TBA full TNGUN reborn classes

Classes are on my mind today. Full TNGUN reborn classes. I teach different kinds of classes:

Multidimensional painting classes at EXPO's and shows

One-on-one reborn classes here at my home nursery

And soon I will be teaching my first group reborn classes. These classes are in high demand and will find me doing some traveling to accomplish them. The tentative classes on the schedule now are:

Baker City Oregon, January 2011 (my home town but at the Art Gallery studio)

Portland Oregon February or March 2011

Stephenville Texas April 2011

I am open to other area's of the United States if there is interest. Drop me an email at tngun05@gmail.com

~SHOWS~

Of course I'll be at EXPO in North Caroline in less than 3 weeks but I am already planning for the spring shows.

I hope to attend the February 5th Portland Oregon show (this is just a few days after returning home from my IDEX vacation but I think I can pull it off)

And I am sure I'll be at a show in the Boise Idaho area in March.

So how do you like that? A miss mash of things that aren't for sure! LOL

One thing that IS for sure: I am going to the goat farm tomorrow afternoon to make my selection from the fall sheering! I am very excited about this!

Have a great Thursday

Gabriella/Jalily pictures, FINALLY!

AWE! Is she just not the MOST adorable baby??? I really enjoyed bringing this one to life! Meet Gabriella Jay. I called her Jalily during her reborning process but that was just a temporary name. She is my first reborn with an added tooth.

Gabriella is going home today. In fact, 7 babies have gone home this week! Wowweeee...there is elbow room in the nursery! And, I'm on an eBay PAYING bidder roll! The auctions for Fussy Ryan and Kendal were both won by previous/current customers who are simply just terrific and paid for their dolls. Life is GRAND! This is how eBay SHOULD be and used to be.

I got a message from a friend last night who is new to selling reborns on eBay. At first, the eBay bidder/winner of her her doll tried to say it did not arrive. She checked with USPS shipping confirmation to find out that the doll in fact DID arrive. Then the buyer said that the magnetic paci was not included and to send an exact replica or they will file for a full refund. They were not nice in any of their communications. My friend knows that she knows that the paci was in the box, next to the doll wrapped in tissue paper. They probably tossed it. But good golly...what is wrong with people? File for a full refund for a missing paci? Seems this buyer is one of those that buys inexpensive reborns then resells them to Japan (self proclaimed from the buyer). They have many ID's and leave all the same comments. My friend so desires that her babies be adopted to loving homes~not be sold at a profit to other countries. ~sigh~ eBay used to be so fun. I am thankful that it has been fun for me the last two auctions.

**********IN OTHER NEWS**********

My best boy, Giovanni arrived back from Laura Tuzio Ross yesterday all re-painted! Oh my goodness I am so thrilled to have him looking good as new and back in the nursery! Pictures coming Friday maybe. Along with my two new "adoptions"...maybe!

All supplies are ordered for the 2010 EXPO painting class that I am teaching. Registration is closed now and I will have 5 students and 2 helpers in that class. I can't wait!

I'll be taking 4 prototypes to EXPO, two new full sized babies, and a 10" baby....maybe two if I can get it done. I'll be finishing paint on one of the full sized babies today. 19 days until I leave home.

I better get busy!

Decompressing/reminiscing from the doll show

I am a person who is slow to react/respond. I need time to mull things through and let reality hit me so my comments and reactions right after an event never show my feelings and appreciation of that event. So let me decompress~

I've been to the Portland show twice now and this year, more than last, the reactions of people to reborn dolls was outstanding. You see, reborn dolls are still a very "new" thing here in the Western United States. Especially in the North West.

I LOVE watching the faces of people as they approach my table of reborns! They stop dead in their tracks and the chin drops down. They gawk at the realness of the babies and tell me that they thought they were real and should be put in the crib instead of laid on a table! (I AM working on that type of display for the future~I don't want to be charged with child abuse! LOL) Some people are moved to tears...which almost always makes my teary too! And some people are filled with disgust. Seriously. I am not sure exactly what they are thinking but I think there were about 5 people at this show that upon seeing the reborns turned their heads away mouthing words that were not positive and putting their hands in a "push-away" fashion as if to say, "get those away from me...how disgusting!". I've never understood that until this show....well at least this is my rationalization of this reaction: Dolls have been around for centuries...well, forever it seems and they have always been "dolls". Dolls are dolls and we accept them as dolls in all their dolly flair. Then along come these dolls that don't look like dolls. They look like little people. That could very well be shocking to many...especially those who just appreciated dolls being, well....dolls. For those of us who always dreamed our dolls were not so "dolly" but more "real", this is a dream come true. I can understand both views and appreciate both as well.

Speaking of appreciation, I never verbally speak enough appreciation to those amazing friends of mine who are always by my side to help and serve.

Becky....God bless you for traveling with me to every show I've had. Thank you for giving of your time, resources and muscle power to make sure that my shows are successful. Your generosity and creativity can never be repaid. Thank you for being my Ironing Queen (I HATE ironing and Becky always irons the dolls outfits that need it~and she's even done stitching alterations before too!), my food and coffee runner and my friend. Thank you for always having your home so welcoming for the nights that we spend there before/after a show. And thank you for spoiling me rotten!

Heather, you are amazing as well! Thank you for your help with set up and take down and for the wonderful and healthy lunch you brought us! You are always encouraging and inspiring. I appreciate how your innovative spirit never dwindles. Your curiosity of all things dolly and art always encourage me to new things as I do not have time to reflect like you do in those realms. And you look smashing Girlfriend! (Heather surprised me with a 100 pound weight loss since the last time I saw her! WAY TO GO HEATHER!)

Saying I am blessed with these friends is SUCH and understatement!

Trotting off now in humble and overwhelming appreciation.....

Back from the Portland Doll Show!

The Portland Doll show is just FUN! It's short...only from 8:30 am to 4 pm but it's always just FUN!

Because it is a short show, I don't get much time to wander around so I only have pictures of my table to share. Here is the full table:


I had 9 babies for adoption and adopted 4 :) The babies that were adopted are Carter, Yentel/Yasmine, Kristen and Jamaar. Kendall was picked up by her new mommy so that was very fun as well.

The twins Logan and Leah will be going to EXPO with me:

These two are both adopted: Kristaleta will be going to Australia later this month (she's been on layaway and I took her to let her shine) and Kristen has a new mommy:

Kendall , Fawn, Jamaar and Noah. Jamaar found a home, Kendall went home, Fawn is on eBay now and Noah will be going to EXPO. Jessica Schenk tried to attend this show to which I would have had her sign Noah but she just could not get away from family obligations.

Jason, Capri, Yentel/Yasmine (adopted), Carter (adopted) and Cody. Capri will be going to EXPO.

Kendall and I: (oh my do I miss her but I will see her again someday)

Me, Janice and her new baby, Kristen:

Me, Debbie C and her new baby Jamaar:

There was a huge interest in me teaching a class in the Portland area so that is on the agenda for the late winter, early spring. I'll announce the time after EXPO as there is always so much that happens after a show that it's best to plan later when I can see the future more clearly. LOL...I sound like a fortune teller!

I had a great time talking with old friends....and new ones. And I brought home a little all vinyl Kewpie doll to add to my collection. I've wanted one for a long time and the one I found had on a little white and lavender dress that matches my nursery~too cute!

The hotel was fabulous and the hot tub even better! :)

I spoke with Dianna Effner on the way to Portland regarding my visit to her studio and doing her prototype Huggy Bear. There have been some production issues going on with Huggy Bear so we are going to discuss how we are going to approach the tasks at hand when we meet at EXPO.

I have exactly 21 days before I am back on the road to Portland to fly out to Winston-Salem NC. In that three weeks, I have a full size baby to finish, a full size yet to reborn, two 10" babies to reborn and IF I have time (NOT likely) another full size baby. These are all babies for EXPO. I better get busy!

Hugs!

Prototype Fawn on eBay

Well here she is in all of her red-headed splendor!


~Click here for Fawn's Auction~

You can order the kit from Cathy Rowland at Creative Impressions. It is limited edition of 500 so don't wait too long to order!

~Creative Impressions~

And now I am off to the Portland Crossroads Doll and Teddy Show:

~Portland Show Information~

See you on Sunday or Monday!

(Whoooo-hooooo...when I get home, I will just be working on EXPO babies~can't wait!)

More than almost humanly possible....

So today is Wednesday....tomorrow is Thursday. What is significant about this? I leave tomorrow for the Portland show. I will spend the night with my dear friend Becky just an hour out of Portland as show set up is on Friday. I look forward to girl time with her and also with my other dear friend Sally who will meet us in Portland. Oh and of course I cannot leave out how I always look forward to all the friends attending the show...and new dolly friends I will meet. I love doll shows!

So before tomorrow arrives and I must load the car and hit the road, I have a full photo session to do of Fawn (her new body arrived yesterday~yah! I tried taking pictures last night using lights but it was not going well), get those pictures auction ready and set up her auction.

Gabriella is ready for her head to be assembled onto her body and her photo shoot done. I only take about 12 pics of my custom babies and I don't have to have them resized today~whew!

And although the dolls are ready for the show, I need to tuck them into their traveling containers, make sure I have all of their outfits and accessories and get all the show things packed. Oh and my clothes too. Oh and the car needs to go to the shop this morning and the grass needs watered.

Okay...I have my list. Let the Dolly Marathon begin! I might blog in the morning but then again not until Sunday or Monday.

(BTW~Kendall found a new mommy last night who is one of my friends here in my own state! I am so thrilled that I will be able to see Kendall in the future!)

Back from Hood to Coast~Speedy Turtles ROCK!

The 2010 Hood to Coast~The MOTHER of all relays~began at 6:30 am on Friday August 27th, 2010 at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood Oregon.

The Speedy Turtles lived in these two rigs for 33 hours....

"Turtle Shell 1"

"Turtle Shell 2"

The team consisted of 12 runners (3 who were family members) and 4 drivers (2 who were family members)

They ran 197 miles between them.

They ran in the day...

They ran in the night...

They ran on pavement, dirt roads and wooded trails...

They slept whenever they could just by laying a bag out in the weeds...

And finally, they made it to the finish line in Seaside Oregon. Some of the team broke their training times and each one of them finished the race. I am SO proud of them!

Twelve members of true grit. They just completed an unbelievable journey together.

My dear husband and a few of his team mates: Jade, Leslie and Melissa.

My hat is tipped to these twelve amazing people and their 4 drivers. INCREDIBLE!
Thanks for an awesome adventure!

(I have posted about 75 pictures on my facebook page if you want to see more!)