To all of you who have served and lost. God bless you with peace. To all of you who have loved and lost those who have served. God bless the memories you have of them. To all of you serving today~Thank you.
Memorial Day 2010
May we never forget them and their sacrifice to our country...to us.
Ugh. I've been checking shipping services to get my dolls to Dubai. For one, most services do not offer the door to door service that is required and the ones that do, I would have to take the dolls to Portland OR for shipping...a 5 hour drive from home. I don't have time to think right now let alone drive dolls to Portland.
And the fees are around $600 for a 50# box. 10 of the dolls weigh 42 pounds without their clothing and blankets so we know I will have to ship two boxes since I have 20 total dolls and clothing. Ikes. That is just one way. What does not sell will have to come home plus 10 of the dolls are not for sale anyway.
I think I am going to have to take then as checked luggage on my flight which is very reasonable in cost but oh my....it scares the life out of me to think of them being inspected (they never wrap them up right once they open the luggage) and also of the risk of being lost.
So if you are a praying person, please begin covering this situation with protection from the Lord above. That will settle my unraveled nerves about getting these dolls to Dubai.
Hi ebberybuddy! It's me, Maffew! I want to tell you about Memorial Day in my town.
Dis is just da coowest tging....the locak Vetrans and the local military in our town put up ober 400 flags around our cemetawy. You tannot see dem all the from here, the best way to see dem is to fly over...but day are here and oh-so-beautiful!
Dis is so exciting! Wook at all the widdle flags too!
Dis event is weawly special for our family as we are a military family. My Daddy hewps wif it too.
See dere he is in his bwest uniform.
Dere is dis wovly monument in the cemtawy too right by where the fallen soldiers are laid.
I wub my Daddy and the wespect he shows for all people, our country but I especially wub how he wespects his Soldiers. He make me pwoud to be an American. Daddy is sawuting a flag dat was dedictated to the cemetawy from the family of a fallen soldier. He and his fellow soldier just hung it up, adding it to the growing number of flags every year.
Thank you for spending a widdle memorial day time wif me today.
Wuv, Maffew
*Editor's Note* This story was written 3 years ago before Matthew was reborn and before his "Daddy" retired from the Military. We still are a military family now with one retired Veteran, one Army Reserve son and one Marine son. Both our boys have been to Iraq to serve~our Marine has been there twice. We cannot express how grateful we are for their safe return.
Okay...so *I* won the award but he helped me along :)
BTW, he has been sent on his journey home to the UK. ~sigh and cry~
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All of my required information has been sent to the coordinators of the Dubai show. There are 4 reborn artists on the final list (yes...I AM one of them :) and we have been asked to work together to present 30 minute presentations during the weekends of the show. I am thrilled as this is right up my alley!
Just waiting to sign contracts now and get the shipper information to ship the dolls.
This little guy is Cathy Rowland's "Logan" prototype. He is just soo sweet!
And this little sweetie is Cathy's Leah prototype.
I've much work to do on them yet but sure am loving them already! They both have full lower, anatomically correct torso's. Reborn artists can pre-order them from Cathy's website:
When I showed Laura Tuzio Ross pictures of my Kristaleta she was puzzled that her legs seemed so far apart plus, I told her that I had to adjust the length of the arms and legs. That puzzled her as well. She said her's fit perfectly.
She had ordered another armature from the same company and it arrived yesterday and it was MUCH larger than the first one she had.....she has originally ordered the 27-28" armature but THOUGHT it was the 28-30"~that is why mine did not fit as well as her original one did.
So here is the correction: For Kristaleta, order the 27-28" armature from Kemper Dolls
~Dubai News~ Yesterday I received my information email regarding the show, accommodations and artist questionnaire. Once I fill that out and send it back, I will receive my contract and then my flight will be purchased.
Oh and my work hours for the show??? 5pm-10 pm! I am sooo excited about that! Those are my PRIME hours where I function the best in life and I have the rest of the day to explore Dubai! Wowweeee....this is such a dream! I MUST be dreaming, right???
Jayden's auction ended so very well and he is going home to the UK soon. I've lost track how many babies I have in the UK but I think it's about 6.
I relisted Capri since I do not have Kristaleta done yet and don't want to fizzle out in the sea of forgetfulness on eBay. Exposure on eBay is everything to a reborn artist.
Please put her on your watch even if you do not intend to bid~that will keep her in clear view on eBay for other buyers :)
Oh my goodness! I just looked and she's already met reserve! Whoooo-Hooooo~doing the happy dance! She is such a beautiful baby and worthy of a good mommy.
In other news...
Working up some mohair this week. My wrists are killing be between working the mohair and rooting Kristaleta. She has a big head but she's sooo cute!
Also am painting on Cathy Rowland's Leah and Logan prototypes.
Only it wasn't baby clothing that I made him wait for almost 2 hours while I shopped for...it was clothing for me! :) These are outfits that I selected for the trip to Dubai....3 skirts, 7 tops and not shown are a pair of pj's and a swim suit cover up. All of that for a small little price tag of $135!!! I was SO excited! Add this to some clothing that I already have that will be appropriate, and I am ready to pack! The outfits are all different fabrics and colors than I normally buy for shows here in the states...but I'm not wearing these to a show in the states as I am Dubai bound! (yes, I am still waiting for the final artist list and contract but I am thinking and acting as if I am positively going)
Looks like the "Friday Funnies" are on me today! I woke up yesterday thinking that YESTERDAY was Friday so I posted my little Friday Funnies/Friday Cuties yesterday! (And aren't they just oh-so-cute??? So if you skipped checking the blog yesterday (because I said I wouldn't be back until Friday) and dropped in today looking for Friday Funnies~check yesterday's blog.
Oh dear. LOL
Well while I a here, I want to share this Kristaleta Prototype reborned by Sylvia Jantzen that is on ebay in the Germany. She is just adorable and I LOVE her hair!
Awe! Aren't they cute?? I am certain that moments like these were NOT what my dear husband, Calvin, signed up for/bargained for when he took my hand in marriage back in 1998.
I did not find my gift/art until 2005.....after that, life totally changed!
Now an average day will find me on the computer for several hours networking my business, having some down time with friends or helping other artists. It will find eyeless and partially rooted doll heads on the end table in the living room~yes, with goat hair floating about. It will find me rooting heads late into the night...sometimes with a movie or the TV on, sometimes just in quiet. It will find boxes of poop-laden goat hair piled in the living room waiting their turn to be combed. It will find a pot of smelly acid dye and simmering mohair on the kitchen stove or a sink full of yucky bubbly water as mohair was just washed. It will find arms, legs and heads in the oven filling the house with another uhmmmm...unique aroma, you just never know what's for dinner around here! A day can find me at my painting table for many intense hours in the nursery....or standing next to the photography crib in the late afternoon and into the evening taking pictures of a completed "baby"...and then back on the computer until late in the night as I excitedly view and resize the pictures I just spent hours taking. Some days will find my dear husband driving me well out of our way as we visit the city to find that perfect outfit or that particular brand of onsie. Not a store visit goes by that I don't drag him into the baby section and sometimes down the toy section to find stuffed animals and to look at the manufactured dolls just because I love dolls. He's been known to buy me a doll or two from the toy section upon my request. What a guy! All visits away from home mean that a dolly tags along. What kind of man will share his hotel room with his wife...and a doll? Or his bed at home with a dog when he has a perfectly good wife right there in the same house? My man. That's who. Today my hat goes off and my heart goes out to Calvin, my husband, my hero. For his patience as I chase my passions, for his never ending support in all aspects of this sometimes very wild and unpredictable journey I am on, for his prayers and for his understanding of all of those nights he spends with the dog. I could not do what I am doing today without him and I would not be where I am today without him. Thank you Calvin! I love you and appreciate you so very much!
I think I've said this before...I am so in love with Kristaleta! She is such a fun baby and I love how her color has turned out!
She will have dark blonde hair...you can see just a sprig of it that I tucked under the headband. I've painted hair strokes as well.
This baby is going to be so much fun to photograph! The armature in her makes her so full of expression and she has the cutest bum ever! LOL
I definately won't be using a black background for her pics though~it does not do her justice! Look at those chubby legs!
And this little custom Claire is completed. She's been done for several days but...she's not going home just yet.
Her mommy, my sweet friend, Sharon, has offered to let me take her to Dubai for display...even for sale if I desire to sell her (then make Sharon a new baby when I return). Isn't that just the nicest offer?? Sharon knows that I am required to take a minimum amount of dolls and taking small dolls is a plus since shipping is going to be SOOO high so before she even lays a hug on her little one, she is waiting~again~for her new baby. I have NO intention or desire to sell this sweet girl in Dubai. She's going to come home to her mommy :) Thank you Sharon for your kindness!
In other news.....
Speaking of Dubai~I have found out that there is a final selection of invited artists but I've been pretty assured that I will be chosen. I jumped the gun in my excitement but an living life as if I am already on the way.
Since I just finished Kristaleta's paint yesterday and since I just put painted hair on the little 10" train conductor I showed off last week or so~I was not able to root on either one last night as the paint needs to cure until tomorrow night. So what is a girl to do with time on her hands???? START ROOTING ANGELICA!!! OHhh... I am so excited to have a started her hair! I might be able to work on her some tonight too~it depends on if we get a movie and I take time off. It IS our Wednesday date night after all! After tonight, I won't be able to pick her back up until Kristaleta is on ebay and the Rowland twins are either done or waiting for paint to cure. I began priming the twins yesterday and will work on paint today.
Today is our "Friday"~the end of our work week. I will root on Kristaleta in the evenings on our days off and Friday, I have a fun-loving Friday Funnies brewing in my mind. See you Friday!
This is baby Emily. I created her in March of 2006 for a wonderful friend of mine.
Emily was created using her original 1/4 vinyl limbs and a white eyelet body so that she could still wear dresses. But my friend decided that she would finally like full limbs for her.
This task was a slight challenging as I do not paint like I used to (very plain!) and, Emily was originally painted with Scuola Oil paints. Now I LOVED the Scuola paints when I used them and I still have them here but what I do not have is room to place parts to cure as oil paints take quite a time to cure. So I opted to use my LDC paints on her limbs. Oh how I wanted to paint them how I paint today and I had to keep reminding myself not too and overall, I am very happy with the results of Emily's new limbs...and I get to mark a custom order off the list. I am very much a "mark it off the list" type person!
Here is the little sweetheart now with her new "show-em-off" limbs
And here she is back again with her very happy "mommy". (sorry, bad lighting!)
Awe life is good...and I get to mark something off the list! LOL
I just don't know where to start! The last 24 hours have been amazingly overwhelming (In a GOOD way) and so exiting! With the invite to Dubai really setting into my mind (it was so unbelievable that it took days for me to wrap my brain around it and accept the reality of it) and now with Jayden on eBay and doing so well right from the start~I just am overjoyed!
I am running a day behind where I wanted to be with Kristaleta and Cathy Rowland's two prototypes (that arrived the other day and are just so cute!) but sometimes births do not happen the way WE planned~LOL But all is good. So SO good!
Wow it's been a thrilling few days here! I have been invited to the Doll Art and Doll Houses Exhibition in Dubai~located on the southern shore of the Arabian Gulf!
Just 15 doll artists have been invited and it's so shocking to me that I am one of them!!!
This Exhibition is two weeks long, running from June 26-July 10, just 6 weeks away! Oh my heavens!
So my focus will be on getting the remaining three prototypes completed and packing for Dubai. (Jayden is finished and heading to ebay Sunday night). I will be taking prototype Noah to Dubai and working on him during the Exhibition as they desire that doll art be in action on the show floor. That should be interesting! LOL
My custom orders will still get finished~currently I only have two that are paid for so the scheduling is running very smooth.
I do have dolls available for this show, and I will borrow some already adopted show to meet the quota of 20 dolls. I am permitted to have dolls for sale AND display only dolls. So all dolls that were listed for sale on my website are now not available for sale.
My traveling assistant and dear, dear friend will be accompanying me on this trip. This is my first time out of my country which is very exciting and a bit intimidating for me!
The first picture is really yellow but I just did not want to fix it! Bleh!
I really love the armature in her! She can be posed in all kinds of ways...
She will even be able to hold things~
And of course say her prayers :)
I've got two days of painting on her but you can't see much just yet. I have been building the visible texture of her tone and doing some detail work. By Sunday night she will have much more color, including blush.
Jayden still is not finished. TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT! Seriously, I will be finishing his hair and lashes tonight. His outfit has not yet arrived from France and Natalie assures me there is no rush as this kit is completely sold out. Wow! It is very exciting to have the whole edition sell out before the prototypes are on display to the world. But then again, they were sculpted by Natalie Scholl so not surprising! :)
Is that not just the MOST adorable face??? This is the ever-so-darling Kristaleta Prototype by Laura Tuzio Ross. What a HUGE honor and thrill for me to be asked to reborn her! I love Laura's work and have several of her dolls in my collection, such as Janae seen in the background. Janae is one of Laura's manufactured Masterpiece dolls from 2006.
Yes, I know, Kristaleta is a little pale~that's because she does not have any color on at all in these pictures~LOL Another artist needed her waist measurement so I had to stuff her body and if I was going to stuff her body, HOW could I resist not putting her together and trying on an outfit I bought for her on Saturday? Pardon the fact that she does not have her arms on~I had to adjust the armature but first had to read up on it.
Kristaleta is going to be able to stand on her own once she has weight in her. The armature that I purchased for her will make it so she can be posed as a one year old taking her first steps with her arms open wide for balance. She already has such a spirited personality that I just can hardly wait to get her done and start playing with her!
So all of you artists wanting a fun, fun doll to reborn, Kristaleta is a MUST have! She is 30" tall, wears size 12 month clothing and anywhere from a size 3-5 shoe depending on the shoe. You can order her right from Laura:
Yesterday I did get a real good start to color on Kristaleta. She is just as charming as they come! She makes me smile the whole time. I hope to have a sneak peak picture for tomorrow, but I'm not sure it will happen. I've got to finish Jayden's hair this morning then will move onto painting on her but have an appointment at 4 pm then our Wednesday night dinner/date/Bible study with my DH which lasts all evening. We will see~
The sun is shining today and it's already warmed up to higher than it has been for weeks. (more than 60 degrees F). Maybe spring/summer has sprung! I hear that we might have temps near 80! Whoooo-Hooooo!
Did you all miss me yesterday??? I missed you! My husband had touch up Lasik surgery on one of his eyes in the City so we were up and out of the house early, spending the whole day in the City.
I have much work yet to do on this little man's hair (and in fact got a bit more done last night than seen here in the pictures) but he is coming along nicely.
I will be rooting very fine hairs along his temple over the top of the painted hair. They will be just barely there hairs.
This baby just give me goose bumps!
In other nursery notes:
Prototype Kristaletta has arrived and is prepped, primed and ready for paint! Oh I already love her! I will be working on her paint a little bit today but most of my time will be spend on Jayden.
I have not forgotten about the mohair post I would like to make. It's on the list I keep for blog ideas, along with many other things! LOL
Cathy Rowland's Prototypes Leah and Logan should be arriving any day now from Germany. I am excited that they are made of German vinyl! Whoooo-Hoooo!
And Jessica Schenk recieved her prototypes Noah and one is on the way to my house right now! Thank goodness that Jessica has the three artists reborning that prototype stretched out to only have one auction up at a time. Mine is due the end of June, first part of July. Perfect timing!
I was supposed to be traveling to Tuscon Arizona this week but had to postpone that trip until November. November sounds like a very nice time to be in Arizona! :)
Neither Payton or Capri found mommies on eBay on Sunday night. I was pretty bummed that night but I can roll with the punches of this business. I've done it before~I'll do it again. I was reading an article in LifeLike Dolls Magazine about the amazing Jack Johnston. He's had to roll with the punches of the economy and the doll business as well and he is like the Dolly King! His determination and strength have inspired me to hang on, put a smile on my face and keep doing what I love to do.
Would you look at that! A birds-eye view of most of my collection! There are 8 other babies in other places in the house. I had to stand...
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Mohair, DVD and Color Guides
Premium Angora Mohair, my complete DVD on reborning and helpful color guides are available through ArtFire. Please find the link at the bottom of this blog.
Professional reborn master-artist Debbie Henshaw's passion is to educate on the art of reborn artist dolls, share her love and collection of dolls and entertain you with beautiful, funny, touching and inspiring doll picture stories.
www.theynevergrowupnursery.com
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