Monday, March 22, 2010

Correction of eBay Number

Kim and I just noticed that when you click on the eBay number I gave you a closed page comes up.....not the page for "Dachshund Dandy." I see that I had a typo that may be directing us to the wrong page, so let me try to correct that and get you to the right auction page.

The number should read: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.d11?ViewItem&item=120546533700&ssPageName=STRK:MESCX:IT#ht_2102wt_1141

I hope this will correct the problem and you will be able to view her neat little doll.

Joyce

Kim's Doll

Kim's Custom Doll by Me
"Dachshund Dandy" by Kim Baxley

Today I have shipped the custom doll I created for Kim Baxley, my very talented web designer, artist, animal lover and Dachshund Rescuer. Kim has seen a photo of the doll so I don't think she will mind if I share it with you here.

I want to also commend Kim who....did I mention she is also a cloth doll artist?.... has created and put up for auction the delightful, one-of-a-kind, "Dachshund Dandy," currently on Ebay at


Kim plans to donate 50% of the proceeds for her doll to Dachshund Rescue. The other 50% will go toward the care and feeding of her own 5 Dachshunds and 1 Australian Shepherd! I hope you will take a look and perhaps make a bid. Information about the Rescue group is also provided there. Hurry, you only have 9 days left to bid on this adorable little doxie!

Enjoy your day!

Joyce

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Bluebonnet Bebe Doll Show Display

Addy's Sewing Room

Happy 1st Day of Spring! It looks like the last cold front of winter is heading this way today and then, hopefully, we will move into spring here on the Texas coast.


I want to share with you a photo I received from my friend, Rhnee Hicks, who was gifted with a custom doll made by me a few years ago from her sister, Renita. Rhnee is an expert seamstress and teaches sewing. She especially loves to work with young girls to teach them the important skill of sewing. She is also a member of UFDC and works diligently with the Junior Collector Program to get young girls interested in collecting dolls.


This past weekend the UFDC doll club, Bluebonnet Bebes, held their annual doll show in Houston. Rhnee put together a delightful display for the show called, "Addy's Sewing Room," and sent a photo to show me how she had incorporated her custom doll in the scene (on the left) to represent the "teacher." I'm just delighted and thought you might enjoy seeing her display also.


Enjoy the day!

Joyce

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Name That Tune!


Send in the Clowns



My Funny Valentine



Among the things I have been working on this week are two dolls for the 2010 TAODA challenge, "Name That Tune." The challenge is to take a favorite song or piece of music and create a doll. Since galleries are especially interested in shows that can be hung on the wall, TAODA members are asked to consider wall hanging dolls in addition to standing ones as we create our new dolls.

My selections aren't necessarily my "favorite" songs, but were selected based on some dolls and doll parts I had on hand. The deadline for the challenge is the March TAODA meeting this Saturday and I am running out of time! The first doll was quite honestly inspired by a large Valentine box of chocolates from my husband. A few years back I had made some small "Altoid Sweetheart" dolls using heart shaped Altoid boxes for the torsos and adding a head, arms and legs. I happened to have an extra set of finished head, arms and legs on hand, so I decided to use them along with a red satin heart box for the torso and some Valentine trims from my stash. I attached the doll to the lid from the box of chocolates, added a hanging cord to the back and named her, "My Funny Valentine"!

A second entry for the challenge I call, "Send in the Clowns." I have two colorful Cirque du Soleil type white face clowns that I created last year and that no one had seen. I changed the accessories to some I liked better and sewed a plastic ring on the back of each doll so that they can hang together on the wall. I have included photos of the two "Name That Tune" challenge dolls above. The clowns are on stands in the photo and I will include these with the dolls if/when purchased.

I'm also working on a commission piece this week that is just about finished. It is for my excellent web designer, Kim Baxley. Kim is a very talented lady who is an artist and a cloth doll maker among her other creative endeavors. More importantly, she and her husband rescue Dachshunds that have been abused and/or abandoned. Kim recently completed a Dachshund doll that she plans to auction on Ebay and donate a portion of the proceeds to the Kentucky Dachshund Rescue Program. The piece I am working on will honor Kim's efforts in the rescue of these little doxies. I'll post a photo after Kim has received her doll.


I'm also continuing to enjoy working with my buttons as time allows. I want to try making some different things with them including necklaces and earrings, etc. My husband has just confessed to me that another 17 lbs. of vintage buttons are on the way from another winning bid on Ebay! I won't complain, though, as the cost is very reasonable and he promises....once again....that there won't be any more bidding on buttons. : ) I'm finding them to be very interesting and beautiful and fun to play with......and who knows what antique treasures I might find!

Enjoy your day!

Joyce

Saturday, March 6, 2010

BAL's 2010 People's Choice Show

The Matchmaker

Eamon, Keeper of the Riches

We had such a good time playing with buttons at the March Wild Bee Thursday and just about everyone completed their bracelet. I forgot to take my camera, but I'm expecting a photo of our finished bracelets soon which I'll share when I receive it. Some of the members brought their own buttons and made lovely bracelets to wear and to be admired. I think they each went away with plans to make more bracelets! It was a fun afternoon!


Today is take-in day for the Brazosport Art League's 2010 People's Choice Show. For the next month, each visitor to the Gallery at the Brazosport Arts & Sciences Center, will be given a ballot and be asked to vote for their favorite 1st and 2nd choices. There is only one time vote per person during the show. I hope those of you who live in the area will go by the gallery and vote for your two favorite pieces. The reception for the show will be April 10, 7-9 p.m., at the Gallery, 400 College Drive, Clute, TX. The public is invited and award winners will be announced at the reception. There will be some wonderful art for you to view/purchase, and there are always nice refreshments offered by members of the Art League.


No pressure for your votes of course : ), but I have posted photos of the two dolls that I have entered in the show. These two pieces are hanging dolls that were created for the TAODA show at Art C's Gallery in Somerville, TX last year. Just for fun, I also entered one of my favorite shell button elastic bracelets.


Joyce


Thursday, March 4, 2010

Button Bracelets

Some Button Bangle Bracelets
Elastic Button Bracelets with Doll Face Buttons

This afternoon is the March meeting of our new fiber arts group, Wild Bee, and I will be showing members how I make elastic button bracelets as one of the projects. I'm sharing some of my buttons with them to use to learn how to make the bracelets and then they can make others later from their own personal button collections. What a great way to use those beautiful and special buttons we all tend to collect and be able to wear them and show them off!
I'm now starting to use chains and jump rings with the buttons to make some neat looking necklaces and earrings. What fun! And, the buttons just keep coming as my husband finds more on Ebay to add to my growing collection. Looks like I am going to have to find an outlet for my button jewelry pieces now. : )
Joyce