Painting walls is like painting dolls...

How did a whole week go by without me posting?

Oh...because it was a busy and exciting week, plus, husband took the week off!

We got a lot done, including finishing the shelter that was built for the horses, preping the back yard for the dolly house, a huge Thanksgiving feast for the family and...

I painted.

Walls, not dolls.

But there are a lot of similarities.  

Enamel wall paint is in the class of "Air Dry Paints".

It is not baked nor is a heat gun used on it.  It just dries with the air.

And the characteristics are the same.

I had placed a layer of prime on the wall I was painting.  It was mid-day when I put the paint brush down.  

The next day I came back to add another layer of primer (I was covering up very red paint).

My little roller brush end caught the edge of the opposing wall and scratched the paint off.

WHAT?!?!?!?   But I painted it YESTERDAY!!!!!

Was I really shocked?  No.  Although the first layer of primer was dry to the touch and I could add more paint, it still was not CURE.

I have the project finished now with 2 coats of primer, a coat of paint over all and some detail work on one small section of the area.  

I bet I could scratch any of it off today...and tomorrow...and maybe up to a full week or more.

But once this paint has had time to fully cure I bet I can only get it off with something like the edge of a screwdriver (which would take ANY paint off of ANYTHING), but certainly not a scratch of my nails or even the end of the paint roller brush.  

This is true of doll painted with Air Dry Paints. 

ANY Air Dry Paints.  

The paints MUST have time to cure before artists attempt to scratch the paint off.

I get many emails of "freaked out" artists stating that they checked their dolls paint the next day after painting and could get the paint off.

Yes, you can.  Wait.  Be Patient.  Give it Time to Cure.  Breathe.

XXOO

Working on mohair~finally!

Oh my goodness, I have hated being out of mohair for so long!

But, I'm back at it for the next two weeks so be watching....

Happy Wednesday!

Precious is on eBay!

It sure was a LONG two days to do this baby's photo shoot and put her auction up but finally,

she's waiting to know who her mommy will be.

~Precious' eBay link here~

Please do have a look if you have a moment.

The more page views she has brings her further up into the seen pages, giving collectors a better chance of knowing that she is even available for adoption.  

I think that this is the most newborn baby I've done to date.  

She warms my heart by her precious newborn essence.

I am so glad that I gave her hair!  

She could easily be a boy as well but with the pinkish tones I gave her, she said more girl to me than boy.  

I found myself talking to her as I did her shoot.  

I will miss her!  

XXOO

Finishing details on Precious today!

Just popping in real quick to say that I have finished rooting Precious and she just needs her final gloss and assembly.  Hmmm...will I get to a photo shoot today?? 

Happy Sunday!

NEW air dry paint system on the market!!!

I had the ultimate pleasure of speaking with THE 

~MELISSA GEORGE~

of MG Art Dolls from Australia on the phone last week.

Oh my...you could have knocked me over with a feather~first that she wanted to speak with 

ME about her new paints and second, that I was actually speaking to her!

I have loved her work forever and she is a delightful person~so personable and charming!

She has been working with chemists for several years to create a new air dry paint system that is safe to use and very, very light and steadfast

(because chemicals are still used to create a paint, she still highly recommends using protection of the eyes, nose and mouth during painting).

I will be trying out Melissa's new Baby FX paints and also her other FX products.

I suspect this paint system may replace the other three that I have in the studio as it is complete with all of the preps and mattes needed.

Melissa tells me that the paints themselves are completely matte, but a matte is included for additional creativity.  

The paints come with extremely well done instructions.

Melissa is TOPS in creating professional products and instructions.

I can hardly wait for that package from Australia to arrive!!!

(This image is property of Melissa George/MG Art Dolls):

Have a great Thursday!!!

Precious is growing hair!

An artist just has to "go with the flow" and allow the canvas to speak to them.

Precious proved that to me once again.  

I had selected some alpaca hair for her~even though torn that many people voted that she be left bald.  

*I* just didn't feel like she was complete in the bald state.  

But, I could not get a good match of needle to hair to silicone so I set the alpaca hair aside and put out the white flag of surrender.  

I began rooting her lashes with some chosen mohair.  I REALLY loved that color on her.  So with one side of her lashes rooted, I just began to poke the mohair in to her head and before I knew it, 1/4 of her head was rooted!   I DO love the color on her and the style as well.

I'll do more around the bang line in the end but here is how she is looking now.  

I am so glad I listened to my canvas  :)

(Please forgive the super long lashes on her right eye.  I do not want to trim them until I am done with her hair.)

Ahhh...it's great to be back to work!

Going back to work today :)

My home is not completely settled with window treatments, decor, paint that I like and matching towels etc but I am so done with working with drills and tools and levels...I have to go back to work before I get really crabby!  LOL

Not to mention I am still shopping for window treatments and the likes and I won't be painting until after the holiday's (except for maybe the trim around the kitchen sky lights since that is a fairly small project) just because there is no time and I'm still considering colors.  I am getting closer on my color choices though  :)

And about that dolly house for the back yard?  

I am making one final call today about window choices and then I will be ready to order.  I've had the guys out to evaluate the property about setting the building down where I want it and I have my son working next Tuesday with a Bobcat to level the gravel and prepare the spot.  

The dolly house will only take two weeks from ordering to be delivered!   

How exciting!  

I will have to finish the inside with insulation, wall boards and electricity, but the outside and windows will be sound and finished. 

Thank goodness I have very talented and knowledgeable friends!  

So...it's back to work I go.  

I am still debating on rooting hair in Precious.  I am getting accustomed to her bald and the majority suggested she be bald.  Once I touch her today I will know for sure.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Newborn size FBS blank in the nursery NOW!

I could not believe it when an email notification came through on my cell phone yesterday. 

It stated that my package from 

~Joanna Gomes~

had been delivered!

I ran to the front porch and sure enough, there SHE was!

Hannah, a full body silicone blank sculpted by Joanna!

When all was quiet down last night after our day "off" of replacing a kitchen sink, grocery shopping and general "day off" work, I crept into the new studio and did a little photo shoot with her!  

I am simply giddy!  She is a beautiful sculpt and very, VERY nicely done!  

This is the first time I've had a newborn full body in my possession and in my own studio nursery!

Hannah is 21 inches long and weighs 8 pounds, 9 ounces.

This blank sculpt is #1 out of 20 in the edition which makes me even MORE giddy!  

I must go shopping! 

The studio is ready!

When I first looked at the house, I was concerned that the studio room would be to "sterile" and not personable.

After organizing it and adding a few special touches (for now~more to come later)

I LOVE my new work space!

Welcome to the NEW TNGUN studio/nursery!

 The painting table:

 There was a great space on top of the built in shelves for some of my personal small and mini babies:

I feel at home  :)

 I re-purposed a shelf that was in my old kitchen that I was no longer going to use into a hair bow organzier:  Other than one large pink and white bow, I have ONE.....JUST ONE pink hair bow!

I wish the companies would put more pink in a package.

 The photo studio:

This table does not have the depth that my other one has but the other one as far too large for this room.  I am on the search for a tall, square table.  For now, this one will do  :)

 The changing table where babies will be assembled and dressed:

 The FULL closet is right next to the changing table.

I will be minimizing how much stock I keep on hand so that things are not so crammed!

 Supplies are stored on the shelves of the changing table and clothes in the 3-drawer cart next to it. 

 Sweet precious is waiting to be fully born:

The very large storage shelves.  The top shelf is all raw mohair and a little bit of processed that is for my own use, the middle shelf is painting supplies and doll kits and the bottom is weighting supplies and various other supplies.

 My paints have never been more organized and easy to get to.  This makes me happy!

I hope you have enjoyed your tour!

I hope to be back to work tomorrow but we'll see how today's house management goes.

I may need one more day working on the main house.  

XXOO 

New sculpt headed to the nursery!!!

Even though the studio/nursery is not completely set up ( SHOULD finish today...the last two days were...weird!  LOL) it did not stop me from making new purchases while I have been "off work".

I just got notification that my new, first NEWBORN size FULL BODY SILICONE blank is on the way to me!

She is Hannah by Joanna Gomes.

I am SO excited to be able to offer this baby up for adoption when she is complete!

I can't wait to show my own pictures of the blank sculpt!

I have ordered another cloth bodied silicone kit too, but I'll wait to tell you about that one  :)

Carry on!

Getting settled in

We began moving on the 23rd of October.  

Seems like such a long time ago yet, we are still unpacking and making our house a home.

I added pictures of the new studio/nursery to the "We're Moving" post and the mess that it was in after all of my supplied were moved in.

Here is one of those pictures:

YIKES!  What a mess!

Here is how the new studio/nursery is looking as of yesterday afternoon:

The awesome and large storage shelves are organized and ready for me to go to work.

I however, am not ready to go back to work!  

The entire top shelf is raw mohair with just a little stock of processed hair for my use.

 The curtains that cover the shelves will help keep the dust off of the supplies and makes the room look so nice! 

 The paint table:

It still needs organized and I need to purchase some shelves to hold some supplies close by.

 The assembly and dressing table which is not finished yet:

 The photo studio table in the background.  It's not finished either:

 Sweet little shelf and lamp in the corner that will hold baby bottles and photo props:

And of course I could not resist having some of my babies near by as I work!

Well...and my "fake" kitty cat who has turned a little western since moving close to the horses!  

LOL

 Poppy, (full body silicone Sugar by Melissa McCrory) along with sweet little Laurel the first silicone that I painted.  She is Laurel by Rita Rich Arnold.

 One of my dear friends just brought this cradle to me a few weeks ago.  

Isn't it sweet??

 Silicone Sophie Faber, repainted by Kris of The Dainty Loft:

 This just makes me happy! 

I hope to finish the room today but I have several other things I need to do as well today.  

We'll see....