One thing you can always count on is for time to pass. With a baby, it passes like a bullet train. Our little addition to the family has already passed his four month birthday. It is so wonderful to have this opportunity to become a mother yet again! I will say that this one is work...holy cow is he ever. My visions of a sweet little baby gazing up at me from first a bassinet and then a playpen, while I toil away at what I love- dolls, sculpting, costuming, stitching, teaching about the art of passementerie- have evaporated into clouds of fussiness, sleep deprivation, co-sleeping and napping in my arms while the time ticks away. No matter though. There is plenty of time later...right? Somebody throw me a bone!!!

2012 wrapped up as a pretty good year artistically speaking, if not very productive. Pregnancy is hard on an older body and childbirth about like being hit by a truck. But I am proud of what I did accomplish, and hopefully these surreal ideas in my head, visions of fairies and babies and sparkling decorated eggs, will someday transcend the thin boundaries of my brain and find their way to a physical form. Alas, the dreams of these future endeavors keep kind company for me.

I finished the "Heartbreaker" mother and child piece that I started and of which I previously posted pictures in progress.

Here are a couple of "in progress" pictures:

I really had fun making the needlepoint shoes, too.
The "Heartbreakers" are from a class I yook with A is for Artistic, with a wonderful teacher and world renowned doll artist, Ankie Daanen.

I also took another great class from Diane Keeler, "Sculpt a Teddy Bear", starrind sweet Willie. I really wanted to do something different and have fun. I found this reaaly wierd fashion fur at Hancock Fabrics and decided to give it a whirl. I really love how this bear came out. Let me tell you, the way Diane does her instructions, you just can't fail. Without further ado, meet the "Red Bearon".

So I have embarked on more classes, all while trying to finish others...I wish there could be more free time in day, but I wouldn't change things for the world. More soon I hope!!!

Check out the tassel web site...videos are up and running...on YouTube too.

Cheers!

Evolving Dolls and Tassel Video

It is so interesting to watch a sculpted doll develop, especially those done with air dry clay. The process of sanding, adding clay, sanding again, and detailing often yield a completely different face. Here is my lady from the other day (this doll is sculpted with Premix):

I re-sculpted the lips probably about five times. It is a joyfully painful learning process! The little polymer clay fairy's armature is ready...actually the torso and legs are complete too but I haven't taken pictures of that yet.

Tassel videos are coming along and I don't thing are going to need much editing. they look pretty good, for what I am trying to do right now anyway!

It is a process, and let me tell you at eight months pregnant I am never sure what day things are going to get done, mostly due to the fatigue factor. Thanks to all who are patiently waiting for me to get it together!

Cheers!

Tassel Topper and OOAK Heads on Sticks! What a Start to the Day!

Well the itch is there for the scratching. I am working on the tassel site...if you have ever built an information based web site with all the bells and whistles you know it takes time. Today I sanding down and am painting one of my own wood tassel forms that I put together. One of the things I am consistently asked is "where do you find the wooden tops for making tassels?" Having made tassels for many years I have some resources, and have had a number turned on my own. However, who wants to pay 5, 10, or even 20 dollars for a wood piece that is going to be covered? The answer is to put together the myriad shapes that you can find right in your own chain craft stores, add a litle clay, sand, paint, and be on your way to a gorgeous piece of art.

Gosh it is soooooooooo hot this summer. It is going to take forever for the paint to dry in the humidity, I always spray chemicals including paint in the garage, because no one likes or needs the fumes.

As ususal the itch to make dolls is also there needing to be scratched. So here are my too new girls. I just love fantasizing about their hair, costumes, etc. The only thing I can't decide on is a color scheme for the larger doll. Any thoughts?

Well back out the sauna/garage to check on the form.

Cheers!!!

Tassel for Tutorial: Second Color Version

Hi all! Here is the white tassel that will be featured on the video. I will be posting free instructions for making the Swarovski Rivoli crystal embellishment on the tassel form, but it is optional.

See you there! Cheers!

A Tasselling We Go

Time to tassel! Let the fibers fly! We are going into the video studio today to work on video tutorials...I will be teaching how to make this very simple but elegant tassel. This is intended to be your foundation piece, because once you have mastered the techniques required to make this tassel, you can then do just about anything with some effort and practice.

Don't worry! Your tassel does not have to be pink! Actually the tassel in the video is white. I just made a pink one to use up some pink crochet cotton I had. After all, making tassels, especially "practice" pieces, doesn't have to be expensive-part of the practicality of this art form is is gives you a chance to use up some of your stash of fibers. In future tutorials, we will be doing just that, and dyeing our old fibers to make a whole new work of art.

Don't worry about the wood form either. We will address that in the video.

Don't forget to stop by http://www.howtomaketassels.com to see this unfold!

Cheers!

OOAK Mermaid and Egg Almost Finished!

I am so close to finishing this project I can feel it in my blood! It is in the final stages. I am just posting pictures today, and will write more about it when I am ready to post the final pictures. When will I ever get back to tassels?!!! Soon, but I am thinking the videos may have to wait until June when my tech savvy son is here for summer. Enjoy these pictures...I will reflect on this project more imminently!

Cheers!

No spring for us

It looks like this year there will be a much abbreviated spring. Those pictures from a few days ago? Here is the same scene just two weeks later.

Already this week we had over 80 degree heat and I had to turn on the air conditioning. Thus ends the blissful period in which neither the heat nor the air conditioning have to be on, truncating the few months of respite that is often enjoyed between the high gas bill and the high electric bill, which I think “winter” and “summer” might be renamed, respectively. A very bright aspect of the season is the generous rainfall thus far, which is making the lawn and landscape lush and healthful.

Yesterday I had to do everybody’s taxes. So no post. I think the laws of nature are on my side with that excuse!

The construction process on the web sites continues, it is a wonderful creative journey in itself. I am learning a lot about Photoshop and Facebook and all kinds of social media, in short, being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

I finished the pompom tassels last night at long last, these were absolutely a work in in progress. These pompoms are a mish mash of leftover fibers from my stash, as I mentioned. Making these pompoms is tedious but is fun and is something that can be done right in front of the TV if you choose. In the process of constructing these, I learned a lot about fibers and the way they behave. In the end, it really to comes down to this: as long as about ¾ of the pompom is pure wool, the pompom will “fluff out”. If you look closely at these tassels you will see:

• Crewel wool – most of this is leftover Appleton’s
• Tapestry wool- mostly DMC
• Silk n’ Ivory from Brown Paper Packages
• Kreinik metallic threads
• Splendor silk
• Caron Watercolors and Waterlilies *
• DMC and/or Anchor floss
• Very Velvet from Rainbow Gallery

And probably some I forgot about…

I like to use my leftover fibers (and some that I bought and for which I simply haven’t found a use) in creative ways, and go figure, often times that is on a tassel. If the colors aren’t right, you can dye them. Jacquard dyes work wonderfully for silk and cotton, and Procion dyes from Dharma trading will cover rayon and natural viscose. You really can’t dye nylon or other synthetic fibers, but most of what I use with needlepoint and passementerie (tassel making) are natural fibers anyway. Check back a couple of posts ago and you will see an example, various natural fibers that I dyed to make some pretty red tassels.

Roping it back in to the pompom tassels, I didn’t use any dyes here, and they are naturally a variety of colors that I thought looked very nice together. The form is done in silk ribbon embroidery with beads and glitter.

This process has made me recall that I need to and the “color 101”section to the howtomaketassels.com web site. Back to work!

* These variegated threads are a great source for color matching. More on this soon!

A Slow Day

Just a few pictures today...I am working on finishing a tassel adorned with a lot of pom poms. I love these little puff balls because they are fun...AND a great way to use up the odd threads in your stash. This particular tassel set was made using all sorts of leftover needlepoint yarn, Kreinik metallics, assorted Rainbow Gallery threads, and more. I think I will be able to finish these tassels tonight. Here is a picture of the pom poms and the cord from last night's work session.

Also, here are some curtain tie backs that will be going on the "commissions" page soon of the howtomaketassels.com
web site. I love these because the yarns are fine specialty yarns that were on a spectacular clearance sale table at a local yarn shop. With the money I saved on the yarn, I splurged on the beautiful pearl and crystal buttons that embellish the tassel heads. I am always looking out for interesting baubles that I can put on my tassels to make them really unique. It gives me just one more thing to look for when "antiquing" (yes, thinking of an old "Frasier" episode, I am one of those for whom "antique" can be a verb).

Yesterday I posted some tassels with some glass art beads. Here is a close up of one of them. This artist at Dolly Ahles does such amazing lamp work. Her web site is flamedancerbeads.com

I am still looking for the artist of the long iris bead. Is it yours??

Cheers!

Still at it

Back at it today...working on the web sites to fill them to the rim with pictures, tutorials, ideas, and just generally making them a place to enjoy and spend some time perusing. It is amazing how each seemingly small step can turn out to be a major undertaking. However I am satisfied with the progress and am really learning a lot along the way. I received some good feedback about the needleartslady.com site; this is where the bulk of photos will be. Tutorials on the needleartslady web site will likely center on egg art, dolls, and other embroidery items not related to tassel making. I have a fairly clear vision of how all of this will shake out, but contingencies happen so am proceeding with an open mind.

Here are the other tassels in this small batch of scissor tassels (yesterday I posted the red ones). Usually I make these scissor tassels in much larger batches, but I had these beads I bought at the International Society of Glass Bead Makers annual show last year in Louisville sitting in a box and really felt compelled to use them somehow.

Tomorrow I will try to post the beads up close along with credit for the artists.

On a different note, this weather is so bizarre. These pictures were taken exactly one week from eachother!

These web sites are usurping most of my time, but eventually, I will get back to sculpting me latest fairy. She is a bit shy...

Cheers for now!