R2RD

I am so excited to be a part of a new group called R2RD. R2RD stands for Rags to Riches Dolls and it is an online eBay group dedicated to the art of making dolls. A very talented group of artists belong to this group and I feel very honored to be considered one of them. Please look for their auctions by typing R2RD into the eBay search engine. And, beginning the week of April 27th, R2RD will present "Days Gone By . . . . Dolls of Yesteryear." This event will showcase wonderful, one of a kind dolls reminiscent of ones that were made many years ago. Please join us for this event. I know you won't be disappointed.

Tools of the Trade

I have acquired a new tool of the trade. Well, it's not actually new, it's an old sewing machine but, it is a wonderful tool, nonetheless. Earlier this week I was looking through the classifieds and there it was . . . an ad for a Singer Slant-o-matic 401A sewing machine in a beautiful cabinet and in excellent condition. My dream machine was just a phone call away. I had done my research and I knew the claims about this particular model and I knew that they call it the best machine ever made. And now I know why. It sews like a dream, purrs like a kitten, it is versatile and it seems to do everything with ease. So, it is with much happiness that I add this machine to my collection. Of course, I was thrilled last year when I bought a Singer Featherweight 221-1, circa 1951. And the year before that it was a brand new Singer CG590 and the year before that . . . well, need I go on? The fact is, I love Singer sewing machines, especially the older ones. So, perhaps I will add another one or two to my collection along the way and it is my hope that someday, someone else will appreciate the charm, the quality and the craftsmanship of these wonderful machines.

Welcome!
It is hard to believe we are already into the month of February. January is gone and we are well on our way into the new year. As I plan out my show schedule for the coming months, I realize that warm weather will be here before we know it. Please keep that in mind all my Northern friends who are suffering through a long, cold and snowy winter.

January has always been my "down" time. It is my time to refresh, reorganize and renew my creative path. Organizing my studio is part of that process and it is usually first on my "To Do List." When you make dolls you accumulate a lot of fabric. Yes, lots of fabric. And keeping it straight has always been a challenge for me because my fabric has been kept in plastic tubs, stacked on top of each other in the corner of the room. So, you can imagine how difficult it was to find something when it was out of sight and hard to get at. Well, this year I made one of the best decisions I have made in a long time. I bought a huge, wooden cabinet with deep, large shelves that is big enough to house all of my fabric. It is wonderful! Now all my fabric is organized and at my fingertips. Sometimes I go to the cabinet, open the doors and just stand there in awe. Life is good. But why didn't I do this years ago?

So, my fabric has been organized, my studio has been cleaned and I am now in the process of making my first dolls of the new year. There will be bunnies, sheep and more surprises along the way. I hope this year brings forth new creations and new opportunities. It is good to take a break, but it is even better to get back to work, especially if you love what you do.

The Escape Artist

I have a new name for my cat, Buddy. He is now known as 'The Escape Artist." After thirteen years he managed to slip out the door and run away. Normally he is confined to a gated community or what most people would call a fenced-in yard. The fenced-in yard is for the benefit of the dog, but Buddy loves to spend some time out there every morning. I guess a little time out there was not enough for him yesterday because he figured out a way to slip out the gate and spend the whole day and the whole evening outside by himself. This happened on a Sunday morning when we were busy getting ready for church and we just assumed Buddy was in the house, sleeping in one of his out of the way places. We did not discover he was gone until late in the afternoon. Boy, this escape artist is very good at what he does. Well, needless to say, there were many tears and much anguish after we discovered he was gone. But, this story has a happy ending. At 11:30 pm one last check at the back door found Buddy crying to come in. Thank God for answered prayers.

I co-teach Junior Church during the worship service and our lesson yesterday morning was about "The Lost Sheep." How fitting! Read Luke 15:4-7 for the story. The bible says when the man lost one of his sheep he left the ninety-nine and went looking for the lost one. "And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulder and rejoices." It also says there will be joy in heaven over the one who returns. I know the joy I felt when my Buddy returned and he is a cat, (a very beloved cat) so I can only imagine the joy that God must feel when one of his lost children returns. "Today is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it."

TDIPT Mercantile

I am very pleased to have been juried into http://www.tdiptmercantile.com/. Tdipt represents, "To Dwell in Primitive Times." This is a wonderful group of artists who have gathered together to share their love of primitives. Please visit the site on the 1st and the 15th of every month for an update of new work where you will find many wonderful creations direct from the heart and hands of these fine artists. My update is on the 15th and you will find this doll, Miss Matilida, along with another doll named Miss Grizelda.

I call myself a dollmaker.

I was being interviewed for a newspaper article and the reporter asked me if I called myself an artist. I told him, "I call myself a dollmaker." That is what I am. My love of dolls goes back to my childhood and I can remember at the age of twelve, walking into the kitchen and announcing to my Mother that I was too old to play with dolls. That was a major decision for me at the time because I loved my dolls so much. Well, here I am, many years later, playing with dolls once again.

For the past fifteen years I have worked with polymer clay making jewelry and small figures. Along the way, I would make a doll every now and then but I would go back to making what I knew would sell. Four years ago, I decided to "go for it" and I put all my efforts into creating dolls. All I can say is that those efforts turned into a passion and now I am having the time of my life creating one character after another.

Another aspect of my life is that of being a preacher's wife. And, I guess, I am known as "the preacher's wife" by a lot of people. I love being married to my wonderful minister husband and sharing our life together, but being a dollmaker allows me to be me. It gives me an identity all of my own. I am also known as "Mom" to two children and "Grandmother" to three. Two Himalayan cats and a Labradoodle dog think I am their Mom, too. I am very grateful for my life and I thank God for all of my blessings.

Ordinary Days

I have come to love ordinary days. To me, an ordinary day is an uneventful day. It is a day when I am able to go into my studio and work. I feel like the luckiest person in the world to be able to do what I love to do knowing it will bring me a sense of fulfilment and happiness that I cannot find anywhere else. I can find pure joy in an ordinary day.

I have not always been at this place of contentment in my life. Many ordinary days have gone by unappreciated. But then, some of those days were spent doing jobs that did not bring me joy and some of those days were spent being unproductive and ungrateful.

And then there have been the eventful days in my life. We all have them. We all experience the ups and downs; the joys and the sorrows; the pain and the disappointments. But those are the days that shape who we are and that help us form a deep appreciation for an ordinary day. So, use this day to enjoy the simple things in life . . . your family, your friends, your work. And appreciate the ability to be able to do the things you need to do. Be grateful for this day. Especially if it is just an ordinary day.