Ally Pally

Well the day arrived and I started off at 9.30 am and as I walked towards the station I quickened my steps remembering there could be unforseen delays on weekends.
When I came to the station my fears were realised. The board read due to engineering works there are severe delays. From then on I was resigned to whatever was to come travel wise. The train arrived 10 mins after, which I thought not bad. I could make it to Ally Pally with still plenty of time. Then came the bad news. They annouced that the trains are being diverted so it will take over an hour to reach London. I thought well out goes my class I would never reach there on time. Got to Waterloo 1 hr and 20 mins late and qued for tickets, got on to plateform and qued to get into the tube. Got out of the tube and qued for the bus. Ofcourse with the mid term break for schools travelling took twice the amount of time. To cut a long story short I missed my class I missed seeing San and reached the exhibition all hot and bothered.
I made my way first to Barbara Bets and Patti's stand. As always they were there with their lovely smiles and hugs. Meeting them and chatting to them for a while calmed me a bit. Then I made my way to the doll exhibition. I was not disappointed. There are wonderful doll artists emerging from the UK and all the dolls were of very high standard. I met Ray Slater who arranged the doll exhibits. You might wonder where are the photos of the dolls. This is where I have to disappoint you. When I met Ray I said to her I was going to take some pics of the wonderful dolls and she said well some artists mind and some don't. Ofcourse since I was still recovering from my frustrating journey it did not sink into my mind immediately and I started clicking when half way through I realised perhaps I ought not to take pics someone will object so since I was already in the act of taking I clicked madly around and disappeared. The result was some didn't turn out well and the ones that did I am hesistant to put it on the net as I might get complaints. Most of the artists who had their dolls are not known to me. The only ones I am showing you are Ray's and the one which has a lion head is Treez's. I know these 2 ladies won't mind. So I am terribly sorry that I can't show rest of the pictures. But there are the lovely faces of Barbara Betts and Patti and their dolls. Sorry I am a lousy photographer especially when I had to push my camera through a crowd of people to take it.
So sorry I missed San. San there was a lady taking in French with her mother in law who passed me by and I stopped her and asked her if it was you she said no but she said there was another lady in the booth she just left who was French. Well it is like searching for a needle in a haystack in there so I didn't go on a wild goose chase. Perhaps next time we can meet.
I will show pics of the goodies I bought tomorrow as I have not had a chance to take any more pics today.

Denia et mon frère Bon Anniversaire

Joyeux Anniversaire Denia!! C'est anniversaire mon frère aussie!!!

Happy
Birthday Images @ Bopmyspace.com

Class preparation

I have been busy making these for my class. I am going to be teaching Jean Bernard's Wings and my Wacky Fairy face in my doll club next week. So it is going to be a fun week and oh this week is the knitting and stitching show. Can't wait.

Can't say much

I have been busy with a project as well as getting sidetracked into various other chores. I can only show this to you for the moment.


I bought myself a couple of new toys so that I can play with them when I am free. One is a small tool to polish and engrave etc which I plan to try out on some gourds that friend was kind enough to send me. The other is some fancy eyelets.

I can't wait to use them.

I have been tagged

I've been 'tagged' by Linda Walsh of
Lindawalshoriginals Linda is a blogging friend of mine She is a very talented crafter who creates original dolls and crafts and loves to write about them in her blog. If you get a chance, please check out her blog!

The rules of the tag are that I'm supposed to list 5 weird things about myself or my pets. I then tag 5 friends and list them. These people write on their blogs, 5 weird things about themselves/pets and then tag 5 more people.

You should let these people know they've been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.

Well ok I am not sure if these things are weird or not but I will try and have a go as I have never done this sort of thing before.

1. As a child my ears were always tuned to my cat's meow so much so that even if I was very ill and heard him cry outside I would jump up in the middle of the night and run out to cuddle him.

2. In my house I have a craft room. Catch me working there? noooo I have to drag the machine to the bedroom and stitch or to the sitting room LOL!

3. My craft room is in a perpetual state of disarray. No one can find things there neither can I !

4. I can never sleep in the plane no matter how long the journey is.

5. Finally whew! my brain aches ouch after thinking so much LOL! While cooking I feel the need to wash my hands several times!!

OK now I have to tag 5 people so here goes

I tag Kai of alittlethreadalottaglue
I tag Isabelle of Kittycouture
I tag Flo/Denia of Kittymisty
I tag Judi ofArtdolls
I tag Isabella of Florida of adayinthelifeofisabella

Knitting and stitching show.

I am getting excited about this. Once again the very much looked forward show is almost here. I shall be going on the 14th. If any doll makers or blogging friends are coming do drop a line may be we could say hello to each other. I am also booked into 2 workshops. I did it early this time as I found all the good classes went very quickly as soon as the dates were announced. There are still some classes left so if you want to book up something do it now. You can do it on line here http://www.twistedthread.com/
I hope there will be many doll makers from UK coming as Ray Slater has organised a
Cloth doll exhibition. I am really excited about this because we will get to see dolls by UK doll artists. I know some of the artists works I have never seen, so it is going to be great forum for exposure of these artists and cloth dolls in general.
Lets hope it will take off in great style. If any of you from UK are around in London it is worth a visit as there are other great textile arts and artists and tons of stuff to purchase too. So come with a loaded purse LOL!
The same event takes place in Harrogate in November so those in and around Harrogate should make an attempt to go there. You won't be disappointed.
Ha! I think I have done my bit of advertising LOL!not affliated in any way just like to tell anyone interested in any sort of textile art it is something not to be missed. I am really thrilled about the exhibition.

What I have been doing

Yesterday I was browsing through the Christmas section in one of the Departmental stores. I do this every year when the Christmas decorations are out as I get lots of ideas just by looking at them. I saw a cute little figure (wish I had my camera with me) and I want to make a doll to look like that now! I can feel my mind going into over drive as various ideas have started crowding in. Do you all find the same thing happening to you? Once a doll starts taking shape in your mind another one starts forming and another one so that you feel you are going to burst! Well I have sort of done a rough drawing and suddenly I thought Oh my gosh! I hope I haven't subconsciously done the head like Judi's gnome! So I quickly tripped over to her site to check and sighed a sigh of relief. No it looks completely different. The nose is different and so is the body and the head thank goodness for that!
See Judi you are such and inspiration. Seeing you create your little fella I have started one as well.LOL!

Body parts!

I was just thinking today what I would like to send someone. (not naming names here te..he...) and as I was rummaging around I came across these 2 legs. Actually I had the whole doll body when I went to India but during my doll class I had to give away the head the body and the hands to various students. So now I am left with these 2 parts and I think they are going to get regenerated into a doll again.

Now this body and leg has been lying around for a while. I don't know if there was another leg to go with it LOL! I will have to do something about it soon. I don't usually have parts lying around like this but it is begining to happen more frequently now. I wonder what that means?

Doll by my student

I had a lovely surprise from my student. She sent me a picture of the doll she made in the class so here it is. Chitkala did wonders with the pattern. This is what she wrote about the doll

" I am sending 2 pictures of "Nefertiti". The doll insisted onbeing a member of the Egyptian Pharaoh royalty and the headgearseemed to be appropriate. There seems to be only a bust at the BerlinMuseum and I couldn't find a full picture of Nefertiti (except themummy skeleton which is believed to be Nefertiti's!!). After beingshut up in a pyramid or wherever,I am sure she would not mind beingclad in a modern mini skirt and top!!

Papier Workshop

I had nine very enthusiastic students in my class in Chennai(Madras). They seemed to have had great fun even though the time ran out for completing their dolls. They went satisfied that they had learnt some fun stuff in the doll making class. Here are some photos that I want to share with you.

Some of these ladies had never made any dolls before so they really had fun stitching and stuffing and learning the basics.
One very talented lady busy stitching away.

They all just jumped in with enthusiasm

Busy painting the dolls

Chitkala showing her lovely doll.


Nearly there and they were very creative with the paper clothing.
I am hoping they will send me photos of the completed dolls soon.

Spike

I would like you to meet Spike. He lives in my brother's house. Spike thinks he is shy but he is not really. He just wants to play a bit with us first. So I had a hard time photographing him.

No,please don't take my picture I am not pretty like Isabella!


Why won't people take NO for an answer and leave me alone!

Mom help!!


Mum do I really have to pose ?

Drat! that is an awful shot!

OK how about this pose?

Or this one?

Will I be famous like Isabella now mum?

Finished her

She is done at least that is all I am going to do to. I think I can add more things to her but time is getting on and I need to pack and sort things out. Had trouble with her face. As her whole body is painted with acrylics I couldn't use my colour pencils to paint her face which is what I am used to. I had to use acrylics and doing with paint brush oh goodness it is hard I am not used to it. Thats why the face looks rather blotchy. Finally I used gel pens for her eyes and lips as I was getting nowhere with the brush. Also some of my acrylics had dried up so I was not a very happy camper. Anyways she is done and I hope she will stand the long journey in the hold. Usually I carry my dolls in my hand baggage but now they won't let us. Keeping my fingers crossed that she will survive!

Going to India

I am going to India tomorrow so have been busy with various things. While I am there I am hoping to do a doll class. I am incorporating lots of techniques and tips that I learnt from Christine Shively in this class so I am sure people will enjoy it. I am not using Christine's pattern but using my own pattern. So lots of doll basics will be taught as well. Hopefully everyone will enjoy collaging this doll and get their creativity flowing.
Hey but I still have got to finish my sample LOL! I have only got this far and only 24 hrs left to complete her as well as do the packing and sorting things out and not to mention chatting to you all before leaving. Do you think I can do all this within that time? I got to put my superwoman shoes on now. Will show you the finished doll if I can before I leave and if I can keep away from the computer LOL!

One thing I forgot to mention I have used only paper and some trims to embellish her. Who says things we hoard don't come to use. Some of it is Washi paper and some just wrapping paper. I collected these paper from my doll club where one of the Japanese lady was giving them free. At that time I didn't know why or for what I would use it. It had been lying around crushed and forgotton in a corner. Now I look at it with new eyes and see the beautiful designs and decided to use it on her.

Blog change over

Just changed my blog over to google beta blog. They say it is better. Well we shall see. If I disappear suddenly from the cyber world you can assume that I have joined another cyber soul lost in the cyber space world. I must say this though I just tried posting this. It is very quick indeed. No waiting around while it republishes.

A little something

Since hubby was away for the past 2 days I had planned to do lots and lots of things but look what I ended up making, only a tiny pin doll! I was intending to stitch up a doll for something I want to try. However, I found a packet of beads that were lying aroud for awhile so I thought I would put it in its rightful place. I opened the box and found several things that should not have been in that box. So I set about finding the right boxes for them and guess what when I opened the other boxes I found things that should not have been in those boxes!! So it went on and before I knew it, I was trying to rearrange my whole craft room LOL! Looked up at the time it was coming up to midnight. So decided I should at least finish this little pin doll as I want to send her with gift for a friend whose 50th wedding anniversary is
coming up.


So here she is out of a largely unproductive night LOL!

Wedding cards

I received this beautiful wedding invitation this weekend and thought what a lovely idea Nancy in India had of using these wedding invitations into a journal. Most of the Indian wedding invitations are very elaborate and colourful. Although this one is not very colourful I think it is a very elegant card and I will use it when I start doing a journal and I am going to start collecting them. That was a great idea Nancy, thanks for the inspiration.

Paverpol lady

Today I went for my Paverpol workshop and here is what I made.





She is still not completely dry though. I used one of my own coloured fabrics which I wanted to try and not the one that they did in the class. I think the fabric I used was a bit too flimsy for the dark background. So it takes away some of the lovely bright colour of the cloth. I have highlighted the folds with some gold which has improved it a bit. However it was an enjoyable experience. Next time of course I will try and give the doll a bit more shape. I want to make one for the garden for which I probably will use clay to give it a bit more shape. She turned out ok for a first time I guess.

Paverpol workshop

Oh I am so excited. I booked myself into a class on Paverpol. It was going for a reduced rate and it is not far from home either. I will be taking it on Sunday. Can't wait to get going.

Meeting with Dénia and Flo

What a beautiful day it was on Saturday. I met up with Dénia and Flo and just as I imagined Dénia is a lovely, sweet little girl and I know Flo you are very proud of her. Flo is a lovely person too. We almost thought we wouldn't be able to meet because they returned to the hotel from Lyme Regis very late due to heavy traffic. But we did manage to meet and I am so happy that we did. It would have been a great disappointment otherwise. It was really very nice of Flo and Phillipe to bring Dénia and Benjamine to meet. I am so happy to meet the whole family. Flo you have a lovely family and you are such a nice person just as I thought you would be. I am so fortunate to have met you and so lucky that I get to meet such nice people on the internet.
I hope Dénia liked her little gift. I wish I could have made a doll for her but as I was short of time couldn't do it. What can I say my heart if full and hope I get to meet you all again sometime.
I am putting the pictures I took. Aren't they both lovely?



This was my little gift to Dénia.

Knitting and Stitching show

Well I went and booked 2 classes in this show. They look very interesting and already most of the spaces in these 2 classes have gone so I thought if I didn't hurry I would miss it.
Here are the descriptions of the two classes that I have booked.

LOUISE MABBS PRESENTS
Flip Flap Flop Workshop @ 15.30Layers of fabric have flaps cut into them; these are then manipulated and layered on other fabrics until amazing optical effects are achieved. The class will be shown cutting, bonding and ironing techniques.


CLAIRE MARTIN PRESENTS
Mixed Media Embroidery Practical Project @ 11.45A contemporary workshop combining paper and fabric to create a mixed media collage adding threads, beads & skeleton leaves in stunning combinations which are suitable for hand or machine stitch when dry

May be my creative block where collaging is concerned will get unblocked with these classes.
I am also looking forward to meeting up with Patti and Barbara again. Patti is doing a work shop of beading ATC's and Barbara is doing face maskes for cloth dolls.

Isabelle will you be able to make it for this show this year?