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Pippi Longstocking and other doll news

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My Pippi Longstocking doll was completed in July, but I am behind the times.  Here she is!

Pippi is another tall doll, over 3 feet tall!
Pippi's long stockings are mix and match
Yep, she has the coolest boots ever.
Pippi's toothy grin says it all.
That's so Pippi!
Pippi loves her Patchwork Pony!
I think Pippi would have loved hanging out with Pirate Prudence, but Prudence has gone to live in a new home.  We will miss her!


Several other dolls found new homes during the Salem Art Fair:

Miss Paris
Miss Madrid
Miss Tokyo
We miss them all, but are quite happy for them as they continue their lives' journeys.

Marie Antoinette, Dorothy Gale, and The Little Match Girl are on a trip to California.  They were sent to be considered for publication in Art Doll Quarterly.  Fingers crossed!



That is all the doll new for now.  Adieu!
xoxo  lulu



A Very Special Patchwork Pony

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The horsey that was previously shown in progress, completed in July:







Several vintage kimono fabrics, as well as contemporary Japanese fabrics were included in this beauty. along with very detailed hand stitching.  I fell quite in love with this horse.  Alas, it has gone to live in another home, but happily with a friend so that I will be able to visit!

A Letterboxing Milestone!

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A quick post regarding my new favorite hobby: Letterboxing! Who would have guessed that my sweet hubby would be so interested in joining me on my treasure hunt adventures.  We started going every weekend, and sometimes (even frequently) during the week!  Very quickly, I was able to reach a big milestone: FINDING MY 100TH LETTERBOX!  (Two weekends ago!  Who knows what number I'm at now?!)

Oh, the fun of it!  Deciphering clues, hunting, finding, enjoying the creativity of others, carving my own stamps, hiding boxes, learning the history of places, communing with nature, and of course - sharing it all with Rob, Ollie, and Rattie! 

Hiking trails I haven't been to before
Seeing the most beautiful places
Who knew a walk along the Water Treatment trail would yield such views!
Found a letterbox!
 Ollie approves of this fantastic find.
Sometimes we come across strange and threatening creatures along the way. Ollie is curious but  Rattie is very suspicious of Seaman.
Some letterboxes are hidden in the most delicious places!
From a page in my log book
Rattie on the lookout for pirates approaching the island.
A super creative series of boxes by Spaceship Passengers began with this find.
Another one of those strange, wild (and gigantic!) creatures you may find along the way. 
A couple of my hand-carved stamps hidden somewhere out there.  Want to find them?  Check out ukulele lulu on atlasquest.com.
If you want to know more about letterboxing, please visit AtlasQuest.com, and join the fun!

xoxo  lulu

In which my Blogspot becomes my website

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Hear ye, hear ye!  After finding that my old website had many glitches, I will henceforth be using my blogspot here as my website!  Please notice the tabs above, so handy dandy for navigating to my different galleries.  Enjoy!




Getting puppety

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My BBG buddies are off to the four corners of the world right now.  I'm home, missing them, but keeping myself very busy.  I've been working on some dolls and puppets for the video I'll be doing with a young man I met at the Salem Art Fair earlier this year.  He's a puppet maker, sort of in the style of Jim Henson's Muppets.  When he came across my booth he brought up the idea of a collaboration.  The story line so far: his muppet alien monster is getting therapy from Freud (being played by my Leon Trotsky doll).  There are dreams and nightmares discussed, involving mean teachers, ballerinas, etc.  Here is Mean Teacher #1, finished.  Notice in the detail shot, even Jesus is looking kind of crotchety in this classroom!  Must be a tough bunch of kids!  (Can you tell I've been subbing lately?)

copyright lulumoon
copyright lulumoon

copyright lulumoon
copyright lulumoon
Mean teacher #2 (based on one of my real life 4th grade teachers!)  (She's still waiting for her classroom to be ready...)

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copyright lulumoon
Frida and Diego will be playing the parts of Alien's mother and father.  This is the first time I've made a cloth and clay hand puppet!  I may be tweaking Frida's costume a bit, and Diego is waiting for the tailor to finish his gray suit.

copyright lulumoon
copyright lulumoon
copyright lulumoon
Shadow boxes have also been painted for scenery.  So far our filming schedule has been pushed back several times, but we'll get it done one of these days, and when we do I'll be sure to post the video here!  In the meantime, some of these characters will be going to the Corvallis Fall Festival this weekend.  If they sell... I guess I'll have to recreate them for the next time we schedule filming!

xoxo  lulu

Spanish teacher gets inspired

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I am teaching high school Spanish this year at a charter school.  So many challenges!  Having begun in October (the third Spanish teacher the kids had had since September,  things were quite rough in the beginning.  After a big Day of the Dead project, some of the kids are starting to turn things around.  One student made a calavera pillow, inspiring me to make some calacas myself!  Here is my work in progress:







Very happy with my progress!  (Happy to find the time to work on it at 3:00 a.m.!)

A Pirate Needs a Matey, Arrrr!

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Just completed: a custom order of a Pirate's Lady Love - so FUN!


Tee hee!  This comely lass on the left is the custom order.  She'll be saying fare thee well, to Mr. Sea Star soon as she heads off to her new home with her one true love.

It was really fun to come up with her lady pirate costume, complete with bloomers, panniers and a bustier!  Take a look:

Red-striped bloomers and a blue bustier

Special request: Gone With the Wind book tattoo

Even her peg leg has special trimming

Tri-corn with skull and marabou feathers

She's a vision!
I hope my customer will be as pleased as punch!

P.S, There's a new ship load of Little Pirates that have landed at Guardino Gallery in Portland, and they can also be found at the Bush Barn Art Center Holiday Fair in Salem!  Ship's ahoy!

Playful pirates and a special book

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How delightful to get more requests for custom work!  First up, a pirate play doll for a little girl:

Meet Dread Pirate Buttercup!  (Her name comes from the little girl's nickname, given to her by her auntie.)
She's a strawberry blonde with a reversible skirt, striped leggings, and boots!
Skirt flipped inside out to show the stripey side.
Another nickname "tattooed"onto her arm.
Happy sailing!

Next, our dear Diane requested a pirate family for her sister Kathy.

Kathy and Dapper Dan
Kathy sports a personalized braceelt.
And could it be their dog Spot?

Aarrrrghhhhf, Matey!
And finally, a special and personalized fabric book for a specail friend.





I hope you had a Merry Little Christmas, one and all!

Throwback Thursday

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When I was a kid I always loved wearing my cat ears.

(Somewhere there is a photo of real me wearing my ears,
but they are actually Batman ears!)

Celebrating with family and TraLaLa

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Decorations, gatherings, baking, dressing up as celebrities - just for fun!  Cherishing time with my daughters, all grown up now, the life of the party!

Just a few of the celebs that came by: Jackie Moon from Semi-Pro, the ghosts of OSU past, present and future; Katniss Eberdeen and Willy Wonka, Clark and Ellen Griswold, Danny from Grease and Frozen's Elsa, Bono and Yoko Ono!
Ok, Robbie - we're expecting great things from that GoPro!
TraLaLa - Friends, secret Santas and surprises galore - an extra day of celebrating and arting! 

Kellye knits a cap, Sally and Diane open gifts!
Sonya, Sally, Janet and Jan
Cute décor and gifts galore!
I hope your holidays were merry and bright, filled with love and joy!



Getting stampy

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In December Julie Fei-Fan Balzer (artist/crafter extraordinaire!) was running a stamp carving daily on her blog.  Although I was unable to participate due to other obligations, I was nevertheless SO inspired and had the urge to carve!!!  This month I've had some time to dabble in it.  It seems I especially love to do the carves that can be rotated and stamped together to make a larger design.  FUN!


I love seeing how the designs change depending on which way you rotate the stamp!  Somewhat of a Moroccan flavor, n'est-ce pas?


Multiple tiles - oof!  I made a few mistakes!


A new carve made a sort of Mexican flower design.


On the left, the same stamp as above rotated so it wouldn't make the flower.  On the right, going geometric.



Each carve and stamping makes me want to do another one. Very addicting!

And then there are the carves I do for letterboxing.  Here are two of the latest:


A bald eagle looking to steal an osprey's catch of the day.  This stamp was inspired by an event that Rattollie got to witness on one of his dog walks by the Sandy River.


I carved this stamp this past weekend while up in Victoria, BC.  It's inspired by the First Nations wood carvings - in particular, a Haida wood carving.  I didn't get the chance to plant this letterbox while we were up there, so I'll have to wait until next year's annual hockey tournament when we go back!

Do I wish I could just stay home and carve all day?  Yes!  But alas, time to get ready for school.  See you later!


lonely

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sitting here early early on a Saturday morning
when i could be sleeping in.

being a workaday person right now,
always so busy with homework for the job,
i am lonely for my art.

it is breaking my heart,
and i want to go home.

Class Announcement

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HEar  ye! HeAR  Ye!

Glenny Moir, the founder and director of Art & Soul Retreats, has added on one more class taught by yours truly to the Portland 2015 retreat in March!  So now, in addition to The Kid Inside You Class on Thursday, March 5th, I am now also offering Fabric Collage Storybook Dolls* on Saturday, March 7th!  Come sign up for some major fabric collage sewing fun!

*(As seen in the new Spring 2015 issue of ART DOLL QUARTERLY!)






For Jill

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Jill K Berry is an amazing artist, author, and teacher.  Under normal circumstances she would be teaching at Art and Soul this week, but due to a very unexpected health issue she is in the hospital recovering from major surgery.  She wrote about her situation with such grace and clarity on her blog.  I cannot imagine being so articulate under these circumstances - Jill is truly and inspiration.  In her post she wrote, "Rejoice in your good working happy bodies. Leap around and yell today, for me." At the gathering of the LOLAS both Jan and I had the same thought - LET'S DO IT!  So Jill, these leaps are for YOU!!!


Jan and Sonya (photo by Janet)

Wendy and Sally

Wendy and Diane

Janet and Lulu

WE WISH YOU A SPEEDY RECOVERY, JILL!!!

Art and Soul! (Part 1)

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It has been one of my dreams/goals to teach at an art retreat.  This year, Art and Soul brought that dream to life: I taught two classes at Art & Soul!!!

I was so impressed by my students!  We had so much fun and they did such a great job.  Take a look at the works in progress from The Kid Inside You class: 

Students at work, stitching, stuffing and having a Charlie Chaplin moment with tiny legs!

Dolls with the first layer of paper clay go into the dehydrator, reminding one student of
 Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di's terra cotta soldiers. 

Look how they magically came out of the dehydrator!
As you can see, everyone LOVED playing with the Creative Paperclay!

A lovely sculpt, ready to paint!
Painting and costuming - these dolls are really coming to life!
 I love how the small details can really change the look of a doll.
 By the end of the class most of the dolls were nearly completed, and aren't they wonderful!

Lining up for the photo shoot.




 

Tere's doll completed!
Tere, Anne, Mary, Stephanie, Carri, Karen, Wendy, Melinda, Sally, and Janet - it was such a pleasure working and playing with all of you!!!  

xoxo  lulu



Art and Soul, Part 2

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My second class at Art and Soul was Fabric Collage Storybook Dolls. 

I had a small but dedicated group of wonderful students: Annie, Debbie, and Janet.  Oo la la - what great fabrics they brought to work with and put together in such fun combinations!  We were all so busy sewing that I forgot to take pictures!  (So I hope my dear students will send me some pics!)

Saturday night at Art & Soul was vendor night.  Janet helped me move my gear over to the lobby and then she and Ann W. quickly help me set up and they did an awesome job of merchandising!


My storybook doll Dorothy Gale found a new home that night.  I will miss her dearly, but I am happy for her and her new mom!



Elinor Peace Bailey came to Vendor Night!  What a thrill it was to meet her - I was so starstruck!  (For those who might not know - Elinor is one of the biggest names in the world of doll making.)  I have always been in love with Elinor's sense of color and whimsy, and now I got to meet her in person!  She is just as colorful and delightful as her creations, as well as warm and joyful.  I'm still giddy!


What fun it was to meet the other teachers at Art and Soul, too - all such wonderful teachers!


Jean Van Brederode and I have a little something in common when it comes to picking our outfits, don't you think?  I may get the opportunity to teach out east with her later this year!


Fellow artists and teachers Jean Van Brederode and Erin Keck 
pose with the dolls they chose to go home with them.


Thank you, thank you, thank you, Glenny Moir, for giving me the opportunity to teach at Art and Soul this year!  I had a wonderful time and I look forward to doing it again!

A crown for Kellye

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At long last I was able to make a birthday crown for my fellow LOLA Kellye - in time for her birthday this year!
 

Kellye loves hearts, and purple and green, so that set the theme.



She's also a proud Irish girl, and she has four children - the heart-leafed shamrock perfectly represents both of those!

Lots of hand stitching to make it fun!


Kellye loved it so much she almost began to cry.


Queen Kellye - my favorite pics of all!

 

We had a wonderful time meeting at Kellye's house, getting to know her cutie-pie kids and to see all of her beautiful quilts!  (I'm so impressed and jealous that she gets so many done!)

Tessa joined us at the work table.


Cherries!
 
Vibrant colors
 
Is this just not the sweetest ever?!
 
Just gotta love these Kaffe fabrics!

Kellye's quilts get a lot of love!
 
As you can see, Kellye LOVES patchwork!  She loves it so much that she has an adorable patchwork puppy, too!
 
 

Thanks for letting us come visit, Kellye!  I LOVED being in your cozy and COLORFUL home!
 

 

am i blue?

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working on taxes.
 
am I blue?
 
no, i'm not!  but i had an irresistible urge to paint with blue yesterday!  (i mean sunday - see the egg-y shapes!)
 
blue.
 

 
 

Happy Birthday to you, atchoo!

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My b-day gift?  It's after 9 p.m., and I'm starting to feel better.  Plus, tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful day!  Hooray!

Time out for a little adventure

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There has been much pirate and doll making lately, fulfilling orders for shops and galleries like the Phoenix Gallery in Lawrence, Kansas, and the Bush Barn Art Center in Salem, Oregon.  The last batch of Little Lulus was rather pretty, with the spring-time flowers in their hair.






As soon as one order is done, the next begins, and so I am back to work on MORE pirates, Frida dolls, and Catrinas as I prepare for the ACRE show in Las Vegas.  This is a big wholesale show for artists and artisans to show their work to gallery and shop owners who will place orders... I'm rather nervous at the prospect, but excited at the same time!

But still, these little artistic cravings come along, urging me to take a break from production (or to do a little art before heading off to school!)  From yesterday morning, before work:



A thread doodle portrait of my kitty Kiara was very much needed.  She hasn't been feeling well.  She was curled up just like this on my lap as I stitched this.

From tonight: I was watching a video for the course Studying Under the Masters III (presented by Jeanne Oliver) as I stitched pirates.  This lesson was by Jenny Doh, about the Spanish artist Joan Miró.  Very fun!  After seeing Jenny's lesson I had to grab my journal and do a Miró inspired page.  So much fun!


I think I will call it Creamsicle Cats.  Now can't you just see a Miró-inspired thread doodle in my future?  I can!
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