focal pieces that were found in antique shops or vintage shops and some are embellished with various findings I have had for years. I enjoy working some of my own memorabilia into my jewelry. Not all of them have recycled embellishments, but my favorites are the ones that do!

New Collage Necklaces!

I will be photographing and listing several new necklaces on my website, hopefully tomorrow if all goes well. Each is one of a kind, so no need to worry someone having on the same necklace you are are wearing. Each is styled differently using various antique and vintage findings, including hardware. I call them collage necklaces because I use whatever I can find or have on hand. To see some of the necklaces that have already sold, please use this link:

http://toodlesocks.com/collagenecklaces.html

I have listed a charity doll on Ebay. The entire profit from this auction will go to the Susan G. Komen foundation to fight breast cancer.

"Hope" is a sweet little jointed doll who stands at about 6 inches. She is dressed in a pretty pink dress, of course! I made it just for her. It's removable and she has matching undies. You can read more about her if you go to her auction link here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170724629720?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Please help her raise money to fight this awful disease so that our little girls don't have to grow up and fear it.

Thank you for your participation!

baby fairy, Aspen, available for purchase

I am offering baby Aspen for only $29.00 here on my blog. If you are interested, please email me at am803@aol.com with "Aspen" in the subject box. Can he spend the rest of fall at your house?

Sculpting tutorials baby face and hands

It has been brought to my attention that my tutorials are not easily found on my blog. I will post the links here today and try to find a way to make them more accessable.

You will have to copy and paste them into your browser because I can never seem to make the link icon work.


Hand part I

http://toodlesocks.blogspot.com/2010/11/hand-tutorial-part-1.html

Hand part II

http://toodlesocks.blogspot.com/2010/11/hand-tutorial-part-2.html


Face tutorial:


http://toodlesocks.blogspot.com/2010/06/my-new-ooak-doll-baby-tutorial.html

Aspen Listing On Ebay!

Aspen is now listed on Ebay. Here is the auction link, which you have to copy and paste into your browser because I can't ever seem to be able to hyperlink it with the blog tool.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170716975570?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

This is my first sculpt since my surgery. I am finally able to sit long enough to sculpt. This baby is 4 3/4 inches long to the tip of his/her hat( this one is not anatomically correct). The baby lies on a pretty fall clay leaf, which I imprinted with a real sweetgum leaf and stained so that the veins would be more noticeable.

I plan to list this little one on Ebay tomorrow. I'll let you know the link shortly after I list!

Two new layered artisan necklaces

Sorry I'm so late to post the pics of my new necklaces. I used parts of antique drawer pulls in the layering of these two pieces. I couldn't re-create them if I wanted to, so they are definitely one of a kind creations. We needed to replace a broken hinge on an antique secretary, so we went to a store that carries old hardware. Since I am always looking for unusual findings for my jewelry, a lightbulb went off in my head when I saw the display of old drawer pulls. I was more than happy with the added interest they give to my collage necklaces.

I have a hold on the one with the onyx center. The other one is available, though I don't have it listed on my site. I am asking $49.00.

I have also finished a new baby fairy. I had started her face before my surgery. Following her, will be a new jointed baby, which should be finished in two or three days, so stay tuned!

You may be wondering if I am ever going to get back to work with my sculpting and artisan jewelry. I have to be honest and say that the Parkinson's in my left hand was agitated by the stress of the spine surgery I had last spring and I have been procrastinating for fear that I can't hold my hand steady enough to sculpt tiny faces. I have, however, created a couple of new collage necklaces using old drawer pulls that I found in an antique store that carries old hardware. They are very unusual and eye-catching. I will try to get photos posted tomorrow.

I am recovering very well. My physical therapist is amazed at my progress. I am driving, shopping,cooking, etc. I hope to add sculpting to that list real soon!

Please look back in the archives of my blog to see several sculpting tutorials.

wigging tip

To make part in my dolls' hair, I sometimes find it looks more natural to indent a line into the doll's head, while it is still unbaked, rather than just tucking the hair under and gluing it directly onto the head. After baking, you can tuck the weft of hair into the indentation. Just make sure you have cut a clean straight edge on the weft before inserting it into the indented line. The edge of the hair should have a thin line of glue on it. My favorite glue for wigging is FabriTac. It's a bit difficult to use because it gets stringy, but once you get used to it, you will find that it adheres almost immediately and bonds with the clay.
You can indent a "T" shape into the head for inserting bangs with a center part.

I would love to show you photos of this technique but I haven't sculpted since my surgery. Between physical therapy and doctor appointments I haven't been able to get into my sculpting mode. Soon, though, I hope!

A sculpting tip for blushing and painting face

If you don't want to invest in Genesis heat-set paints, you can use water based oils for blushing and painting your dolls' faces. Never use regular oil paints because they will eat into the hardened polymer clay over a period of time. Fingernail polish on the nails will also eat at the clay. Remember that polymer clay is oil based, so you can use only water soluable paints on it. Acrylics are fine to paint clothing, but they will not blend for a smooth finish on the face.

I hope to start sculpting again next week! I have a partially sculpted doll that I started before my surgery so I will finish her before I start on a new one.

I am now 8 weeks post-op, and am not using a cane anymore! Yay! Slowly, I am feeling normal again. For the first 6 weeks, I thought I would never feel good, but I am getting there. I

My recovery and a sculpting tip for you!

I am still using a cane and brace when I out in public, but I am slowly making progress. I have walked at the Mall of Orange, which is a small mall near our house. A large mall would overwhelm me at this point. I walked through Target today. It feels so good to get out and about. I feel like I am part of the world again! I started aquatic therapy last week. I felt like I weighed a ton when I got out of the pool! It was a strange experience. I have a great therapist who reminds me that I didn't have just one or two fusions, but 8! He said that is "major major" surgery. So, I can't expect to bounce back too quickly. In fact, he said it could take up to a year. I am normally on the go a lot, so I have had to learn patience. I will no longer have mobility in my waist, however the therapist said that a minimal amount will come back, eventually. That's a fair trade-off for being able to walk without that terrible....no, unbearable pain going down my left leg. I will be able to live a productive and good life with a couple of adjustments.

Since I can't sit long enough to sculpt right now, I thought I would leave you some sculpting tips as I think of them.

For my dolls, which are usually about 4 inches long, I use the eye a large tapestry needle to imprint the fingernails and toenails. You can buy the needles in several sizes to fit the proportions of your doll.

spinal fusion update

I am 5 weeks post-op and have to say my recovery has been much harder than I ever thought it would be. I have advanced from a walker to a cane, but I still struggle with a lot of deep aching, mostly in my hips and am trying to get off of pain meds. The good news is the sword-like pain going down my left leg is gone. I am very impatient and want to get well and be normal again. My lumbar spine was fused and I also had a second laminectomy. Some of my mobility will be lost, but I feel I am getting a second chance. My surgeon is said to be the best in the western US.
Thanks to all of you who have written comments and emailed me. I have a long way to go and appreciate hearing from you.
I won't be sculpting for a while because I can't sit for long periods of time, but please stick with me.

On the mend!

I have not been creating dolls lately, and for a very good reason. I had spinal surgery.....8 fusions (L5 up to T10), a laminectomy, and 2 twelve inch titanium rods in my back for support. I feel like a doll with a metal armature!
It was a huge surgery so healing is at the top of my priority list right now. Things are going well so far, but I can't say that I have not been afraid. The physical therapist comes to the house 3 times a week to help me strengthen my core and to give me pep talks. I am slowly weaning myself off of medication. It is beyond my understanding out anyone could use those drugs for recreational purposes. Thank God we have them, but playing around with them is just so unsafe.
I will keep you updated on my progress. In the meantime, please appreciate being able to take a shower alone, put on your clothing without help, and mostly, going to the bathroom alone. Don't take any of your independence for granted.
Sue Anne

Gone for a while

My surgery date has been rescheduled for this coming Monday. I simply could not deal with the pain and wish tomorrow were Monday. So you probably won't see me here for a while, but please don't leave! I will get back as soon as I can.

My summer

My sculpting will be slowing down for the next couple of months, although I am going to try my best to keep going. I am having a spinal fusion, currently scheduled for June 20, but due to intense pain in my left leg, I am going to try to reschedule for an earlier date. I have collapsing discs in my back and the nerve to my leg is impinged. They say that this is a huge surgery and yes, I am scared but have no choice but to go for it. I have congenital scoliosis which has finally caught up with me. I would love to hear from anyone who has had this surgery. I really don't know what my back will feel like with part of it in a fixed position.
I will continue to post helpful tips and hope that my followers will hang in there with me.
I will keep you posted.
Sue Anne

OOAK doll sculpting tip

You know you can bake your doll on polyfil fiber, right? It does not melt or change the fiber if you keep your oven at 275 degrees. It will keep the doll from having flat places. I use the same fiber over and over. It's like putting your doll on a little pillow while it cures.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! My day began with my husband making breakfast, then I spent some time sculpting, my favorite thing to do! Tonight, Yang Ming's, our favorite Chinese food. It doesn't look like a very good day for the pool. The marine layer has not burned off yet. It's a cozy day in the house, though. Netflix movies will be entertainment later tonight.

Christine and Grant came in from Redlands to celebrate Mother's Day yesterday. Christine cut and colored my hair for my present. That's pretty wonderful considering she is an Aveda stylist. Looks like she will be doing makeup for an indie movie at the end of the summer! That girl is going places!

Eric and Lora sent me PJs. I collect PJs, you know! You can never have too many! Paul painted a picture for me and I am going to frame it for the guest room! Mark is doing some work around the house for me today.

What more could a girl ask for? Great kids, grandkids, a loving and generous husband, and a passion for sculpting!I am blessed!

I miss you Mom!

Why do I share sculpting tips?

My son,a graphic artist, asked "Mom! Why do you tell people your sculpting secrets?" Well, I have always been a generous person and I also love to teach. Additionally, I have Parkinson's Disease and I don't know how much longer I will be able to sculpt, so I feel that by sharing tips, I can leave a piece of myself behind...pardon the poor grammar.

When I started sculpting, I had to buy books, search the internet, and learn by trial and error. I know a lot of artists think that everyone should start out that way. I believe that what you give out to the world comes back to you somehow, some way. It' better known as Karma, or the "law of reciprocity." I am not saying that I share only for that reason. I enjoy sharing for the sake of sharing. Grandpa Morgan said "We were all put here to help each other out." I believe that. The world has too much anger and hatred. If I can give people a bit of joy, then I will do that.

OOAK art doll sculpting tip!

This is for new sculptors:
If you are serious about sculpting, you need to learn about sculpting and smoothing with a brush. Often, just the pressure or push of a brush will give you a subtle indentation that creates the right shadowing on a face. A brush is also what you need to smooth out a face or other body part. A filbert with natural bristles is what I use, along with a touch of mineral oil. Don't use too much oil, or you will end up with gooey clay. I use my brush a lot! It is the only way to blend and finish your doll faces.

Hope this helps you on your art doll journey!

OOAK Baby Fairy In Pink Tutu!

This is my new baby fairy listing on Ebay! Pink Dreams seemed like the perfect name for this piece. She comes in the beautiful black and white satin box that you see in the photos. I always ship my dolls in pretty inner boxes, in case you didn't know that! This baby is anatomically correct, she is 4 3/8 inches long and is simply sweet! She just sleeps away the day in her pretty box. She will fit so perfectly in your hand! I love the serenity of this piece and hope you like her too! She is much more delicate in person. She's very girly!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170636487383&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Follow me on Twitter!

Please follow me on Twitter. Read more about what makes me tick!
My Twitter name is SueAnneArtDolls.

OOAK Baby Orangutan

Here is another one of my orangutans, a baby with eyes that plead for you to pick him up! His name is Toby. He has just bits of fur on his arms and legs because he is such a young one. He is 2 1/2 inches long and lies on his back, although you can have him sit if you want. I really do think he is the most pitifully cute creature I have ever sculpted! Here is his auction, started at a very low price!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170632194250&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

OOAK little girl orangutan sculpt!

I have had a couple of people ask me when I am ever going to sculpt an orangutan, so here she is! Meet Bessie Lou. She is only 2 1/2 inches high not including her top knot. I had fun sculpting an orangutan face for a change, and I liked doing the long fingers and toes. She has cute little glossy eyes. I am going to be working on an infant orangutan next. I also have some commissioned pieces to work on in between my sculpts that I sell on Ebay. Here is her listing link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/OOAK-little-girl-toddler-orangutan-monkey-Toodlesocks-/170631875725?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27ba73cc8d

New OOAK art dolls on Ebay!

I'd like to tell you about my new listings. I sculpted the teeny PJ babies last year and, finally, painted their PJs yesterday. At this point, I don't know that I can still sculpt so tiny because of the tremor in my hand. For those of you who don't know, I am in stage one of Parkinson's and I hope it stays in stage one! According to the neurologists, there is a possiblity that it won't advance quickly, if at all. I am keeping a positive attitude about it and have not let it stop me from doing anything I want to do.
I sculpted the other two, larger fairies, during the last couple of weeks. They are both peacefully sleeping and having fairy dreams. They are approximately 4 inches....the size where I am most comfortable.
Next, I will be sculpting a baby orangutan, as I promised to a couple of my followers. I haven't created one of those for a long time, so it will be fun! You know, my dream is to hold a baby orangutan or chimp, but it looks like holding my sculpted ones is as close as I will get to doing that!

delay in ook fairy listing

My day didn't go as planned so it looks like my new poseable fairy won't be listed on Ebay until tomorrow. I also apologize for not getting my peeps tutorial on here. I will try to do it tomorrow.

OOAK fairy doll coming tomorrow!

Tomorrow, I will be listing a wonderful fairy! She is poseable and comes with a antique looking book box that holds all of her treasures that she has stolen from my house! The treasures will not be revealed in the auction, but I can assure you that she picked up some really nice things! Two of them you can wear, and two of them are my own works of art! How can I be upset with her. She is so cute and sweet.

Remember my blog about Grandma Bartocci's junk jar? Well, this book box holds similar things...random things that older kids would love to go through when they visit their own grandma's house!

So tune in tomorrow when I will show photos of my listing here!

Polymer clay sculpting tip fior OOAK dolls

This is a tip for beginners. Please don't ever use nail polish or any oil based paint on your dolls (except for water based oils) because they will eat into the clay which, itself, is oil based. Over time, you will end up with a sticky mess,or, at the least, the clay will deteriorate. If you want to add a slight gloss to lips, use Future Floor wax! Really! Also, it's not an attractive or realistic to look to put a finish on your dolls. Skin isn't shiny so you don't want your dolls to be shiny.

New OOAK sculpted baby on Ebay...Pink!

Pink is my new baby up for auction on Ebay. When I was applying her hair, a wisp of it stood up on its own and it looked so cute that I tied a bow around it to match the one around her body! She is softly painted and blushed with heat set paints. In her curled up position, she is 3 inches long. She is detailed dimples in her hands and baby creases. She is a little sleeping sweetheart who would love to come and sleep at your house!

artisan vintage style jewelry on Ebay

I have listed some of my artisan jewelry on Ebay. I have worn a couple of these pieces just to see what reaction I get from people and they love the collage or altered necklaces that I make from new,vintage,and antique jewelry findings. They would make really lovely gifts for the "lady who has everything," because they will never be repeated exactly the same! You can shop at Nordstrom's or Bloomingdale's but you won't find anything like these pieces there!

http://shop.ebay.com/toodlesocks/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

OOAK polymer clay art dolls listed on Ebay!

I have listed my two newest dolls on Ebay! The garden fairy is lying in a silk flower that is secured to a candlestick. She is very peaceful as she naps among my flowers out on the back patio (although I would not leave her outside permanently. The bunny baby is so shy and sweet as she looks up at you from her big blue eyes. Here are the links to these two auctions:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170626945864&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170626986800&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

OOAK doll sculpting tips

On my smaller babies, I don't use an armature, especially when the baby's position has the arms and legs tight against the body. To make the joints extra secure, I add just a touch of liquid Sculpey or liquid Fimo. Use too much and the clay will just slide around when you try to put it together.

Don't just make a line with a tool on the baby's "skin." Push on the clay after indentation to make it look like a real baby crease.

If you sculpt your baby's face and the back of the head looks too small, bake it and add on more clay, then bake again. A baby's head is pretty full. Leaving it too small makes it look like an alien. I just want to remind you again that a baby's features start in the lower third of the head. That's what makes it look so "baby!"

I am working on my three new baby sculpts. Actually, one will be a jointed toddler. So, keep watch!

Beautiful new jewelry!

I promise I am getting back to my ooak dolls. In fact, I have three baby heads sculpted and am going to work on the bodies starting this evening. But, I just had to take time to list my new jewelry. I am especially fond of my new bracelet. I found a vintage Oneida bracelet and embellished it with silver metal stampings and an onyx center. The new Wedgewood pendant is really striking too! I love embellishing my broken china pieces. I think the embellishments really raise the bar on this popular trend. The collage necklace with the chain is really unique. The chain gives it a lot of dimension.
Please check them out on my website. Click on the collage box or the broken china box on my home page.
www.toodlesocks.com

New collage necklaces!

I love these necklaces! I never make two exactly alike,so just like my dolls, they are OOAK, or one of a kind. I use vintage looking stampings and antique findings on a brass base to create these "statement" pieces of jewelry. They are each 16 1/2 inches long, but I can lengthen or shorten them. To purchase, please contact me here, or buy with PayPal directly from my website:
www.toodlesocks.com

The Junk Jar

Soon, I will be posting some photos of my new collage jewelry, but, in the meantime, I thought I would tell you about one of my childhood memories. In the 50s and 60s we were easily entertained with simple things, very simple things. We had two stations to choose from on our black and white TV, so we had little technology to keep us busy. My sister and I spent our time playing with paper dolls, board games, playing school, and making tents out of old blankets, but one of our favorite past times was going to Grandma Bartocci's house and asking if we could get out "The Junk Jar." This special jar held an assortment of random odds and ends that Grandma had collected over the years. It was a Mason or Ball jar that held wonderful things like a few marbles, buttons, little animal figures , pieces of hardware, jacks, coins,Cracker Jacks prizes, and other "magical" items. I don't know why we were so intrigued with the jar, but I thought it would be interesting to make my own collection of junk for children to dump out on the floor when they come to my house to visit. Sure enough, I found that they immediately were drawn to it and the junk was the first thing they wanted when they came through the door! Of course, you can't let very small children play with junk jar because of choking danger, but you just might want to start collecting your own odds and ends for your very own junk jar! I think that part of the fascination with Grandma's jar was that we had to ask permission to play with it. So, you might keep that in mind.

I don't know what happened to that jar, but I sure would like to look through it one more time.

New! Baby Garden Fairy!

My new baby fairy sleeps in a flower that is attached to a brass candlestick. She is only 4 inches long. The candlestick, including the flower is about 8 inches long. She is anatomically correct and she is removable from her flower. The piece looked so cute sitting with my pots of flowers while I was taking photographs. She fit right in! I have her for sale on my website:

www.toodlesocks.com

The shipping is included with the cost of this baby! Also, I do take PayPal.

Decorating on a shoestring!

As promised, here is a photo of my $12.90 night stand! In the photo of the finished guest bedroom, you can see the matching one on the other side of the bed. In case you didn't see original post about this room, let me fill you in on some of my thrift store finds. The triple dresser is by Stanley and I paid $19 for it. The hutch on top of the dresser was free! My son and daughter-in-law pulled it out of a trash bin at their apartment complex. Unbelieveable, huh? I made the pictures over the bed. For those, I simply used scrapbook paper and watercolor paper. The frames were inexpensive ones from WalMart($3 each if I remember correctly). They were brown so they got a couple of coats of white paint. The chest on the left, the one with three drawers, was only $29.00 and the mirror over it was $11.00. The vintage lamps were $10 a piece with new shades. I just want to show you that you don't have to put a lot of money into a room, any room, to make it attractive and inviting. BTW, my dad made the shelf over the bed many years ago. I painted it white to match the rest of the room. All of the bedding and pillows are new and were found at Kohl's and TJMaxx.

So get some paint and get to it!

Foot Stool Idea!

I really must start remembering to take "before" photos so you can see some of the "ugly" things I turn into treasures.
For example, I have had this small foot stool for years. It had some very dated fabric on it, so I decided to recover it in a neutral tone. When I finished with the fabric, it just didn't look very interesting. The idea of a doily came to me. Although I often use antique and vintage doilies for my dolls, the one I used for this stool is new and came from JoAnn Fabrics. I will do anything to avoid a thread and needle, so I used FabriTac (gotta love it!) to secure it to the new fabric on the stool. I am thinking that I just might add a button to the center of the doily.

Coming soon:
I will show you my $12.90 end tables that I painted to go in my white guestroom. Honestly, they are super sturdy and well made, but they were an ugly blonde color. At only $12.90 each, I had to give them a try! I just need to put the knobs on them and then I will click some pics!

Sue Anne's diet tip!

Ok, this has nothing to do with sculpting or soldering, but I want to share one of my diet tips that gets me through the day.

Sometimes, I just have to have something fizzy! I pour selzer water over ice and top it off with juice....maybe just an 1/8 of a cup to give it a little flavor. The selzer water has no calories (don't use club soda as it has salt in it) and the juice is so sparse that it must have no more than 20 calories or so. I am not a fan of diet drinks and they just aren't good for you! This way, I get the fizz, a bit of flavor, and not many calories. My daughter-in-law, Christine, calls it my "refreshing drink!" If I am out of selzer water, I do the same thing with filtered water. Just top off a glass of ice water or selzer water with pomegranate juice,orange juice, pineapple juice....whatever you have in the fridge! Of course you can do something similar with lemon or lime, but I prefer juice!

I have this baby in a bunny suit up for sale on my website for only $59. That is a great price for a doll that is one of a kind. Her face will never be repeated because I never use molds.
If you would rather buy her from my blog, please write me at am803@aol.com. I have her set up on the website for paypal, but other payment methods are not out of the question.
About her:
She is 4 inches high to the tip of her bunny ears. She has hand painted eyes which were glossed for realism. I sprinkled a light layer of fairy dust on her because I simply love sparkles! She has detailed bunny feet pads. Her face was painted with fine acrylics and Genesis heat set paints, then sealed.
She is eagerly waiting to help you celebrate spring at your house!

Soldered ephemera collage memory or jewelry boxes

I don't think I have shown you my jewelery boxes! Using purchased boxes, I soldered a collage under glass to embellish the top of the boxes. They are simply beautiful, unique, and one of a kind boxes where you can keep your memories, trinkets, or jewelry. The one with the little girl, vintage doily, and key is sold, but the fairy one is available on my website:

www.toodlesocks.com

I can customize boxes if you forward any old photos or other memorabilia to me. Please contact me at am803@aol.com if you are interested. These boxes would be an unexpected and fanstastic gift! Ideas for your collage would be old tickets, meaningful fabric, photos, labels, buttons, lace,old keys, jewlery, etc. I will forward a photo of the collage to you for your approval before I solder.

OOAK fairy baby WIP

While I have been working on my baby bunny, I have also been working on this baby fairy (I make use of the time that I have one curing in the oven). Here is my baby fairy, which I think I will finish with a Victorian look. I know she looks pretty shocking without arms, but I will "transplant" her forearms and hands tomorrow. If you want to see how I sculpt hands, go to my hand tutorial here on my blog. I sculpt each finger individually. Cutting them into the hand just doesn't work for me, so I figured out my own technique.
You can also look at my thread showing you my technique for sculpting OOAK faces.
Happy collecting!

Bunnies made using my tutorial

Think you can't make a bunny for this spring? Look at the ones these Arizona ladies made using my tutorial. I am so proud of them!

OOAK doll ~ bunny baby WIP

Here is my work in progress, a baby in a bunny suit! I still have to refine, paint, and detail her. Wait until you see how much personality will come from the eyes!
The ears have a wire armature for extra strength. I really hate working with armatures, but every sculptor has to learn this discipline.
No she doesn't have her own ears showing because they will be "under" the bunny hat part of her costume. You'll see.
Watch for photos of the finished bunny. Coming soon!

Aveda! 50% off (Christine McConnell services only)

If you live in Southern California, you won't want to miss out on using this coupon offered by Christine McConnell, stylist in the Aveda salon in Riverside. Please visit her website here:

www.christinehmcconnell.com

She isn't merely a trained stylist. She is a gifted artist who was born to bring out the best in you!
Print off the coupon and get ready for a real treat!

Pretty mailing label idea!

I was out of mailing labels the other day, and an idea came to me that I thought you might like. I saw some paper doilies in my desk and decided to use one of those to dress up my package. I got a compliment from the person I sent it to, so I am mailing out another package with a doily label today!
You can either apply it with a glue stick, or put clear tape over it to make it really secure.

OOAK Baby Fairy in Antique Teacup

I posted a baby in an antique teacup on my website last night for a very reasonable price of $40. The teacup itself is worth more than half of that amount. I found the teacup in an antique shop in the city of Orange. It was made in Czechoslovkia. The baby is nestled in "fairy fibers" which sparkle like magic. The baby is tiny, only 2 inches long (not counting the tip of her hat), yet very detailed. Here's the link to my site:
www.toodlesocks.com