help me name my mermaid.....

I have a new workshop!
Her debut will be with the Rainy Day Dollmakers in Sitka Alaska in March. I just love her and wanted to share a few pictures!



Her face is made using my "Jubilee" press mold.



This is an altered tin doll. Her center is filled with pictures, shells, pearls, glass glitter, and marbles. Yummy!



Lots of fun yummy fibers used for her tail fin and then embelished with beads and shells.



I need your help!! She needs a name....what do you think? I'd love to hear your suggestions.

ENJOY!
Cyndi

a work in progress....

I have a new critter in the house. Quick get out the bug spray. Just kidding! He's friendly! I've been working on this spider....he's a little scary....but spiders this big usually are! You now the saying "a face only a mother could love". I just love him!

I started working on this guy over a year ago, but then the inspiration dried up and I packed him away for awhile. I finally got the bug (pun intended), to pull him out of hiding a couple days ago and start playing. It always amazes me how some projects can just happen overnight and others take a little longer to decide what they want to be. Here's a few pictures of my spider and his little handler. He's still a work in progress.....

My thoughts, when I first started, was to JUST a make a spider. But then it started growing, and the whole process took on a life of it's own. This is how it happened....I had this really fun nest that I had bought somewhere just because it was so cool, and I started thinking wouldn't it be fun to strap this to his back as a little carrier for a faerie? So I did that. Then it wasn't enough to just have a nest...as you can see it got bigger! So, that's when the whole "treasure keeper" theme started churning in my head. At first I was going to put a tiny faerie in the nest...but then I started thinking nest....birds...EGGS!

Okay so I had the "spider carriage", I had the "treasure", now I just needed....a "Keeper". So I made this little guy. At first I was going to have him stand beside the spider. But plans changed! This is how it happened - I had the little guy on the counter beside the spider and when I looked down at him it dawned on me that the way he was posed was just perfect for hanging him off the side of the nest. He looks so spunky this way....it just worked so well. I love it when that happens! I do believe this is where he'll stay....but who knows!

Okay, that's it for now. I hope you liked the sneak peek! I'll keep you posted. ENJOY!

Hugs,Cyndi

happy New Year!

I AM OFFICIALLY SELF-EMPLOYED! I'm in my studio full time now! My last day at my "job" was Thursday, December 18th. This was about the same time my fourteen year old son went on Christmas break from school, and I primarily served as taxi mom. It was a fun two weeks and my family and I had a wonderful Christmas. So, I have marked January 5 on my calendar (and my heart), as the first day of my new adventure! I am so very excited and feel blessed to have the opportunity. I believe this is where I belong, and what I am supposed to be doing!

The Joy of Jubilee

(new workshop)

I'm looking forward to 2009. I have workshops on the calendar, new online classes scheduled, and lots of new projects in the hopper!

I have been working on my studio area. I don't have a lot of space so I needed to really work on organization and making the most of the space I do have while making it look pretty. It's gotta look pretty because my studio is my dining room.

I have two book shelves. I put the pretty stuff on the top shelves and the not so pretty stuff on the bottom shelves hidden behind curtains. Wire baskets work great for organizing all my fabrics and boxes hold a lot of my trims, trinkets, ribbons and such. I found the wire baskets at Staples Office Supply and the pretty little boxes at Joannes Fabrics. They work really well - pretty and very functional. I Just love them. Of course I got out my label maker so I could mark what is in each of the boxes. Believe me...that's really helpful.

Between the two bookshelves I have a dresser, and stacked on top I have these fun wood box units that I found at Michael's (on sale of course). I'm trying to decide what color to paint them. I thought green, as you can see, but I'm not sure. The color will probably change. Maybe I'll cover them with a neutral paper collage type of thing. I also want to make knobs with faces to go on all the drawers. I think that would be fun. Also, I have a shelf for all my favorite magazines. You gotta have those you know!

I have lots of nooks and crannies where I stash the things I'm working on, and all my little treasures.

I do have a closet in my work area. It is crammed full of tubs, racks, and shelves. They are full of all my paints, wire, glues, batting, and other utility type items and tools. I am grateful for the closet - it holds a lot of stuff and I can just close the door and hide it all!

Now the picture above shows my true nature. This is my workspace! I didn't clean up after I was done working and all the stuff that doesn't have a home yet gets dumped there. But, I have decided that I really do like being organized. So, I'm going to crack that whip and keep myself on task. It is all still a work in progress; my studio, my career, my art, my life.

Thanks for joining me on my journey. Have a blessed, safe, and wonderful 2009! Enjoy!

Hugs,
Cyndi

creative cloth explorations - Patti Culea's newest book!

Creative Cloth Explorations

by Patti Culea

On Saturday I traveled up to Piecemakers Country Store (a fabulous Quilt Shop + more) for their annual "Teachers Open House". I had the absolute pleasure of carpooling up to Orange County from San Diego with Patti Culea. I truly enjoy hangin' with Patti - she is generous, sweet, talented, gifted; an absolute delight. I just love her!

So, have you all heard that Patti has a new book? Yep, she does, and boy are you all in for such a treat!

I've just just been dying get my hands on a copy! Well this weekend I drooled all over a copy....OH MY GOSH!!!!! IT IS SO YUMMY! Patti invited me to make a doll for her book - somebody pinch me (but not to hard okay). So, in addition to looking at all the yummy projects stuffed into this book, I also had the thrill of flipping through to find my little creature. It was so exciting to see my doll "Darcy" in print! She looks so pretty.

So a great big thank you to Patti for this really cool opportunity, and a super duper thank you for sharing her talents and gifts with us all! The book is BEAUTIFUL!