Back to work task list

It seems like forever since I have "worked"  but I am back at it today.

I know...you are dying for all of my pictures and stories of the DEDS but...first things first.

I MUST get the leftover mohair photographed and listed today and I MUST update my website.

And I MUST unpack from the show!

Tomorrow morning will find me at the hair dressers first thing so tomorrow is not a good day for doing my write up so, I PROMISE to do it on Tuesday morning!

Wednesday will find me out of the nursery again, traveling to my 30th class reunion!  

Wow that got here SO fast!  It will be a great time in my home town where they spend 3 days celebrating the 4th of July in an event called "Border Days".  Three days of parades, rodeos and just plain fun!  My mother is so very excited for us to come visit, she can hardly stand it!

Alright....GO!

Highlights of the Down East Doll Show!

I still don't really have all my thoughts together and don't have much time to post right now, but I do have to share just a little bit this morning.

Let's see.  

I adopted out 5 dolls at the show, all of my silicones and 2 reborns.

I have sold a doll since arriving home too  :)

I picked up the DARLING Sally Prototype from Bonnie Brown:

I met and got to hold a Finley Huti!!!!

I had posted a while back that I LOVE LOVE LOVE this silicone doll.

This was such a high for me to see her and hold her!

Sincere thanks to my new and dear friend for allowing me to hold her precious baby.

(PS, my little Pebbles silicone went to live with Finley!!!)

My cell phone camera took much better pictures than the camera I brought to the show (color wise) but I LOST all of those pictures when the SD card in my camera went defunct!  

I am VERY sad about that. There were some pictures on there that I did not take with my camera also.  

Okay, this is all you get for today  :)

Hugs!

Finally back home!

Woweeee what a BUSY week!  

I have more fun than should be legal with all my wonderful artist and collector friends!  

Some high points in my life happened and just an overall great time with everyone!

I DO have pictures to share.  I just arrived home last night with a truck full of shopping loot as I shopped my way home since it was time to shop for our home and I was in the city anyway.

I will post the pictures as soon as I can.  

My mind is still a bit cluttered and foggy and there are a LOT of issues behind the management of the show that need to be sorted out.  I will also be posting about that as well.

The show itself was AWESOME and good times were had by all.

I'm off for the next couple of days, spending time with my much neglected husband.  

I'll be back to work on Sunday.

Hugs!!

Evon Nather's painted hair class

Wow.  I just realized that I don't think I took one picture of Evon!  

Silly me.

I had a GREAT time in Evon's painted hair class!

It was well worth the money and time spent  :)

For those who are hesitant to try the Art and Magic Water Borne air dry paints, let me tell you...

My little head that I painted for the class had been curing for a week.

Evon's way of teaching is called the "Delete Method", meaning that she wants her students to do the technique on the head, then "delete" it (remove it) and do it again. 

Of course, she teaches with Genesis Paints but I had asked if I could bring and use my Art and Magic paints.  

I was a little hesitant that I would be able to delete all of the paint off the head, but I did....

Several.  Times.

That Evon loves the word "DELETE"!!!  LOL  

However, the cured paint under the painted hair did not come off AT ALL.

None.  Nada.  It is the exact same way it was when I finished painting her at home.

So, here are some pictures from the class.

First of all, we had the utmost privilege to view three brand new prototypes painted by Evon.

First were Bean and Sprout by the amazing Laura Lee Eagles:

 These babies are so tiny and completely amazing!!

And, Raleigh, the gorgeous prototype sculpt by the incredibly talented Marita Winters!

Raleigh was sculpted specifically for the Down East Doll Show and 

Kate Charles' Ethnic Skin Tone Class.

 This baby is scrumptious!!!

 And guess who dropped by throughout the day??

Marita Winters herself!  She brought in the other prototype reborned by Kate Charles.

What a beautiful pleasure!!!

My head as it progressed...of course there were several "deletes" during the day!

 FINALLY she said "don't delete!"  Whooo!  I was on cloud nine!  LOL 

 

My head belongs to prototype Annalisa by Dianna Effner.  

I can't wait to put her together in my weighting workshops on the show floor tomorrow and Saturday.

Now the REAL busy and fun time begins!

Of to the show floor to set up my booth.  

XXOO

 

I have safely arrived!

I made it safely to North Carolina!

I love it here.  The people are so nice.  

The hotel is wonderful and comfortable and of course 

the friends are plenty and fun!

Today I am taking Evon Nather's "Painted Hair Class"  :)

I'll post more when I can

XXOO

She DID make it! Please meet Ashah!

At exactly 6:30 last night as my husband drove in from work, I was finishing the very last detail on this sweet toddler.

What a big relief that was!

I spent the evening relaxing and am raring to go today!

Here she is!!!

She's now packed into my luggage and I'm hitting the road for the city!

I get to spend a relaxing evening with my dear friend who will drive me to the airport in the morning.

Hugs to all!

See you from North Carolina!

Did she make it???

Check back a little later today to find out....

I MUST finish today!

I had a little kink thrown into my plan, but as often is the case, 

the kink was blessing in disguise. 

I had planned on the human hair for Ashah arriving on Friday and I would spend Friday night, Sat night and possibly Sunday night rooting.  

I planned on finishing up the needed paperwork for the show and packing on Sunday during the day.

BUT!  The hair did not arrive on Friday!!  

When that happened, I knew that I HAD to switch things around, so I spent all day and into the night on Friday packing and finishing the paperwork (I do have to finish the price tags on the babies though).

The blessing in disguise is that I could not fit it all into my luggage.  

I decided to bring the 4 dolls I had in stock that had not sold through the winter so that meant more items.

But since it was Friday, I knew I could box up things to send to the hotel and have the USPS pick them up on Saturday to which they will arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday, plenty of time before my set up on Thursday.

So, two boxes were waiting on the porch on Saturday morning and now my luggage is within the weight it is supposed to be...but very, VERY close!

I don't have any wiggle room here so let's hope I didn't forget anything big.

Please wish me well with this rooting today.   I did not root last night as I realized that today is Father's Day and since all of our kids were off work yesterday, we had a big BBQ at our son's house that lasted into the evening.
It's still a pretty large area that needs rooted and I HAVE to get it done today.

I HAVE to get her lashes and gloss done today.

I would LOVE TO take her pictures tonight.

Okay...deep breath!

THIS should never be allowed to happen!

I got this far on my toddler head and...

RAN OUT OF HAIR!

I am SO thankful that the person I bought this curly AA hair from

had some left that she didn't use.  She has already sent it and it should be here today or tomorrow.

I will spend the evenings trying to finish this head.  

Oh my goodness...I have to pack it all up on Sunday.  

YIKES!

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

Here are a few quick shots of Ashah from the front:

I attempted to root tiny silicone "Pebbles" yesterday.  

I don't think I like rooting that super soft silicone.  

No matter what needle I used, the silicone indented with it and the hair just didn't look nice.

I have a full bodied silicone that is very soft like that that I purchased from another artist.

Her rooted head looks terrible, with the same effect of indents.

I really don't like her bald but I really don't know what to do at this point.  I thought of making her a tiny wig.  We'll see.  I need to think about it more.  

In all other aspects of getting ready for the show, I have my personal dolls outfits all selected.

I don't know.  This is one doll I could take in just her diaper and be unable to stop looking at her.

I love her chubby body so much!  

The verdict is in on the Annalisa prototype.

I've only had one person say that she looked a little Asian.

I popped these eyes into her yesterday and I think they make her look a bit brighter and alert.  

(It's not a great picture of her color~it was just a quick shot in the nursery in poor lighting.)

Her other eyes should arrive today but I sure am leaning towards these.

It is now my days off.  We'll see what I can accomplish in the smaller details of preparing for the show, such as birth certificates, paperwork, price tags, goodie bags and labels.  

Have a GREAT end of the week!

The personal baby I'm taking to the show

I LOVE traveling with one (or two) of my dolls.  

It is always so hard to choose who to bring but for this show, it was a lot easier...

It's Sophie Amelia, my silicone by Sandy Faber and repainted by 

Kris of the Dainty Loft. 

I love this baby so much~always have~but even more so since she's been repainted.

It's time to get her changed!

She looked adorable in this ladybug outfit:

Sophie says, "Aunties...Mama was going to gibs me wooted hair..."

"but her's nebber had tha time so I is still bald!"

It's okay Sophie. 

Bald IS beautiful and so are you! 

Sophie will fly in my arms on the plane.  

I'm sure she will get lots of love from other passengers and those at the show and hotel.  

Speaking of rooting...

I made good progress yesterday (and am SO tired of sitting!) on Ashah but my oh my.  What was I thinking trying to get this huge head done in time?!?!?  

And...I am running out of hair!  Thankfully my provider of this awesome curly human hair had just a little bit from her stash to send me.  She has mailed it today so I should have it by Friday.  I know how I'll spend my weekend evenings!

Hugs!

New kit by Dianna Effner

I did it! 

I finished the paint (for now) on Dianna Effner's 

Annalisa prototype!  

I may make some changes when I return home from the show~

I got to a place where I didn't know what else I needed or wanted to do.

My experience tells me that this is the best time to stop, at least for now.

When this kit goes up for presale, it will be available at Dianna's website

Expressions Dolls

I wanted her to be Asian but I'm not sure that I reached that look.

What do you think?

She may look completely different with the painted hair she is going to receive.

So what's left?

Finish rooting big head, Ashah (Suzon) and root teeny silicone Pebbles.

Then pack it all up, to which I have been accumulating the things I need.  

Next week at this time, I'll be on a jet headed to NC  :)

Have a wonderful Tuesday!!

Oh boy!

I had a great day painting yesterday and look forward to another one today.  

With all other tasks set aside and long, 10 hour days, I am sure to get this 

prototype kit, Annalisa painted today!  Whew!  I needed things to go really well and 

with ease and they have.  

Last night, I got another good section rooted on Ashah (Suzon).

Making tracks!  

XXOO

Making progress!

After I write this blog and get off the computer, I will package up the last batches of 

mohair for the Down East Doll Show. 
YES!  That means that the mohair is finished!  

I am doing the happy dance about that!

And...THREE babies are complete!

They are:

Rue Ling:

Silicone Benson (Silicone Stephanie Webb):

(I planned on rooting hair on him but I just don't have time.  He's real sweet bald anyway!)

And you already met Silicone Dawson, who is keeping his given name.

His entire outfit/layette is here and I'll take pictures of him later in it.  

It's SO adorable!

I was able to get a little bit of rooting done last night on Suzon, now named Ashah.

I'll be rooting her every evening this week, then I have tiny Pebbles to root.  Her outfit arrived as well and it's gorgeous!

Today I will start paint on Prototype Annalisa, by Dianna Effner.

She is the one I will take to Evon Nather's hair painting class as well as use for my balance and weighting workshop at the show.  

I am feeling like I might make it!

Hugs!