Hi, Folks . . . have you gotten on board with the Steampunk genre?
I've been intrigued by it for awhile now and decided to step waaay out of my comfort zone to dabble a bit. While browsing through the craft magazines at Barnes and Noble, I saw the cover of the Sept/Oct issue of Cloth*Paper*Scissors and had to take a closer look. Doll artist Paula Nerhus has created some very cute, interesting steampunk art dolls and gives instructions on how to make them in this issue. I have never worked with clay, so it became a big labor intensive project for me, but finally finished this dolly last night. I already had paint, fabric and many doodads that qualified as steampunk accessories, so all I had to purchase was the paper clay and I was ready to go. Now, if I intend to add dolls to my ever growing list of creative endeavors, I need to establish my own "look". But Ms. Nerhus provided the inspiration to step away from what I'm comfortable with, so thanks, Paula.
Yes, I actually cut out two bears today for a Christmas order. It's been over a year since I made a teddy, so it felt a little strange, and yet familiar, too. Just hope I remember how to put the pieces together . . . in more ways than one.
I'm not sure where I'm going with this post. Think I just need to sort out some puzzling, rather disturbing thoughts I've had going on for quite some time. Keeping these musings to myself has not resulted in any positive action to change who I've become, so maybe going public will help. I've been trying to figure out how to reinvent myself for years . . . anyone have a clue as to how that happens? I was diagnosed with recurrent major depression in 1998 and with the struggles to survive the abysmal black pit of despair that accompanies each meltdown, I've degenerated into a slug zombie. I once was an active, responsible, fairly organized, caring individual who could get things done when called upon. I could cook for my family, keep a neat (maybe not squeaky clean) house, pursue hobbies, and hold down a full-time job outside the home. No more. At age 70, I now can barely manage to get basic necessities taken care of . . . like laundry, grocery shopping, feeding my husband and pets. I'll post again on this subject - or maybe not - but perhaps I've started a new direction in trying to make the time I have left on this earth a little more productive.
My goodness . . . it's been awhile since I've posted here - shame on me. No excuses except that I have soooooo many places to visit when I get on the computer. And I'm head-over-heels involved with an animal sanctuary about a 30 minute drive from my house. International Exotic Animal Sanctuary houses around 70 big cats and bears that have been orphaned, abused, or abandoned . . . wild animals that can't be returned to their natural habitats. A well-run, awesome place to visit and they have daily tours. I love Tassers, the bobcat that I have adopted and go to see him at least once a month.
I also make items for their gift store, an activity which brings me endless pleasure. My teddy bear creating has taken a back seat, but I haven't abandoned it altogether. I've made a plush all fours bear that represents Scooter, one of the yearling black bear cubs at IEAS. Will be making another that represents Greta, a close friend of Scooter's and the same age as he. That's all for now, but I will be back soon with photos and more
"stuff" that I've been into.
Judd and his vintage accessories are for sale from Past Time Bears. He is 9 1/2 inches tall and made from golden tan German mohair. Pads are camel-colored wool felt and eyes are black shoebutton. Judd's nose has been embroidered with perle cotton thread to look old and care-worn, plus he has detailed shading to give him the appearance of a much-loved bear. His accessories include a vintage box, 'aged' by the artist, an antique baby shoe, and an old photograph. Judd is stuffed with tiny steel beads and fiberfill. The set is one-of-kind and sells for $200.00 + shipping.
Comanche is a hefty all-fours bear made of a beautiful, lush, high quality synthetic beaver. His needle sculpted pads are textured vinyl upholstery fabric and eyes are black glass. Standing up on his hind legs, he is 18" tall. On all fours, he is 16" long and stands 10" high. Comanche sports a collar with a bell. One of a kind. Cost is $290 + shipping.
My apologies for not having a PayPal option at the moment. I will have one eventually. Thanks much for your patience.
Well, I haven't been around for awhile . . . think I am a very lazy blogger. I hope to change that starting now. In my last message, I was having computer problems and I continued to be harrassed by malfunctions until I got the blue screen of death a couple of weeks ago. Long story short, I now have a new computer, but I also lost old software and tons of files that aren't compatible with Microsoft 7. My current website was created back in 1998 with software that doesn't exist anymore, so now there is no way to update it. I had started creating a new website with "WebEasy 7" and had several pages finished and saved. Oh yes, I lost all of it. Grrrrr. The Geek Squad at Best Buy did manage to transfer some of the stuff on my old hard drive to the new one, but I had many, many, many photos of bears I had made from 1997 to now that are gone. sigh And my photo editing software apparently isn't compatible, either, because it won't install. I tried getting support from Microsoft and eMachines for that particular problem, but everyone wants to charge a steep fee for resolving the issue. Rats! So, now I'm thinking maybe I will try featuring a bear or two for sale on my blog. That is, after I figure out how I want to do that. So, folks, check back from time to time . . . the times, they are a-changin'.
