Finally something to write about!

I would love to have the time to post messages every day on this site, but I just can't make the time. A bit like exercise.......I know I should do it, I know I can do it, but I don't allow the time to do it. Anyway, there is no point in having a blog if nothing is happening worth blogging about. I really want to load up photos when I have some thing to say, because that's what I love to see on other people's blogs (I do have time to read other people's blogs by the way)! So, a few weeks ago when I said I had been evacuated from my previous studio to a smaller space, I thought you might be curious about my work space. Well here are the pictures to show what has become of my studio!




In the first 2 photos you can see there was 1 big room, which had a combustion wood heater and big windows that looked onto the back yard and there was a second small room where I stored all my fabrics and doll making stuff - including tools, doll stands and clays. I even had a desk to sculpt in that room. As you can see this makes for a wonderful home office space also!!!!




Now my new studio room has one small window that looks onto the side lane of the house.(When I look up I can see blue sky and tall gum trees swaying in the breeze)
And I must say Thank God for IKEA! It took me about 2 weeks of 12 hour days sorting my 'doll stuff' into keepers and dump its........It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I did take a heap of 'items' to our doll club meeting, and bless the girls, I sold a heap of good stuff that was of use to other doll makers. Trust me I took a heap of give away items too and that was a good feeling to get rid of a big percentage of it.





Of course, this is not a good representation of the new studio. I was sorting through a lot of my previous body parts to start a new design, so there is a bit of mess. But as you can see there is a lot of storage in that small space and it is all organised and reasonably neat, once all the cupboard doors are shut. I actually like the room, I used to have my sewing table in there before my doll making took off, and I just have to get used to the new organisation of stuff. If it gets out of control, I can shut the door and no-one will know the mess I am in! What do you think?

Thankyou Jules!

Thankyou so much Jules from adventures in thread
Jules has awarded me as one of the favourite blogs she likes to visit. It was a lovely surprise when got back from my trip. Thank you Jules for this unexpected award!
This award must be passed on to 8 other creative people. (There are a few rules attached when accepting this award...........) Please feel free to deliver this gift to 8 other people and include the following text with the award on your site: These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. I'm passing this award on to the following people who I've been inspired by, and love reading thier blogs.

Mimi Kirchner
Sue McFadden
Susie McMahon
Bonnie Lee Fontaine
Lorell Lehman
Peta Stuart
Ulla Benulla
Christine Alvarado

Choosing these 8 sites has been difficult. There are so many sites I visit. The truth is, I am an internet lurker. I love to look and learn, but tend not to leave comments, even though I have met and know a couple of these ladies quite well. I encourage you to visit their sites and be inspired by their art, as I have been. There are so many people doing wonderful things..........................take time to look and learn as much as you can!

A computer whiz I am not

Well I have been trying to add a new pic to the top of my page, but html savvy I am not, so it will have to wait. I need to spend a lot more time on my blogging, which is at the moment almost impossible, so I will only do what I can...
I am very pleased about the doll I made especially for Australian Dolls, Bears and Collectibles magazine. Her name is Colleen and she is featured on the front cover... I have been published!

Back and starting over.

Well they say a change is as good as a holiday, so I am making changes - not entirely by my own choice!
Oh, it has been so long since I have posted. Sorry to those of you who have dropped in and seen nothing happening here. The truth is ....... nothing is happening! Since coming home from my whirlwind tour - 1 month........ many hotel rooms -
I have not had the clearness of mind to do anything apart from basic housewife and home office duties. I have been dreaming of making dolls. The problem has been my DH has decided he needed my working space for our office and I had to pack up all my stuff and relocate to a VERY SMALL ROOM! I have accumulated so much stuff I am at a loss as to what to do. There are 6 tubs of fabrics in the shed that I have to find room for! Consequently, I have been very distracted and unsettled since coming home. I did do a Barbara Willis class in June. I will post those pics as soon as I can. I hope to blog a bit more frequently. I have a lot of catching up to do. Here are some photos of the wonderful places we visited. I am so glad I took a lot of photos, for the memories...........

One month in Europe!

My husband and I.............(the Queen always says that and I think it is rather nice!) My husband and I are taking a month off work and travelling to Europe with friends. No.1 son will run the business and No.2 son will run the house. They are such good kids, I have no doubt all will be well. So 10 days in Italy i.e. Rome, Cinque Terre and Venice. 3 nights in Prague. 3 nights in Latvia (the homeland). 3 nights in Paris, 3 nights in London, 3 nights in Aberdeen, 1 night in Hong Kong.

This is a picture of Portofino. Since seeing the John Malkovich movie "Beyond the Clouds"
I have so wanted to go to the little village in the film. It is actually Portofino and I am obsessed. I can't wait to go there. So in two days I will be jetting off for a month.
Consequently, I have not had time to do any doll making or quilting. when I come back I will be doing a Barbara Willis class - she is visiting Adelaide and we will be making the "Forget me not fairy", which will get me in creative mood when I get back. Hopefully I am inspired and have artistic inspiration from travelling!


Keep well, I'll be back soon........
Sandy :-)

I'm still here......

Finally I can show you Colleen. She is a doll I have created for Australian Dolls Bears and Collectibles magazine. This year has been so busy for me right from January. I was contacted by Shirley Dougan who is a contributor to the magazine, and she asked me to submit a pattern suitable for the readers. Well I had to actually make something that would be appropriate for doll makers who may have limited experience and in making the doll I did try to keep it simple. I must say this is the type of doll that comes together so easily for me. She is pretty, has paperclay over cloth, and is painted. I realise that these are all the things I enjoy doing when I am making a doll, so she had been a breakthrough doll for me. The only thing is that right now, when I am in a creative head space, I am too busy doing office work for my contractor DH and planning our overseas trip (for which we leave on the 2nd May!) and there is no time to create dolls!








There has been a lot happening in the past month and I have pics to post, I just have not had time to sit at the computer and upload them. Hopefully I can get some done before we go away. There is always so much to do.....

Some pictures of my pattern dolls

Actually Impossible Princess is not a pattern, but I made her a couple of years ago and she is a mask face doll that I can make into a pattern.

Is a fox a doll?

Here is my fox. He/she is life size. I was asked by a friend to help make an animal for a puppet theatre play that a local school puts on every year. I love a challenge, but I stress so much. Of course there was no pattern and I had to blow up a photocopy of a photo to the size I needed. I then had to create the pattern and decide on how to make the fox stand without falling over when picked up and put down by the players. I took these pics before I did the final stitching up, you can still see the pin in the ear. I have to say I am very pleased with how my fox turned out. I think the director will like it. The play is in June so I will be attending opening night to see my fox perform. By the way the play is 'The Secret Garden' and my friend Lois has made a red robin, a black bird, rabbit and a lamb. She is amazing, there is no way I could make the things she does. The fox was quite enough for now...

So very sad

For the last two days we have had terrible news reports about loss of life and complete townships from fires in Victoria. It brings home the importance of life and loved ones. These tragedies make you realise just how fortunate our quiet lives are and how people pull together to help those who have lost so much.

Something new - but it's a secret......

I have had the inspiration to make a doll. I will just show some progress photos for now, because I don't want to jinx this. She is paperclay over cloth, which is different to the Darwi clay I have used in the past. After adding clay,I painted the legs, arms and head. I find I do enjoy this method. Making dolls is like a process of elimination. You start to make something and if you don't like it, it just takes ages to do. It seems this is why I get stuck all the time and have so many UFO's. When you enjoy the process, you just do the step by step and before you know it the doll has come together. So this is what I have learned......find the thing you really enjoy doing and do lots of it. Each time you do it, it gets easier and you then develop your own style. I feel like I am so near, yet so far. I have lots more to do to find what my dolls really want to be. What a revelation!