Happy journey little elf

My little old one hundred and fifty year old elf found a home and is travelling there now, still asleep in his grapevine chair. So what to make to replace him? There's no replacement, really. But I'm thinking of a little angel.
Also, I've got this really pretty gift box I make, and want to share it here. Got to get the photos.

What does a one hundred and fifty-year-old elf dream about?

Probably nothing you were thinking...

No, he dreams about riding in Santa's sleigh this Christmas eve, an honor reserved for elves his age.
And Lord help me, I think he's cute, right down to his little pointed boots.
The big challenge coming up??

The challenge is to sculpt a cute little female woodland fairy that doesn't look like a cross between a roach and a hooker.

Is it possible? Yes, it is, but I've never sculpted a fairy and I'm very nervous about it. I want to get it right--natural but not boring, sweet but believable. I've seen them, you know, made by others who did get it right, and it can be captivating. And I've seen others...
It's darned hard to do, creating a little nymph that makes you want to go Awww and not Eewwww.
So I guess my REAL question is: Is it possible for ME to sculpt a decent fairy?
We'll see, we'll see.

Elf, coming up...

What does a one hundred-fifty year-old elf look like?
Probably a lot like a fifty-eight year-old retired postal carrier.
No really, I've been working on him and he's almost done, except for some touches on his hat and shoes. For some reason it's really important to me to get those right. They've got to look elf-y, but well-used.
(Kind of like me?)
And--I've got stuff to make the first fairy and I'm really wanting to create some miniature flower
arrangements for doll houses.
Stay tuned.

Mermaid? Check.

She doesn't look like an alien anymore. At least, not in a bad way.
Hers was the first hair I've planted on a head. Hers is the first tiny pearl necklace I've strung--that small of one, at least. Hers is the first tail fin I've---well heck, she's the first mermaid I've sculpted.

The hair glue was going to be messy so I wrapped her up like I am when I get my hair--um--enhanced--at the salon.

I got the weft mohair, which is sewn on one edge, so that it doesn't arrive tangled, and it's easier to work with.

I used a LOT of toothpicks and paper towels, things I don't usually use with my own hair.
She still looked pretty strange here. Of course, it hurts to be beautiful.

The tail fin cut from fantasy film, wire being glued on so I can bend the tail how I want.

Many toothpicks, glued-together fingers, a headache and a couple of new and unusual expletives later, the mermaid is done.

Now, as Jason and Grant and the crew of "Ghost Hunters" proclaim, "On to the next..."

Second Sale. Moon pillow gone!

I'll miss my little crescent moon pillow with the charming smile, but that doesn't mean I'm not ecstatic that it is sold! It also means I will have to make more.
Presently I'm working hard on my little mermaid figurine. Right now she pretty much looks like an alien, but I'm still working on her partly-done irridescent green tail scales, planning her graceful tail fin, and awaiting the arrival of the mohair weft to use for her flowing hair. Don't worry, little strange looking thing--good things come to those who wait.

This next sentence will sound totally insane, unless you're the type to understand: I could hardly sleep last night thinking about fairies.

I've been invited through Etsy to bring my hand made stuff to an April equestrian event in Chester, South Carolina, which will be my very first booth set-up. My mind is racing to think what I should make before then. I really am enjoying sculpting little figurines, and have some ideas bordering on epiphanies for fairies.
But there's plenty of time between now and April, you say? Maybe, but I'm my own sweat shop, so I'm going to have to make good use of it. I've got to say the sale of my little pillow has given me a big boost.

A break from sanity is always a good thing.

Every once in awhile you need to stop and have a good cry. But that's not what this post is about.
This post is about having a good laugh, which exercises the face, diaphragm, sends endorphins whirling through your body, and irritates the neighbors. What more could you want?

Click on this link.

A special thanks to my lovely sister Kathy for sending the link in an email.

Miniature Nativity

I finally finished my nativity featuring miniature hand-sculpted figurines. I absolutely love the challenge of creating miniatures with as much realistic detail as possible. I've got more projects planned, but I wanted to post a photo of this one here.
Polymer clay is good and bad. On the good side, it's easy to sculpt. On the bad side, it's hard to sculpt small details when it gets mushy. Just handling it can put a dent in it sometimes. So the challenge is not just the detail but the medium used. There are firmer clays which would better hold shape while working with it that I might check into.

A safety hint for polymer clay users ready to bake an item--Set your project on a small oven safe tray and enclose the whole thing in a sealed oven roasting bag. That way you won't release polymer fumes in your oven and kitchen. And--don't use any utensils or pans for food after using with your polymer clay.

Nativity, hobby horse, a mermaid, and an Invitation to help me think.

That's what I've made, am in the process of making, and have plans in my head to make. So another trip to the store and I brought home a strange combination of things including a wood pedestal and gorgeous ribbon for presenting my hand sculpted miniature scene from the nativity--should I include Joseph???? Help me decide. I got Mary holding Baby Jesus, a kneeling angel, and a tiny tiny lamb. So far Mary is the tallest at one and one quarter inch.
I guess I'll try them on the pedestal and see what I think. Joseph was important, Mary would say. Yes he was.

The horse part of the hobby horse is done I think, and needs his base done, a simple thing.

The mermaid is still all in my head. Why a mermaid, I'm not sure, but I do like the stuff of myths whatever it may be.

I need ideas--what to make for dollhouses. Food? Home items? Animals? Toys? Is anyone out there?
I'll put photos up when I get some.

WIIIRRRRE HANGERSS????

Sorry, couldn't help the title. I've been saying it all day long and getting weird looks from the dog.
But I'm so excited about these little Christmas ornament hangers I've been making. Today I expanded from the original silver with white opalescent bead to making silver ones with blue beads--thinking of people with Hanukkah ornaments to display--and also some gold ones that are actually a golden non-tarnish brass wire with sparkly amber beads.
I started making them when I thought of making ornaments, and those awful WIRE HANGERS flashed into my head, along with that awful scene from Mommie Dearest.

Well, Joan Crawford/Faye Dunaway will still just have to flip out since my lovely ornament hangers are still made of wire, but they are of lustrous heirloom quality instead of the flimsy store-bought kind, which some of our most cherished ornaments just don't deserve to be associated with around the Christmas tree.

So have a look. They're available at my Etsy shop, and are offered at a special holiday price which you will see on the hangers' Etsy page near the BOTTOM of the description.

Gondolas, Art, Angels, and Whoopi.

You don’t have to touch a slot machine or gamble at all to find a good time here.

Last night we saw Mystere at the Mirage, which was the second time for us but it had been eleven years or so. It was the first circ de soleil we ever saw, and probably our favorite. The awesome costumes remind me of a sort of Rococo/Mayan/Dr. Seuss thing going on. The “clowns” are actually funny, but the incredible feats of strength and daring acrobatic skills melded with ethereal live music and lights send these shows over the top amazing!

We took a walk over to the Venetian today. In all the years we’ve been coming out to Las Vegas for meetings we had never been there. That’s one thing I really get into around here, is the variety of architecture.

I talked about looking for my muse. Here in “Sin City” it’s even tougher finding an angel, but I did. This one was counting the number of people being good today.

We ducked into another gallery, this time the world renowned photographer Peter Lik had some of his amazing work on display. This is truly a must-see if you are anywhere around the Venetian. Of course no cameras are allowed but here’s the link to see some of it:

http://www.peterlik.com/photography

I had heard there were gondolas in the Venetian, and it was true. Half an hour costs sixteen bucks…

So I opted to slip a buck to Voltar, who spit out a card with my fortune printed on it. I still don’t know what it says until I find my glasses.

I was telling you about the gallery we found at Caesar’s Palace the other day. Vladimir Kush is the artist, and his work is absolutely mesmerizing. One of the paintings covered a great deal of a wall, and we stood there for quite a while gazing at it. Surreal, gripping, beautiful—I can’t seem to find the right words. Seeing it in person is better than on a website, but you’ll get an idea:
http://vladimirkush.com/
We didn’t go into Madame Tussauds but Whoopi seemed to have escaped. She was just standing at the curb like the mischief she really is.

Thanks for visiting!