Japanese Gothic Lolita artist TAMA has a gorgeous way of using sheer, watercolor paints in glorious, bright colors to depict the sweetest, most odd and gruesome of scenes in the prettiest of ways. I'm a huge fan of this diffuse softness amidst so much bright color and weirdness. Every piece seems to glow! Visit TAMA's website and see for yourself; a wondrous gallery of work can be found here; just click ILLUSTRATION , then click through the little square boxes on the left.
RAK (Random Act of Kindness) for a friend's mom, who's injured and could use some cheering up.
Marker, pencil, gel pen.
For a swap at IllustratedATCs.com.
I find that the more my hand-drawing/painting skills improve, the harder it is for me to "think collage." I expect it's likely some sort of decluttering that goes on, mentally, when you imagineer a drawing or painting, versus the additive nature of collage, which is (for me anyway) more organic and less planned.
Wonder if other people experience this... ?
The boys are with their dad for a few weeks (freeing, but also, mournful), which gave me time to create four new cards for the Summer Pick-A-Theme swap at IllustratedATCs.com. These are ATC-sized repros of pieces by Macke, Shapiro, Botero, and Modigliani, all worked in Prismacolor marker & colored pencil.
I've been missing my drawing table, so it was good to sink so many hours into playing there today.
I'm part of an altered book swap at the site Marie Antoinette Mail Art, and these are the first pages I've done for it, in Round 1, for Becky S. The top photo is my 2-page spread, and the bottom is what I did for the sign-in page. I went with a slightly clean, contemporary feel and used a picture of Versailles I took myself, last summer.
There's just nothing like the satisfying feel of a big ol', fat, altered book in your hand, dripping with chunk and embellishment. Ephemera lust!
More to come soon...
Keeping busy here with mail art and lots of mom & home concerns; school's wrapping up for my sons, and there are academic scheduling needs, extra curricular needs, summer needs, and driver's ed needs for my oldest -- yikes! -- pulling at me of late. I'll be back with more bears, and some new art to post, soon, though. Playing catch up for now...
I'm also busy cleaning house (ack!) now that we're well into Spring. And part of that housecleaning
is thinning out my bookshelves, including my bearcraft library.
I'm
a totally self-taught bear maker, and just about everything I've
learned about this furry craft was delivered to me via the written (and
photographic) word, in books. After six years at it, though, I've
pretty much learned the lessons these books have to offer. So I
thought that, rather than letting these volumes collect dust, I'd offer
them at a huge 50%-off-PLUS discount
to other would-be bear makers out there -- and that I'd give my mailing
list first notice and first shot at nabbing these great volumes at such
a great price. Many of my collectors and mailing list members also
make bears, I know... or have expressed a desire to learn how to make
bears someday.
Most volumes are priced starting around (and some under) $5. Bargain city!
If you're looking to learn about bear making or to improve the bear making (and costuming) skills you already have, I hope you'll pop by eBay -- I'm potbellybears there -- for some truly great volumes at even greater prices.
Thanks. :)
I posted new bears BUTTERSCOTCH and CHOCOLAT on Sunday and I'm just thrilled with the really warm reception they've received. Thanks for your interest! CHOCOLAT has already sold from my website -- thank you, K!
BUTTERSCOTCH is doing well at auction and nearing his reserve. He'll be on eBay until Sunday, May 10. His auction ends at 7pm PST. I hope you'll give this caramel-colored cutie a peek!! He's kinda irresistible, if I do say so myself.
Hello again! Long time, no post, I know. An idle blog, though, does NOT mean idle hands -- or an idle keyboard, graphic tablet, or studio. Nono! Au contraire! I've been busy, busy, busy, creatively speaking. Finally, it's time to go live with it all.
First... You've probably already noticed that I've completed another blog (and website) redo. I just LOVE digital design -- the colorplay, the compositional challenges, the image manipulation, the creation of graphics. And since I'm not a professional graphic designer (yet; maybe someday?), redesigning my blog and my website is a relevant and accessible way to practice, experiment, and dive into that oh-so-pixellated joy! I hope you'll enjoy the new designs as much as I enjoyed creating them.
Part of what drives me to rework my online branding is that I'm trying to find my design "voice" just like, long ago now, I found my teddy bear one. It's something that, I know from experience, simply takes practice and time. It's a process; a discovery. In terms of my graphic design experiments, I've tried romantic, blurry styles and stark, clean styles; neutral color schemes and brights. I've tried soft-edged treatments and blocky layouts, both. And I think I'm finally narrowing in on what I like, and do, best. There's a little whimsy in there. A little scroll-y romance -- but not too much. A definite contemporary vibe. And color, color, color! I admit, I'm loving the unfolding of it all.
Second... Announcing something entirely new from the POTBELLY ARTS studio. PAPER DOLLS! Read here to learn how I stumbled into this magical, paper-y world... or visit my Etsy shop to view my available sets. My first paper doll offering, SUKI, was inspired by the fashion-crazed youth culture of Tokyo's Harajuku district; a theme that's been inspiring me for a while now. Fun!
Third... Announcing three new bears, almost ready to debut! Wheeeee! I'm completely done with one of them (he looks like a brownie and just needs photographing;) almost done with a second (in golden brown, and a cutie, with a few seams left to close;) and ready to begin work on a third, which will be an entirely different kind of POTBELLY BEAR. Here's a preview of the finished brownie bear; I'll notify my mailing list when he becomes available for sale.
I tried something new for the last bear I mentioned. Knowing the exact silhouette and proportions I was after -- small, squooshy, schlumpy, with a biggish head and short, slim, simplified limbs -- I decided that, rather than hand-draw a pattern like I usually do, I'd SCULPT the entire bear in the way I wanted the finished teddy to look. When it was dry, I used pattern draping techniques to create a pattern in-the-round, right on the dried clay sculpture. Although I know a few other bearmakers have used this method successfully, it was my first time trying it. We'll see how it goes! The bear I hope will result will be the kind of teddy you prop against a pillow, because he's just that floppy and sweet and old and tired lookin'. Cuteness!
Fourth... I've been busy creating mail art, too! I've just received the first of nine round-robin Marie Antoinette journals from a peer at Marie Antoinette Mail Art, and will be completing a two-page spread and then shipping it on to the next person, over the course of the next week. And I recently finished three cards for an "Erotic" swap at IllustratedATCs.com. You can view all three on flickr, but here's a zexy taste:
Fifth... speaking of IllustratedATCs.com... some news. The site has changed! It's still a juried trading venue for illustrators and fine art hobbyists, but there's now a second, mixed-media dimension to it. One of iATCs sister sites, Mail Art World, is closing its doors, so iATCs is "absorbing" MAW. If you're a mixed media artist of talent and you'd like to swap art on a juried site -- trust me, your returns will be excellent! -- please consider submitting your work (via link to your flickr, Deviant Art, etc.) for review by the art panel. We're looking for new members for the mixed media division. Come join us, and trade!
Sixth... I'm so excited to share that I not only wrote an article in the current issue of free, downloadable webzine ARTTrader, but am also the featured artist. My article covers the practical aspects of prepping and shipping mail art -- fairly well, if I do say so myself! -- and the artist profile is just plain fun, and features some of my art cards and other mail art work. I hope you'll give it a peek or download it for reading at your leisure, or even printing at home. The PDF is a high-resolution, printable document. And this issue, in particular, has some really useful information and gorgeous, gorgeous art. Give it a look!
I'm hosting a swap with this theme at IllustratedATCs. Here are my three cards.
Marker, colored pencil, gel pen, rubber stamp, patterned paper, ink.
Three cards for friends who sent me great art in 1:1 trades.
1890's Goose Girl
K.M.D.A.F.M. Shoes (if you're dying to know what this NC17 acronym means, write me!)
Pink Fringe
The first three of four cards for a Favorite Artist Pick-A-Theme swap I'm in at IllustratedATCs.com. Both were created "in the style of..."
After Oleg Zhivetin:
After Kinuko Craft:
After Graeme Base
We're finishing up wrestling season for Noah here at home -- he finished 4th in sections and goes to the Tournament of Champions soon, which covers all of Northern California. He's done amazingly well, especially for a first-year wrestler; we're so incredibly proud!
Ski season ended with Toby seriously injuring his wrist one race shy of finishing the season (he has "skier's thumb," a ligament tear in the webbing space between thumb and forefinger.) It was a disappointment to him, as he was a potential qualifier for the state finals if he finished well in his last races. He has two years left in high school, though; I think his time will come.
What a wonderful whirlwind of a time in life it's been, despite the frenetic pace, with the boys so active and successful and happy -- and Tim's birthday just past. I've really enjoyed being immersed in it. Although the constant 4 a.m. wake-ups, I could live without... !
It's nice to have a few moments to refocus on art and online life now that other pressures and commitments lighten up, though, I admit. I go a little bonkers when I stay away from the studio for too long.
Last week I completed my pages for a chunky Pick-A-Theme book swap at IllustratedATCs. Great fun! My chosen theme was "Dark, Seductive Masquerade" and I'll be receiving ten chunky pages in that theme to create my personal book from this swap. The other themes were as follows:
CAKES & TEACUPS
EXOTIC FRUIT
GARDEN GNOMES
HALLOWEEN
GODDESSES
GODDESSES (again)
QUEEN OF HEARTS ("different")
SERAPHIM
HALLOWEEN TRICK-OR-TREAT
WINGED CATS
Cuckoo Fantasy and Teddiursa Explosion. Marker, pencil, gel pen.
An ATC for EraserQueen; by request, after Kelly Vivanco, whose art I also adore.
Marker, pencil.
I spent early Valentine's Day on the road to San Francisco, where, once arrived, my husband Tim and I visited the SF Museum of Modern Art. There was a particularly interesting exhibit there -- the 1000 Journals Project was visiting the museum -- and I even got a chance to add my own personal note to one of the journals (#872, to be exact) which is like being a part of art history. Very cool and meaningful!
Later, we picked up my sons Toby and Noah from their dad (who has them this week) and we continued south to my parents' house, to meet up with my mom, who celebrated her 74th Valentine Birthday yesterday. The six of us enjoyed a leisurely meal at mom's restaurant of choice -- Chili's -- complete with too many appetizers, too much food, and too rich desserts. Lovely! I think mom had a great time.
For the Valentine holiday, Tim gave me a card; a GIANT box of Godiva chocolate (yum!); and a lovely art book I wanted. I gave Tim scads of yummy candy -- including some in a heart-shaped box, from See's -- and an altered children's board book I made into a multi-page Valentine, that I'd been working on, off and on, for a month or so. I was touched at how much he loved it; it brought him to tears. That guy's a keeper.
I hope YOUR Valentine's Day this year was full of love and wonder, too!!
Skinny pages (3x7) for a skinny page swap at IllustratedATCs.com.
Patterned paper collage, acrylics, charcoal, ribbon.
A handful of my friends at IllustratedATCs have developed an awesome online workshop that begins April 1. So if you're interested in developing your whimsy art skills, be sure to check it out!
I recently saw two wonderful stop motion films: CORALINE and MADAME TUTLI PUTLI. They both feature amazingly expressive and original maquettes, incredibly creative set design, and wonderful animation.
I wrote brief reviews of these films for one of my art card swap sites that maintains a movie rating thread, and said:
Coraline
I'm a sucker for stop motion animation, especially when cute/eerie
visuals abound, as in this odd flick. Glorious maquettes at first
underwhelmed me with their simplicity but ultimately won me over with their
overall fit into a very complicated, almost overstimulating set design.
The garden scenes are a delight and somehow the voices in this one
(Dakota Fanning as Coraline and Teri Hatcher as her mother and other
mother) really hit the mark. The 3D is AMAZING;
well worth the price of admission (even on a Friday, for $10.50/person,
like we saw it!) I loved the very end credit scene, too.
Incredible!!! The music is so incredibly weird and awesome. I want the
soundtrack! Can't wait for the release of the DVD; I LOVE the "making
of" mini-features they always include for stop motion films. See this!
BONUS: The Coraline website takes a while to load but is amazing and interactive once it does, so be sure to wait long enough to see it. To view a truly amazing mini video on the creator of Coraline's teensy star sweater, visit this page and then click the TOP dresser drawer to play.
Madame Tutli Putli
An Oscar-nominated stop motion 17 minute short I ordered from the
National Film Board of Canada. Weird and cool. An odd story. Too short.
Confusing ending, but left me thinking. The maquette of MTP was really
original, kinda rough-hewn, had AMAZING eyes (looked post-production to
me) -- very cool! Worth seeing simply for its originality in design.
The train effects (movement, flickering light on windows) are top notch
and the mood/tone very effective and clever. I hope to see more from
these film makers!
Another diptych. Marker, gel pen.
A new ATC diptych, for my friend Chronata at iATCs.
Prismacolor marker, colorless blender (for cool mottled watercolor effects,) white gel pen.
A supremely cool gal and one of my very talented mail art friends, Tabitha Ladin, has just published a wonderful dragon coloring book that's now available on Amazon. For all the dragon aficianados in your life -- maybe even YOU?? -- it's a perfect purchase, at a really great price (under $10.).
TabLynn (her mail art world name) has an amazing talent for depicting dragons with just the right blend of reptilian realism and fantastical might. Her line art is detailed and meticulous, making for a sophisticated outcome no matter what your coloring skills. And each drawing is published with a blank backside, creating the perfect coloring experience; one that even allows you to remove pages for framing or sharing with others.
Please visit Amazon and check out what talent and drive can create... and maybe even to bring home this bit of dragon-y goodness for yourself, or someone you know.
The book is also available at CreateSpace and at LuLu, where you can buy the softcover version OR download it immediately as a .pdf for just $5. Whee!!
I've been tagged almost simultaneously by two same-named friends: Tami of Dolls N Dreams, and Tammy of Beckoning Bears. My assignment is to share six random things about myself with you peeps, my blog readers. So here goes -->
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And now, *tag* -- YOU'RE it!
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THE RULES
1. LINK TO THE PERSON WHO TAGGED YOU
2. POST THE RULES ON YOUR BLOG
3. WRITE SIX RANDOM THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF
4. TAG SIX PEOPLE AT THE END OF YOUR POST AND LINK TO THEM
5. LET EACH PERSON KNOW THEY ARE TAGGED AND LEAVE A COMMENT ON THEIR BLOG
6.LET THE TAGGER KNOW WHEN YOUR ENTRY IS UP
7. DON’T BREAK THE CHAIN
I just updated a nice little tool on my blog called Snap Shots that enhances links with visual previews of the destination site, interactive excerpts of Wikipedia articles, MySpace profiles, IMDb profiles and Amazon products, display inline videos, RSS, MP3s, photos, stock charts and more. Just roll your cursor over any link on my blog, and a SnapShots preview will appear. To avoid triggering SnapShots previews, scroll in the gutter (at the far sides of my blog, outside the area where text appears.)
Sometimes Snap Shots bring you just the information you most want and need, without your having to leave the site. Other times it lets you "look ahead," before deciding if you want to follow a link or not. This is really handy when you're deciding which of the many art sites and blogs I've got in my sidebar to visit; the choices are plentiful and dizzying!
Should you decide SnapShots isn't for you, just click the Options icon (the little sunshine-y looking thingie) in the upper right corner of any Snap Shot and opt out. You can disable SnapShots for just this blog, or for all sites -- you get to choose!
Happy previewing!
There's a new POTBELLY BEAR nearing release; this one, with a romantic Valentine's Day theme. Here's a Photoshopped sneak peek at an earlier stage, to whet your appetite.
If you'd like to be notified when bears become available from my studio, please join my mailing list.
This year I'm being a good "team mom" to my sons in part, via the donation of my design services. I admit, I've been really honored to be entrusted with the job! Toby and Noah think it's pretty cool, too, which is really special. :)
A while back, I posted the wrestling logo I did for Noah's jr. high team. Tonight, I mocked up some designs for older son Toby's high school ski/snowboard team.
Toby and I couldn't decide whether we liked the backside logo better with icicles, or without, so I gave the team both options to choose from. Click the picture, for a bigger view.
What do you think??
I am afflicted with the most wonderful ailment: creative discontent. It gets under my skin. It makes my shoulders tense and my legs fidgety. It itches me, but good. And it demands to be scratched.
It also drives me to create; to make things -- my life -- newer, bigger, brighter, and better than before.
It's interesting. My ex-husband used to label my creative discontent a form of "negativity;" an unwillingness on my part to accept things as they are and, ya know, get on with life, already. When I wanted to rearrange the furniture in our home, for instance, I was overflowing with joy and hope over the gorgeous, novel, heretofore unexplored possibility of it all. Where might the sofa sit next? Just how wonderful will our house look, bathed in sunlight from a newly uncovered source? Pure bliss, that. The unknown of it all. To me, that IS the stuff of life; the unknown. That process. That evolution, from pre-birth to birth to end stage to rebirth all over again. What is the point of living in a world of possibilities, when we limit ourselves to exploring just a few? How unimaginative. How stagnant. How... dead.
When I wanted to shift the coffee table to the left or the hutch to the right, my ex would fill with dread. It's a lot of work to move furniture, you know -- and if it ain't broke functionally, well... why fix it? Or so his thinking went. I spent 16 years with this well-meaning, if blindered, man. Is it any wonder I didn't embrace and discover my creative self until after we split?
Fortunately -- and I'm certain, not coincidentally -- my current husband, my children, and all my artist friends (no matter what their discipline or temperament) have reached a completely opposite conclusion. Creative discontent, to them, is that burning fire-in-the-belly that leads in a straight line to outcomes of beauty, wonder, and awe. It's that inner push every artist feels, to birth what's lovely; or, at least to TRY.
Yesterday, I redesigned this blog and my online branding; I think, for the better. Today, I'm working through an extensive, gorgeous, graphics-intensive redesign of my website. Before today, I felt a growing creative discontent about it all, you see. And now, mid-process, I feel bright and sunny and elated and full of wonder, not knowing exactly where it will all land, immersed completely and happily in my do-over bliss.
I make no apologies. I am afflicted. I accept my disease.
I create.
If you'd like to swap art with like-minded creative folk, but don't know where to start, give these three sister sites a try. I promise, you'll have the time of your life, and collect some really fun art in the process. What could be better? (Okay... Maybe a mint chip brownie sundae. But you can't hang that on your wall or flip thru an album full of it!)
ATCs for All
Non-juried | Open to everyone
Come play!
Illustrated ATCs
Juried | Submit your art for review by the art panel
Focused on hand-drawn, illustrative "flat" artist trading cards (ATCs)
Mail Art World
Juried | Submit your art for review by the art panel
Focused on mixed media mail art, including journals, chunky books, altered items
These three sister sites and their members join forces each quarter to create and publish an online webzine -- also coming soon in softcover as an annual publication! Be sure to check out the colorful eye candy we call ARTtrader Magazine. It's full of tutorials and artist profiles; ideas and inspiration.
For the host.
ROBOFLY
Elements: robot | clock | insect | false eyelashes
For a really novel swap at Illustrated ATCs, three new cards. The swap was called, "A little from Column A, a little from Column B." Each person who signed up for the swap got to choose two elements; one for column A, one for column B. I happened to choose (1) voodoo dolls and (2) lilies.
The point of the swap was to creatively combine at least one element from Column A with at least one element from Column B. So fun!
Here are my contributions to the party.
BIG LOVE
Elements: fat girl | in love | tiara
UNWELL
Elements: bacteria | balloons
TEETER
Elements: pink stilettos | striped socks | lilies
I'm feeling the need to update my blog and post something here, but I've hit a creating dry spell this last week. So in lieu of my usual handmade goodies, or "lookit!" posts about pretty stuff made by others, here's a montage of my sons in Europe last summer.
We had the BEST time there, and covered a huge amount of ground in a short two week period. I'll treasure the memories forever, which I figure is just about how long it will take me to pay down the credit debt I incurred, financing the trip. The dollar was at rock-bottom when we travelled; Murphy's Law. Blarg.
Clockwise from upper left:
My first try at a complex digital collage/painting.
I'm slowly, surely seeping back into the creative life after a few wonderful, focused, and chaotic days with my family this holiday season. It always feels so good and grounding to get back to it.
The first project to clear my desk post-Christmas (because it has a deadline attached) is a logo design try for my son's jr. high wrestling team. I have no idea whether this will fly with the coaches and team members, but I rather like it, myself. I was going for a very solid, stark, boxed look with a nod to linocut prints, whose carved edges I quite like. They'll be ordering black sweatshirts, so this design can be economically screen printed using just one color if they go that route. That's a tangible plus for their starving team budget. We'll see what they decide...
Creating renews me. It's been wonderful to spend the last days immersed in craft.
For Judithian; a hostess gift.
"Ride the Sky"
Acrylics, ink
"Bugs"
Acrylics with high gloss varnish atop
"Pink Marie"
Mixed media collage and hand drawn art, 4x4
Man, I have been so behind, with sick kid and school events and all-day-Saturday sports starting up in winter! Finally, some new art. I swear, I start going a little bonkers when I'm away from creating for too long. It feels so good to get something MADE.
For the Fall Pick-A-Theme swap at IllustratedATCs, an ATC with the theme, "Still life with reflection." Seriously, this thing about killed me. It is SOOOOO hard to draw reflected objects, and I only did a mediocre job of it despite absolutely wracking my brain and hands to do my best (several times, actually.) I hope this works.
"Matchbook"
Colored pencil on colored paper
And for one of my Secret Santa partners, a 4x4 chunky page for her bird book in progress.
"Masked Lovebird"
Acrylics
What's not to love about these darling kids? Their sweet rendition of "White Christmas" would melt the Scrooge-iest heart. And just look at the beaming face of their instructor. Could a teacher BE any more delighted with his students? It's all about the joy here, people.
Happy Holidays, everybody! God bless, us, every one.
Every year, on Christmas eve, while I slumber with my beloved and sugar plum visions dance through my head, Santa delivers a gift of original, art-y goodness meant just for me. Usually, he brings me an artist teddy bear, which I always help him choose -- and finance. :)
This year, though -- something different. Santa will bring me my first EVER original painting; a beautiful, soft, feminine work in oils. I know this because Santa used my PayPal account to fund his giftie!
Shipping from Ireland, just for me, is 18x22 inches of ethereal gorgeousness entitled, "The Firefly Keepers, by artist Lisa Falzon (a.k.a. meluseena on Etsy). A perfect, empty spot in my front room has been waiting for just such a prize.
I am so excited about my first ever "flat" art purchase, I'm absolutely vibrating with anticipation. Wheeeeee!
"You have to see it, to be it."
-- Billie Jean King
From the national Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc.:
Someone I love has Tourette Syndrome. A neurological disorder, it's grossly misunderstood; a minority of 10% with Tourette's have outbursts of inappropriate language, for example, yet that's become the stereotypical public expectation of Tourette's "behavior."
And it's much more common than you might think.
If you have the time and inclination, please watch this inspiring true story with your family this Sunday night. Sometimes, just one person who sees and understands, makes all the difference in the world.
My very talented friend, bear -- and (eek!) raccoon -- maker Ellen Borggreve will be hosting a special event this December 23rd. It's her first annual Christmas Parade of Artists' Favourites, a showcase event for soft-sculpture hobbyists and professionals, who were asked to submit their very favorite piece, ever, for display. A very fun idea, for sure!
Be sure to check out Ellen's blog on December 23rd for a peek at just exactly what it is, that artisans themselves find extra-special.
Just in time for the holidays, I've decided to part with my collection of bears by OTHER artists. This is the first time I've offered
any of my collected bears for sale, and my reason for doing so (someone
is bound to ask) is that I've pretty much honed my bear collecting
taste down to a particular type of bear, with a particular look, and
I'd like to focus my collecting on those bears -- and the artists who make them -- exclusively. The bears
I'm selling, stunningly gorgeous as they are, simply aren't "it."
They're all minty-mint and in pristine like-new condition, and have been stored
away from light and dust in a glass-front antique hutch since their
acquisition. Most come with tushtags, hangtags, and/or Certificates of
Authenticity. Trust me, they're lovely!
Among the offerings already posted to my website and available for purchase IMMEDIATELY -- just eMail me
to buy -- you'll find bears for every taste, to fit every pocketbook.
There's plenty of time for shipment and receipt, ensuring the arrival
of your new teddy in time for some beary happy holidays, indeed!
Pieces by respected, famous artists like Denise Purrington, Lori Ann
(Baker) Corelis, Jennie Sandahl, and R. John Wright make appearances in
my listings; some, more than once.
I hope you'll visit my website
to see whether one of these wonderful pieces might be the perfect
addition to your own hug, or a great gift for that special someone in
your life, this holiday season.
Today I'm in the mood for cupcakes and goodies and while browsing flickr for photos of the same, stumbled upon HELLO NAOMI, who bakes -- and photographs -- absolutely scrumptious-looking delights. These holiday-themed pastel pretties really caught my eye. Feels like baking time, about now...
Thanks to everyone who wrote to request AMELIE and ANDREA JEANNE. I'm thrilled to report that they've both already sold, reserved and paid for. This means a lovely holiday for my family AND, hopefully, for the two lovely collectors who were the first to claim these two personal favorites.
To those disappointed their eMails arrived too late, my sincere thanks for both your interest, and your understanding. I hate disappointing people with sad news, that's for sure. But it really is nice to be able to interact with my customers directly, selling from my website instead of from eBay, like I used to. Even though it makes me uncomfortable to deliver bad news, it sure is nice to make that connection.
My collectors rock my socks off. I'm the luckiest bear maker on earth, I think.
Thanks to you all, for your support and your business. You make my creative journey possible, and I don't ever forget it.
For you:
I'll be posting both AMELIE and ANDREA JEANNE, bears from my private collection, to my website tomorrow night. They've been absolute favorites of mine since I created them in 2004, which is why they still live here, with me! But after four years of keeping them all to myself, I think it's time to let someone else enjoy their sweet, winsome souls. I'm hoping they'll be a favorite holiday gift this season for a special someone in your life -- including YOU! And why not you? Every year, Santa brings ME a new teddy bear. Did you know that? He's a good guy, that Santa. He always seems to know just what to bring me. Probably, because I help him, by handling the order placement... :)
Both AMELIE and ANDREA JEANNE are minty-mint and in pristine condition, having been stored behind glass in an antique hutch since their creation. They'll ship with hangtags and Certificates of Authenticity.
For pricing and purchase information, please check my website tomorrow night, Sunday, November 23, at 7pm, PST. And remember: I offer a two-payment Layaway plan, for those who prefer to spread payments out over a longer period.
I hope you'll enjoy. ;)
AMELIE, above
ANDREA JEANNE, above.
"People talk about these crises, but what I think they mean is a sense of mortality, coupled with not feeling fulfilled."
-- A friend
The braces are OFF. Wheeeeee! Yesterday was D-Day... as in, "D for deband." I wasn't particularly anxious about the procedure, but I did anticipate some discomfort and even a little pain, and was relieved to find it wasn't so bad in the end; just a little tugging, a few sensitive spots, lots of grinding (to remove glue residue, but that was vibratory more than uncomfortable or painful, per se.) And then, voila! Shiny white chompers and a set of perfect teeth. And by "perfect," I mean: PERFECT. I can't believe how well aligned they are, especially after just ten months of treatment time. Do be sure to take a long look at the first (top) photo in this post; there's a nifty little "BEFORE to AFTER" morphing animation to see!!
Check out my before and after photos! And please excuse the weird smiles I'm wearing. I don't expose all my teeth when I smile -- that's just me, I guess -- so I have to kinda overdo it, to show them off properly!!
I have to be absolutely compliant with my braces aftercare to preserve these gorgeous results, because I debanded in advance of an ideal deband date, just after my teeth moved into final position, but before they could get well cemented into place. I just couldn't wear my braces any more, and they might move a bit as a result of my impatience. The cementing phase is an important part of orthodontic treatment and I didn't give it enough time to gel things properly, I know. It was an educated and calculated decision on my part, and I think even if there's slight movement, I'll be very happy with my results.
To keep things in place, Dr. Hood gave me two permanent, bonded retainers (like this one, but the photo isn't me.) One of them runs behind six lower front teeth and is bonded to the cuspids. The second one is on top, between my two upper front teeth, to keep them from separating or staggering. Since they're bonded and my "participation" isn't required for them to do their work, they should keep things well in place, both where they matter most aesthetically, and where they fell OUT of place, previously, forming the crossbite that led me to treatment in the first place.
I've got two removable retainers, too; I chose the clear plastic Invisalign-type ones, because I wanted to be rid of the wire look altogether. My teeth don't close properly while wearing them, but they're not too bulky or uncomfortable. I'd feel okay wearing them in public, but for the few hours each day I venture out for errands, I'll probably leave them at home. Dr. Hood actually said, "I shouldn't tell you this, but you can probably wear the bottom one just at night from the start." I guess it's the upper teeth that tend to move after debanding; the lowers, he thinks, are pretty well set in place. Who knew?
Anyway... here, some pics of my progress from day one to yesterday. My changes aren't as dramatic as some, but I look really different, to me, and for sure, my bite functions better when my teeth aren't crossing and banging on each other like they were last year at this time.
Thanks, Dr. Hood. :)
Wow, Wow, WOW!!
While browsing for Shabby Chic holiday ideas, I stumbled onto an amazingly rich and lovely website: Eras of Elegance. There's a wealth of information contained therein, covering history, fashion, interior design, travel, period crafts, lifestyles, architecture, and art... all categorized by timeline and era (baroque, medieval, victorian, and so on.) You'll even find a listing of period movies! What a treasure trove, if you're a fan of such things -- like I am!
To be candid, I've always been a lousy history student. Or, more accurately, I've always been a straight-A student... but the subject of history in particular has always really challenged me, because I have a hard time wrapping my head around timelines, for some reason. They just don't "stick." Maybe it's a spatial relations thing. I can't navigate to save my life, either. lol...
Regardless, the downright loveliness and historical depth of period films, artwork, furniture, and fashions absolutely fascinate me, and always have. And for sure, I'd rather watch the not-particularly-plot-driven "Marie Antoinette," or the sumptuous visual feast of "Moulin Rouge" over just about any other film, any day of the week. Pretty, pretty, pretty... and steeped in the past, so rich in meaning.
Check Eras of Elegance out, if you find a minute, and are inclined to enjoy such things. It's an intelligent learning experience, as well as an absolute delight for the eyes. They even sell a few bits and bobs there, too, and have beautiful wallpapers you can use to pretty up your desktop with historical images, costumes, and figures.
I love the internet. :)
Christmas, I mean. Once Halloween is over, I start getting the holiday bug, big time. Every year my family takes an early-December trip to San Francisco and we each pick out one special holiday ornament for the year. It's a wonderful tradition, and we get to see the Union Square lights, and eat at our favorite nearby Thai restaurant, where they literally have food on the table within eight minutes of sitting down. No idea how they do it, in a kitchen the size of a closet!
I like to think of myself as an uber-decorator when it comes to Christmas, but the truth is, it's a lot of work, so I don't do as much as I would like to, in my heart of hearts. Maybe this year will be different.
My home decor doesn't really currently support the style -- I'm more of a warm-toned, eclectic contemporary/country decor kind of gal, myself -- but for some reason, I am jonesing hard for a feminine, feather-tree-featuring, pink-and-white, glittery, tinsel-filled shabby chic kind of Christmas this year. I might just have hit a wall, with the whole testosterone overload thing at my place.
Today's visual feast: some wonderful shabby holiday offerings I found on Etsy. If you click the photos you can visit the Etsy shop that features each item.
Shabby-licious!
Computer = Better.
Hair = Better.
Formerly strained post-computer-trauma relations = Better.
Braces off in two days = Waaaay better.
Getting better.
Life is good.
