Words to live by

Persistence- in all things you really want.

Gratitude- for life, love, beauty, faith, health, and just in general.

Growth- mental, physical, social, spiritual.

Love- FAMILY, friends, those in need, and those who are broken.

Focus- on what needs to be done, on what has been done, on yourself.

Giving- to friends, family, self, the planet.

Protecting- each other, values, nature.

Anticipating- a new day, a new muse, a journey(mental or physical), and anything new.

Participating- In Life.

Just another

Saturday the hot of June. It's a good thing that I have an air-conditioner.

I've been looking at different clays for doll making. They aren't cheap.

My Very Significant Other wants to grill steak tonight. I am glad he will be outside and not me.

There are two ways to look at today. Yay I don't have to go outside. Or damn, I don't get to go outside. I'm still working on which one to choose. The weather is supposed to cool some Monday. Good.

One thing I've noticed. When the day is hot like this the clay seems to ooze through my fingers. And not in a good way. My hands are hot and I need to find a clay that doesn't react to this like super sculpey.

I am ready for fall and the super things that drop to the ground that I can pick up and use in my dollmaking.

I'm very much not wordy today. Bye

have you ever?

Have you ever seen two cuter little girls. Emma Rose is 4 and Anabelle is almost 2. My son's girls. I am so grateful that their mom likes to take pictures.

I am a parent

This is a pic of my daughter and granddaughter. Marlee, the granddaughter, turned 2 today. I often get memories of the time my children were small. At the time I didn't think there could be anything better than being a Mother. And I still don't. I think I have been the most fortunate of mothers in the world. There were some things that didn't go well for me or for the kids when they were young. But I now lay claim to the most wonderful kids in the world. My oldest daughter has a talent for cooking that has led her to become a chef. She can put foods together that make me drool and she can make them beautiful. She has never considered herself artistic but that is just wrong. Ask anyone who doesn't have that talent and they will tell you.

My wonderful son married the prettiest, smartest, and nicest girl in the world. And they are happy after 14(I think) years with the 4 year old Emma Rose and the almost 2 Anabelle. Their children are such their own people, they have taken the best from both parents. They are a beautiful family.

Cathy and Eric, my youngest daughter and really cute son-in-law are the parents of Marlee and soon Kingston. My youngest daughter has managed to be one of the prettiest and nicest people ever and is terrifically pragmatic and level-headed. Her husband is the only laid back type A personality I've ever met. A terrific family.

If I ever considered myself anything less than an artist I certainly know better now. I have not formed these wonderful people but I did contribute to them. I helped them learn lots of things about life both directly and indirectly. I loved them to distraction and I still do. Creativity is making something, helping to make something, teaching something, showing something, etc. I am creative and I am an artist.

Welcome

Welcome to Christy Carpenter, the greatest chef that ever went into a kitchen. If you recognize the name, yep, she's one of mine.

Welcome

Adrianne Moro has joined my blog. Thanks ever so much. I am trying to become a true dollmaker and need all the help I can get.

Learning

I've learned some things.

Fabri Tac is really sticky. Don't open the bottle and drop it.

Swimming is good for the body and the mind................ I hope.

Having a dog in the vet hospital is worrisome. She will come home today.

I hate hot, humid days.

There is less good stuff on TV on hot, humid days. The really good stuff only comes on
when there is something else to do.

Some days I have a mind. Some days I don't.

Doing something about it.

I am a skinflint. I never thought I was until I tried to salvage some of the figures that I have not been able to make work. Already baked, they just made me mad every time I thought about finishing them. So I have beaten myself to death over the waste and kept them with the idea of completing them.

No more!!!!!I have decided to pitch what I don't like and start some more. Between the time I did the first set of figures, I have learned so much and gotten so much help that I think I will be able to do better now. So I am starting some new figures and will finish the old ones that I like. And I'll take pics and post them.

Running

One of my best friends had surgery yesterday. Her name is Shadow and she is my 12 year old standard Poodle. She is the most loving and nicest person I have known in years. She never gets angry and has the patience of Job. And I love her. Glory be, she made it through the surgery. There was a question since she has very low platelets. She is resting at the hospital today and I will pick her up tomorrow. That is good news number one.

Good news number 2 is the fact that I can breathe. I never knew how very much I appreciate air till I started swimming for exercise. I joined the YMCA and started swimming Monday. I have not exercised for about 20 years. I have, however, eaten as if I were exercising for the last 20 years. My body is totally out of control. And I am trying to get it back. So the down and back in the pool has a reason. Back in the day I could actually swim 1500 yards and not think much about it. Ha! I am swimming 450 now with large amounts of gasping in between. I have a back problem and decided that running, etc, is not for me. I figured that with all of the blubber I have I would float. And I do. But floating is just not enough. I actually have to move some things to get through the water. So I did.

A huge surprise was that I went to swim very early in the morning, feeling very virtuous and lo and behold, there were already people there. Virtue is not going to work as a reason to continue. And then I got the truly wonderful benefit. I had not thought that I would feel better for a while. Amazingly, I already have more energy and more breath. Woopee!!!!! I came home and worked in the studio. Now I'm ready to clean it again and continue. Amazing!!!

I have taken the wonderful advice to heart when it comes to hair for my dolls. I'm going to get Fabri Tac and work on hair. I am getting more and more interested in the personalities of the dolls themselves. I had been looking at making the dolls as a great way to have something to do. I have read lots of books and learned a lot of stuff. But now I am thinking more about who the dolls are and what they need to look like they have a reason to be. Some dolls are just beautiful. I can't do beautiful yet but I am beginning to understant about the stories that go with the dolls. What a new thing for me. How super it is to be able to make up stories. And it does make me want to work some more on the dolls.

I am just tickled to be around to do the things I am doing. And more than grateful for the support I get.

Good day to everyone. Judy

More hair.

I seem to not be clear. Which is like me because I have tried to do too much lately. I am trying to attach wool, alpaca, etc. Basically any hair I can get. I got a pelt of auburn animal hair that feels like wool. I cut some off, put glue on the head, stuck the hair down and now I am going to take it off if I can because it looks like a mess. Either I am using the wrong technique or the wrong glue or the wrong amount of hair or something. It makes me want to take a class but there aren't any around here. It is just bugging me. I'm sure I will figure something out. Don't want to waste a lot of hair getting there. Unfortunately the books I have don't say much and there aren't any good pics. I will keep trying. The Ice Queen was good enough to notice my plight and answer. But again, I wasn't clear. No human hair. Don't have enough to use when I cut my own hair.

Hands and feet solved. I need to make mittens and boots. Joke!

Hair today, gone tomorrow

hair. HAIR. How can I do good hair? I am doing OK with polymer hair. But I'm trying to use hair for hair. And not a wig, but hair. And glue. And it is hard to do. Really hard to do. Every head I'm working on is a different size and the idea of a wig is really appealing but a total impossibility. Poly clothes are hard enough without the additional hair problem. I have decided to ask for help. From any reader out there who has an idea of how to attach hair without it seeming glued down.

Today, I work on hands and feet. I've been putting it off because some of the figures are quite small. Time to give my little people hands and feet. I read that the Creagers have real feet inside the shoes. That is to be one of my goals. The problem is procrastination. If I don't think I can do a good job, I put it off. OK, today my people get hands and feet. I'm sure they will be happy.

The Best Laid Plans

I had planned a date with Edward Elf yesterday. We were going to finish him and make him really pretty. But my Brian came to me after a meeting I had and said "Let's go to the mountains." Well, since the mountains are my favorite place, we went. We went up Citico creek to the Indian Boundary lake. Then down the mountain to the North River. Then up to the state line with North Carolina, then to Green Cove Lake. All of these wonderful places are in the Cherokee National Forest and it is one of our favorite places to go. I have included pics.

When I got home I had received a package from England. Christmas came in June this year. Nikki and her friend at Piskies and Poppets had collaborated to make me on of the luckiest persons anywhere. The proof that Artists are wonderful people. So today Edward and I are on for our date. Is there anything better?