Happy New Year!

Ok, so Christmas is done for now, my house is kind of looking normal again, but what is normal?  I have lots on my mind as to what I would like to do for this new year.  New ideas, new TV, new Wii..oh yea!!! ....need to get my yard back into shape, lose a um...a few...pounds..yea riiiight....and reorganize my poor cluttered spare room.  That is just the small list, LOL.  Last summer I was recuperating from surgery, so this summer I plan on getting many of these things accomplished.  It feels like summer is far away, but in reality...it will be here before we all know it!  It is the time I have off from work that I can accomplish most of my goals!

Oh, I got my computer all reformatted now so I need to work on cluttering it up again too with all my software!  Hopefully I wont have any issues again.  This time I played it smart and put McAfee on first. Then Office 2007 with all of the service packs... No errors!!!  So far so good...all my hardware is working correctly as it should!  It was the first time ever I reformatted a computer in less than 30 minutes...I was so impressed!  Yea for technology, gotta love it!

Wishing you all a wonderful, safe, prosperous, healthy New Year!

Love,

Chris

Green Mermaid Dotee Doll

Well...I dont have a name for her yet.  It will come to me sometime soon.  If you have any suggestions please feel free to pass them my way....  She took me all day to work on...off and on...I had a difficult time with her crown, but I finally got it to work...for some reason I have a hard time soldering sometimes.  The solder just wont hold!  I use flux...and I tried both my torch and an iron.  Thought I had it...with the iron...and when I started adding the other wired pieces...it broke...so I figured another way to make it work...but its not how I wanted it.  It works though...and it holds rather nicely. I learned a new way to do this...and might use it again in the future...

Hope you enjoyed your day off if you had one.  I did!  My heart goes out to all military personel....being a retired Navy wife, I feel for ya!!!  Military life is not easy. 

Heather - New Dotee Doll

I made another one...I just love her~She is so pretty. I am going to add several photos so you can see her a little better. Im thinking of putting her up on my Etsy. I have nothing on Etsy at the moment....UGH...

Now available on my etsy shop

http://www.etsy.com/shop/wingsnscales

By Request!!!

Ok, here is Zelda's butt! Hehehe...I am going to marker over the thread so it wont show so much....Hehehehe

Zelda Close Up!

Ok, here she is completely finished now. I added just a few little pearls and added some shimmery paint which you really cant see in this photo. I also wired up her hair so you can see her arms better.

Thanks again for all your wonderful advise...

Hugs..

Chris

Newest Dotti Doll!

Here is my newest Dotti Doll. I named her Zelda because she reminds me of a wild cat. I took most of the day putting her together...I like to take my time...lol She has a belly button, ta ta's and a butt! I try to make all my dolls with butts...hehehe.. sometimes I can't!

Her face is painted with watercolors and acrylics. I outlined everything to add a little more detail. Can you believe I used a purple micron pigma pen to do that... I thought I grabbed a brown one. The lighting was not that great in my living room or I would have notice right away...but I think I like it this way! I have an ott light, but its in my dining room where I do most of my jewelry...oh well.. Oh, and I rubbed the tips of her hair walnut stain distress ink! I have more pictures of her that I will put up soon...

I'm debating if I should put a skirt on her or some kind of a tu-tu. I think I want to do a little more sparklies on her too... I would love to hear your input!

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!!!!

Thanks...

Chris

Snowmen Earrings

Here is another one of my little creations. I think the snowmen are so dang cute with the black swavarski bead in the center for his scarf....

Santa Earrings......

Well...I was doing a little exploring the other day and found these cute Santa earrings....so I decided to go to the store and pick up the pieces to make them...once I was in the store...my mind was going and thinking....and I came up with my own style of Santa's.... I like my Santa's better..LOL

My Jewelry Display...

I was reading an email that I get frequently from one of the newsletters I receive on a regular basis, and finally decided it was time to add a photo of my displays to that website. So I submitted the photo with a little blurp and she loved it. So now my displays can be scene by those who visit her website. http://www.jewelry-display-ideas.com/wings-n-scales.html

Well...I am having lots of fun making the jewelry for my new website. This is one of the hostess choices... I still have a long ways to getting the site exactly like I want it..I am sooooo picky!!! Once the site is up and running, I will let you all know...Im so excited about it. I do hope it works. I will tell you more about it once it is put together. The hardest part is making the animations. Its so time consuming...but well worth it in the long run...Ok..enough of that...I best get to work. Time does not stop...

Here is a photo of my Button Fairy I made. Her wings curled up slightly when I put a high gloss sealer on it to make them shiny...but she still looks cute...hehehe I will definitely make more in the future...I bought all these buttons that were being discontinued so I need to put them to good use...

I started writing this little note and it grew and grew, and all it was about was griping about my ex-neighbor. Then I decided that nobody really wants to hear about that..its a waste of my time and energy to spend complaining about her. She moved, thought we wouldnt see her again...and she keeps on coming back. I dont know how to get rid of her...I feel bad for her since she doesnt have any family near. I dont want to talk bad about her and yet she is a pain! Oh well...such is life...I need to not think of her at the moment and focus on my own needs and not hers. Her problems are her problems and not mine right? Right.... So here I go again, writing a bunch of garbage....now to change the subject...Ahhhhh...

Ok, I have been busting my rump with my jewelry website...it is moving right along and I have high hopes to have it running in full bloom by October. So get ready...its going to be good! My biggest problem is I have so many ideas I dont know how to shut them off! But I amworking on that problem little by little..heheheh

My shoulder is not back to normal yet and I still am not able to do certain things..but I can do a whole lot more than I did before the surgery...progression is always a good thing!

I am still working on my glass bottle doll tutorial and plan on having that finished before October also.

I was reading on Doll Dreamers that they are doing another challenge, this time its on WIP's. And boy oh boy do I have plenty of those to work on....

I finally got one thing done...which is my Fairy Button Doll...I want to make more than one though...so I have to keep on putting those together too...

Ok, well...now that I got that all off my mind I can go eat breakfast...although its pretty darn close to lunch time...my pain free drugs are wearing off now and I am starting to function again...LOL

I will be putting a photo up of my cute little Fairy Button Doll some time today...I need to add a charm to her to finish her up...

More coming soon...thanks for taking your time to read all this...

Hugs...

Here is a photo of my Dotee Exchange Doll. I have not picked a name for her yet. I will wait til my mind can think a little more clearer. Its been a week tomorrow since my surgery. I am feeling better now. Its the most painful surgery I have had yet, and hope I dont have to go through this again. I am being good although I have bumped it a few times which I pray to God I dont do again. Good thing is I am able to go without my sling for hrs. at a time. Im getting better atyping with my left hand too....

I am still planning on creating an on line course as to how to make my glass bottle dolls. I have it in the makings and once I am able to type normal again, I will hsve it done in no yime. I will put a photo of her on the site once she is ready to be submitted....

more later...hugs,

Chris

Well, its done. My shoulder surgery is complete. There is nothing I can compare the pain with, all i know is that it really hurts a lot. The pain will shoot in it just as quick as it goes. I have not functioned since Wed. It seems to be more stiff now and feels better when i try to stretch it out some. Iknow it will get better and i cant wait til that day comes. more later

Thought I would share this....I really like what it says...if we could all think like this, the world would be a better place...dont you think???

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written.
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay cheque.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion,
Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Periwinkle Cluster bracelet

Ok, I made another bracelet..this one I really like. Its so funny because I realized this morning that the colors change! Yup...it changes from a pretty purple color to a periwinkle color depending on the lighting. When I took this picture last night, the beads looked like the colors you see here...but this is after I changed the colors to match what I saw. Then this morning, when I looked at the bracelet, it looked more purple...lavender...so I dont know what color to call it now! I rememeber when I bought the beads, I was thinking they were the periwinkle color because I absolutely love that color...and I didnt think much of it when I made the bracelet because I use an OTT light so the colors didnt seem much different...but now, in natural lighting....the larger round bead is the one that changes...so pretty!

Another Pic of my Dotee Doll...

This is a close up of her skirt and you can see a little more detail. I really want to make more of these...they are so dang cute and fun to do...

:-)

Mermaid Painting...

Here is the sister to my fairy painting....

My Dotee Doll

After a some brain storming and a little extra time to play, here is my dotee doll. She is supposed to be a belly dancer but after I put her legs on I wasn't sure if she was turned into a mermaid. She can be what ever her new owner wants her to be I suppose. I wish I was able to do more dolls before the deadline, but my crazy arm is giving me more grief and I have no strength in it anymore. Anyway, I sure enjoyed making her and I really look forward to making more of these little cuties in the future...

He is supposed to be animated....darn!!! There now that worked....I just learned something new...LOL

HAPPY EASTER!!!

New Jewelry

Boy, I have been so busy lately I dont even have time to breath! Here is a small example of what has been keeping me sooooo busy...but I love it!! I have so much more than this made. I need to start putting them up on my Etsy site soon...K, off to drink and be merry....its FRIDAY!!!

Here is Magrat, my second attempt. I like her much better. Her head has better shape and I like the look on her face. I think I could have done a little better on stuffing her upper body but other than that she is looking really good now. I have never made a doll to this extreme before and I just love it! I painted the face much better and learned a little trick about the watercolor on the face... I sprayed it with Fix All after I put the skin tone on. The colors did not bleed at all. Only thing is I had to use a scruffy brush to smooth in the paint...but it wasnt bad at all... I need to learn more about sculpting the face. Her nose didnt turn out as good as the first doll..but its not bad. I know the more dolls I make, the better and easier it will be for me to sculpt the faces... I made her legs already but I will put the photos up later...Off to work I go...

Here is my first attempt at making Magrat for the Disc World Challenge doll. I didnt like how her head turned out and the watercolor bled along the mouth. I think she looks very masculine here. I like her shape moreless other than the other flaws in the design. UGH!!!

Matzu Sea Goddess

Wow...this is my very first fully hand sculpted doll using Super Sculpey clay, I think she turned out pretty darn good. Only thing is her eyes look like they are bulging out of her head...LOL I thought she looked a little asian so I named her Matzu and the sea goddess from China. I learned how to do the peyote stitch on Friday and I cant seem to get enough of it...so fun! Much easier than I thought it would be. After I took the class, I knew I wanted to make this doll face. She is made on a 1 " wooden plug. I have made faces before but only with using push molds, so this was a little more fun and a lot more challenging. I need to make a small investment in the proper tools though...I think if I had a few more tiny tools it would have been easier to make. I am definately going to make more of these.... OH, and I painted her with Genesis Oil paints, much better to work with than acrylics in this case I thought!

Faery Painting..

I created this painting today for fun. My friend and I were talking about making some kind of a display unit to attach my jewelry on and this is what we are going to do. Put 2 canvases together, paint on the outside...on on the inside will be black fabric stapled on, then wire mesh on top of that...and there you go...and fun and not too expensive display...I still have lots I want to add to this...and the second one is now in the process of being painted...

Tree Fairy

Well, here is fairy number one. I made her from start to finish all just today and boy what a pain she was...LOL I have never worked with such tiny hands and feet before. Actually the feet gave me the worse problems. I like her, I think she is cute. But I dont think she is my best. I tried to give her fuller cheeks but the fabric just wouldnt move anymore! I am going to attempt the other fairy soon and see if she will be any easier for me to make. I do like her hair though...and the freckles...she needed them!

Wings are next....I like wings...

Wish me luck on my next fairy! :-)

I just love this color. Smokey gray...fun!

These earrings are very simple and yet delicate. I used the swarski beads along with pearls.

Mermaid Delight!

Yup, Mermaid delight! I think its a perfect name for this bracelet and earrings. The colors are so pretty, and the beads are just amazing I think. I love this color combination. I didnt think the copper beads would blend, but I think they look just fine....

Cranberry Cream

Well...here is another one of my attempts to creating a bracelet. I made matching earrings. I am having so much fun with this style of bracelet. Its so easy to make. The trick is making the string tight, tying knots frequently, and making sure you have at least 8 different types of beads.

Well, I havent done much on the tree. I did find some beads that I really liked to add a small touch of color. I only have about 6 fluted beads with tiny pearls glued around the roots. I also found this swag with the perfect color of flowers to add in too. I just finished sewing up the bodies of the fairies and I am looking forward to putting those together soon....

A friend of mine gave me an idea and we thought it would be great for me to enter my little creation in our local county fair. Something I have never done before out here so this should be interesting...I hope I get it all finished in time!

Tree Face

Here is my progress of the tree fairy. She is turning out far better than I thought she would. Michelle gives great instructions, THANKS MICHELLE!!! I still have to add more leaves...but she is moving right along...

Now I need to get ready for work...but I would rather play...oh well...

Have a great week......

Fairy in a Tree

Here she is looking straight at her. The colors are a little more richer than in this photo, but very close. I hand stitched the beads on because of the new technique that I learned in my beading class yesterday. She is so pretty...not bad for my first online class making a sculpted face. I have done a little bit of sculpting on my own, but really never done anything this nice. I am quite excited about the finished piece...

Fairy Doll in a Tree

This is a side profile of my doll face. She is only about 1 1/2 inches or so long and all the bead work was added today. I am taking this class online and fell in love with the idea and look of the original artwork. So, this is my creation. I will be adding more images later as time goes...

Grape Bracelet

This was my first one I made last night at our local bead store. I had a lot of fun learning how to put this together. It was so easy. I am dreaming up ways now how to incorporate this style into my dolls...Hmmm...the brain is clickin..

New Bracelets

How fun this was to make! I learned last night how to make this bracelet and I just love the way it turned out.. This is actually my second one I made. It is far better in person than this photo although I do think the photo shows enough of the details and the colors. I am now addicted to beading...Oh boy!