Technically, The Doll is On the LIST.

Today my Reflexology client cancelled. Which left me with a 'free' day. Free Days aren't REALLY free days. We know how this works. There's a list.  It looks like this:

The Big Tall Boy when he was still a little squishy cute boy, as well as the list.

Today, I ignored it.

And instead, finished THIS little beauty.

Technically, she's on the list under the category "Make all the things."

Also, the "Your Mom" at the end of my list MIGHT be an insult, scribbled there by one of my daughters. Their nanny may not be impressed. Except that I'm sure neither one of us will know exactly what it means.

L.

Little Ginger Babushkas

Isn't she lovely? Isn't she Wonderful?

the Irish Russian. Hanging out with the Native Russian, and the Old Sleeping Russian. Party Time.

My boss at the Thrift Store texted me just as I was putting the finishing touches on this little mama. She's a Ginger Mama, and I was thinking of her! It's an Irish Russian Doll. Oh yes I did.

She's just so flippin cute. It is going to be hard to see them go, but a pleasure that they'll bring someone else joy too!

I have a sale at the Native Friendship Centre on March 21st, and I'll bring these beauties. All the others you'll be able to find at the Tiny Art Shack in Tiny Ontario in May 2015. 

L.

Looky Looky what I just picked up!

Prims Handcrafted Dolls Winter 2015 magazine. Love!


I'm so very excited. It feels SO FLIPPIN GOOD to get back into the sewing, the creating. It makes me so happy.

So simply happy.

I'm good at this. Yes, I am good at a LOT of things, but this really feels like where I'm supposed to be.

Little Scotia at Penelope PickleBottoms in Midland Ontario

Little Scotia has been invited to sell items at Penelope PickleBottoms new shop in Midland Ontario! So exciting!

Located at 231 King Street, across from Brunelle's Jewellery, inside a new mini mall where the pizza place used to be. (You know you're from a small town when you give directions like THAT!!)

The Little Scotia items that will be available at Penelope Picklebottoms will be small kid oriented stuff - Sock Monkeys, printed dolls, playable stuff! If you are interested more in the adult - art dolls, you should come to the Little Scotia Facebook page, until I find a home to carry those!!!

Squee!!!

Little Scotia Lori.

 

Evee Boody Luvs Crafty CRAP! ('cept mebe mah luver.)

So, I sort of cleaned this morning. I had two shelves that were just a disaster. Kept throwing schtuffs on it over the last.. ugh, 8 months? Look at some of the fun stuff I found!

A pile of clay doolallers. Doll pieces, plates, vases, unfinished bread and all of it is sitting in an incense burner. Also, unfinished.I started these little robots before Christmas. Because every miniature doll house needs robot minions. Cook, Maid, Butler. They aren't done yet...

A wonderfully creeeepy vintage plastic Heidi-ish doll who's eyes close when you get her horizontal.

A Welcome mat I cross stitched some time ago. I finished the last bit with the wrong colour blue, but was unaware of it until the daylight. That's what I get for stitching under that dang orange 70's lamp I love so much.

I'll be putting it on etsy for half of what I intended to charge for it, because of the irregularities.

A mostly-painted froggy clay incense burner. You guessed it.. unfinished.

Crap crap crap! I love crap! Itty Bitty Crap! Crappity Crap CRAP! Craaaaap Tiiiime!

The book shelves I managed to somewhat clean today are the 3rd and 4th from bottom on the left. I replaced the crap I removed with... MORE CRAP! (It's good crap though. I love my crap.)

Happy Friday, eh.

P.S. I'm putting the tomatos in dirt this weekend. They will have to live outside under cover. Because I've run out of room in the house. Swiss Chard is going in the garden boxes, too.

P.S. I'm back on the Chocolate Almonds, after a month on the wagon. Once an addict.....

Ninja Versus Hockey Fan?

In a battle between Vacationing Ninja and Toqued Hockey Fan, who would win?
These are my first babies with the Safety Eyes! Yah! I'm REALLY loving them. Check out Vacationing Ninja's posture... He's totally relaxed.

Toqued Hockey Fan sports a lovely white toque, and has big hopeful blue eyes. He's also got a little white fang - as I'm pretty sure he's some sort of pretzel eating monster.


I doubt there would ever be a battle. They'd end up in a pub together, eating pretzels and watching the day go by.

Tattoo'd Puppy, Shiny Happy Monkey

Worked on finishing details of some babies that needed some attention (and were patiently waiting for the filling!)

This little one is a child friendly version - no buttons! Eyes, nose, mouth, and ear details are embroidered on in coloured floss. I love the expression.

This is Tattoo'd Puppy! I loved the look on her face, all innocent and pure - meanwhile, tattoo'd from head to toe!!


I think tattoo'd puppy is going to get a little dress, though.


There's 2.5 months until first market day. My sweet heart says the "doll jail" is really filling up, and someone will have to come and spring 'em soon! (I have a glass doored Ikea cabinet. It is getting stuffy in there...nyuk nyuk.)

I sort of want to put one or two on etsy - because, I can always make more :) However, there's still jewellery boxes to finish up, necklaces and charms to get to, and I really really REALLY want to do a few aprons before market... So for now, I'm showing them off on Facebook, taking commissions from there, and letting them wait patiently until May.

More Sewing!

I love my "job."

Art Dolls! Hand Painted, Hand Sewn, Hand Stuffed!

Some of the new art doll pillows are done! I"m really excited, I love the way they've turned out.

I hand painted all of them - every bit. So, in my heart and opinion, they are like works of art, but on a stuffy canvas. They are painted on a light creamy natural denim, with cotton on the back. All have the Little Scotia tag on the back.

These are intended for the Farmers and Aritsans market this spring and summer, but I may put them on etsy. I'll need to get better pics, though, as these ones don't show all the detail and layers of colour.

Life is Good.

My Brain Hurts - Actually Printing Photos

This is a piece of work in progress - I'm calling it "A Duel!" after the title got a smile from my beloved.

He also suggested that I take pictures of my work and create an album to bring with us during our farmers markets this summer, after I voiced how much I'd like to take them but that it was so inconvienient to try and display them. He is brilliant!

Tomorrow, hopefully there will be some nice natural lighting through the windows, I'm going to get photos of all my finished works, and begin the process. I'm also going to get good photos of the jewellery boxes when they are finished, of some of the dolls I'm making, and of the miniature furniture, and create a large artist album. It can sit on the table and it could be a great source for commissions as well as selling the work itself.

I figure I'll probably just email the finished photos to Walmart, get them printed there. (Printing photos seems so ARCANE, doesn't it??) and, I'll ofcourse have to embellish a photo album - which leads me to want to also include some of my hand made cards and samples of my calligraphy and writing...

My brain hurts sometimes.

Ah, the artists life.

21 in one Go!

I counted up the projects I currently have on the go. 21. that's TWENTY ONE.

8 jewellery boxes
3 stuffy bears&bunnies
2 princess art dolls
1 lonely lady art doll
6 "odd" art dolls (as the little one in the pic.)
1 16 x 16" canvas painting.

The kitchen is a mess. It started with waiting for jewellery boxes to dry. This led to me sewing some bunnies and bears - and realizing I was nearly out of polyester fiberfill. In one of my magazines, there were some examples of dolls with acrylic painted faces - so I dug out some white denim, and started playing with it. (knowing I had the acrylic textile additive.) Then, while waiting for those to dry, I dug out a new canvas I bought... I found myself standing on a chair hanging a new spice rack today and surveyed the kitchen from "above."

Where in the world are we going to eat dinner?

Voodoo Doll.

A friend of mine forwarded a little pic of a voodoo doll and says "I want one. Can you make one for me? But, give it some personality." I love a good challenge. I started thinking about how I would start, and then continued with the dolls I'm currently making.

While I was downstairs looking for materials for the dolls, 7 rubbermaid totes later, I came across a doll body I had made, and abandoned. It was supposed to be a sweet little doll, but my measurements came out wrong, and the poor thing had tiny little legs and a lumpy body. So sad, it's sat down there for 2 years, until today, when I squealed "Eureka!"

Voodoo doll half finished!

This is the first time I've painted a doll (acrylic with a fabric textile additive) and I was really groovin' on the whole process. Although, I think I need to add some safety pins to it, for good measure.

This is just going to lead me into crazy new places with my dolls. I've ordered more labels, because I think I only have a few left, and I've been on overdrive with the sewing.

This is also the first time I've tried something spooooky.




I've also run out of polyester fiberfill... so, after the doll was done (and I painted a pile more faces and dolls) I got out a canvas, and did some of that, too.



It's been a very creative day!

Lori.

P.S. I decided NOT to sign the doll... just incase ..hehe

9 Jewellery Boxes to Heal The Soul

Today, I've gotten out the collection of old jewellery boxes, and I'm going to start the long and creative process that is transforming them. Today feels right, and last nights before-bed read inspired me.


I read this quote last night from my Seat Of The Soul , this is one of my favourite books - and it shows. The poor thing has to be glued back together. Page 86. Gary Zukov presents his thoughts in words and paragraphs that are SO well crafted, that you'll move from one thought to another in the most beautiful flowing way. This book really helped me heal.

"Intuition serves creativity. It tells you what book to buy for your project. It tells you where to meet the colleague that you need to meet, and which ideas from another. It is the hunch that a certain painting shuld be done in grey, and that another should be done in purple. It is the sense that an idea that has never been tried before might work."
"Intuition seves inspiration."

Seat of the Soul

I love getting lost in my craft. It's meditative, and fulfilling, and just plain makes me feel happy and thankful.

So, today, I will listen to vinyl, and work on these jewellery boxes, and think on how much fun the summer Market is going to be with these beauties on my table!

Super Hero's and Yoda's Grand kid.

Look! He's a happy little Alien. I think he's related to Yoda somehow. But, like, Yoda's grandkid, who you know is going to end up being fabulous in some club filled with loud music and not listen to grand daddy's wisdom.

This little super dude is HAPPY! Every time I look at him, I start singing The Greatest American Hero theme song... I will be making him a CAPE soon.


Why are all my monkeys coming out more "gansta" than "aww, cutie pie" ?? Despite her embroidered felt heart, this chick looks dangerous. Maybe it's the beadie little eyes.

I'm going to have the awesomest Market Booth EVAR!

I Don't see ANYTHING.

What? What's that? No, I don't see a monkey on the couch. What are you talking about? I"m looking right there.. Where? Yes, that's exactly where I'm looking, too. And I don't see a monkey. Are you feeling ok?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH! THERE IS! THERE IS A MONKEY ON THE COUCH! I SEE IT NOW!...............

Wow, that's a well camouflaged monkey.

**************

(yeah, I entertain me. I work from home doing THIS so I can play from home with dolls. Good times.)

You Can Love Your Sock Monkey, But You Can't LOoooVE Your Sock Monkey.

I've been making sock toys, again, with the intention of "stockpiling" for the summer markets. They are so much fun to make (Making them makes me happy in a simple way.) It'll be a bonus if they sell in the summer. If not, well, this is what you're getting for Yule from me :)

This guy looked a little mean, before I added the french-knots in the eyes, and the big pink felt heart.

This little dude came out looking like he was wearing a knit cap, and he's got a bit of a teenage attitude when I hold him...

Like "Yo, Mama, Be cool. Don't make me hang out with all these other baby monkeys - I'm too old for dat."

Love Monkeys for Valentines Day.

Gingerbread Art!

I couldn't get these posted for some reason, the day I took them (Just couldn't get them off the cam.. finiky robots.) So, here are the ginger bread cookies that my family WOULD have gotten, if everyone over there DIDN'T have the stomach flu and cancelled the family "Christmas" dinner, until today

Here we have a rather frightened moose - I made these for my F.I.L. as he's a hunter. Beside him is a "suit-and-tie-guy" complete with watch, who also looks a little stunned. (Corporate Office Work will make you look like that. hehe.)

These two little numbers were for my S.I.L. and B.I.L. An alien and a vampire... because I get BORED making traditional looking Ginger bread people... I'm totally segueing here... I'm not married, so these two wouldn't be my "in laws." They'd be more my S. and B.B.C. (Sister and Brother By Choice.) I think that's better.... ok, gingies continued....

I can't remember who got these ones (or who was to get these ones!) A man and woman are on vacation, and he got a little burnt. I loved these guys. hehehe..

Over the holidays I signed on two new Watkins Associates. Come Monday I'm going to sit down and look at my entire organization, and do some restructuring. I'm giving some people in my downline some extra associates under them. I still benefit, and it will build a stronger team. It also helps my associates earn a little extra too! If you are interested in building a long term home business, but DON'T want to do the selling part, take a look at our TEAMS Watkins site.

I did a little math, and I'm on track to my $3000 a month goal. If I continue working my business with the same momentum as I have in the last six months, I'll reach my goal by this time next year. I"m excited to be taking my team members to my goal with me! (Because if I'm earning, so are they!)

(I've been doing some extra training over the holidays... I'm excited and re-energized! )

Oh, I listed some brand new doll furniture on etsy over the holidays too. Wing chairs, nursing chairs, and a couch. (These are in 1:12 scale, but I can to them in 1:16 or 1:24) See etsy for more detailed pics.

Hope everyone had great holidays!

Crafters Choice, 3 books for 3 bucks. Cool.

It's the time of year where I madly go through my crafting books looking for quick, last minute ideas. I was realizing how many of these came from the Crafters Choice Book Club. (You know, with the swingin' deal when you sign up, then the sales that keep you hooked?)

I've already done quite a few projects from these books over this year, and I'm REALLY looking forward to January and February, because they really ARE condensed crafting time for me. I'll list the creations on etsy, until the weather gets nicer, then sell them at market or on consignment at local shops.

If you want to have a peek at their deals, or pick up a new craft to get you through winter, Find books on beading, sewing, knitting, and more! Get 3 Fabulous Crafting Books for only $3! !

This is for the Canadian Version of the Crafting Book Club. I'm sure there'll be a link to the U.S. one there, though.

I'm pretty sure the deal is you only have to buy one or two books at their club prices, and then you can cancel. 5 books of crafts is enough to keep ANYONE busy till spring!

More Yuletide Greeting Card PICTURES.

Look! I had to post some cards I made with my own art. I printed them off on cardstock, because I knew I was going to want to use them raised, BUT they could be printed out on paper too. When I go to the printers, I always ask that they print my work photo quality, and usually on a matte paper, but you can get some nice results on glossy, too.

These cards will be available at Inner Bliss for purchase, or contact me if you are long distance and interested in having them mailed to you. OR, you can visit my etsy store and purchase the sheet of images and make some yourself! I email the digital file to you, and you can have it printed right away at home, or take it to a printers.

What do you think?

Celtic Fun and Fairies For Scrapbooks and Cards!

I spent the day colouring. Here was my thought process:

I've spent the last WEEK drooling over these fancy handmade cards featuring (generally) stamps of cute little kids etc, that the artist will colour in. Then I thought, why in the heck would I buy stamps when I can DRAW? So, I did a page full of drawings. And as I'm drawing, I"m thinking "I should get this photocopied, so I can use them again and again."

Initially, Iwas thinking I would colour them in each time for each card, and then my arm got sore today COLOURING. And I realized how LONG it was taking to colour. And then thought "Why don't I photocopy the coloured page?"...

So, now I have a page fully coloured, that I can cut out the figure again and again for use on these cards that I'm making... THEN I thought.. "Why don't I put this on etsy, and sell the image, so OTHERS can use them in their card making or scrapbooking too?

Now, I'm thinking I might colour a sheet once a week. You know, around all the cardmaking I"m doing :)

In other news, my handmade cards, as well as my scrabble and glass tile pendants, and some paintings are in a local shoppe called Inner Bliss. I went down today with a pile of new stuff, and had a wonderful time absorbing and healing in the fantastic energy of the shop, and chatting with Rhonda.

Today has lasted FOREVER, in the best way.

Happy Friday! Dont' forget to check out my etsy shoppe with the images for scrap booking!

Lori

Pagan Yule Cards.

More Cards! With a Pagan-Twist, ofcourse.

The pictures on them are little ACEO's that I made last year. I was looking at the stamp pictures that some of these ladies are using, and thought "Why in the world would I buy those when I can draw?" And then stumbled apon the ACEO's while getting paper out of the craft dresser.

It makes me happy that my cards are truly UNIQUE, because no one else will have these images.


My plan was to head down to Inner Bliss (Midland Ave, Midland Ontario) with these, and a pile of other items for consignment... but the weather isn't luring me out to walk (with a container of jewellery, these cards, and canvasses...) So, I've arranged a play date with a friend of mine down the road. I'm bringing my scrapping stuff and she's gonna get her stuff out, and there will be MORE cards.. ehhehe...

Instead, I've listed these two on my etsy store this morning.

This is addicting. I understand it now!

Have a Blessed Day!