Big Hat Gallery Show

So, the Big Hat Books and Arts Gallery Show Opening has come and gone. It was an amazing night full of surprises! I was surrounded by friends and family and some amazing artists. The gallery looked amazing and it was a beautiful night. I am really pleased with my sales too. Some of my pieces have been shown before and for others it was their first show. Most of them won't be coming home and I am very thankful for that. Now I must get ready for the Dia de Los Muertos Show which opens in just a few weeks! Ai! Here a some photos of my pieces in the show and from the opening night.

Getting the Shows Together

The show at Big Hat Book and Arts Gallery opens this Friday night and we are almost ready-pretty much ready-we will be ready! I will get some photos tomorrow hopefully. This show will be up until 10 October and I am showing in my dolls and mixed media photo shadowboxes. My next show for El Dia de Los Muertos at the Indianapolis Art Center. I am working on the self portrait photographs as my ancestor Lydia for that show still. I am still not sure about them. I want to do the photos rather then a painting or monotype because I feel it will really make her "real" instead of a story if that makes sense. I also hope that having them really large will give people that feeling too. I plan on having an antique mirror up so people can look at themselves too and see how we are all very much the same.
(FYI-if you haven't been following my other posts, Lydia is one my ancestors who were hung for being a witch in Salem MA around 1620-I am doing my altar for her to show that she wasn't a witch but just a person who the victim of stereotypes and scape goats among other negative things. I also want to make this altar to her just full of light, nature and beautiful just for her.) Here are some recent photos. I will probably take them all over again! I do this all the time! Hope all is well with everyone else!

For Lydia and Other Things

OK, I need to go to bed! Sleep for me is not going well again. I am trying to get everything ready for the first show. The gallery owner is fantastic, loves "more is more" and keeps saying that everything "fabulous and divine" which is really funny as those are 2 words I use to describe everything. She has also decided to put the show up a week early and tonight. So, here I got-fast! And, I did some self-portraits of my ancestor Lydia for another show I am doing and just wanted to get them done. I Saw these beautiful pink roses and went in the store to get them because I was so drawn to them. I was amazed to find out that they are named "Lydia" roses. I had to take the photos NOW! If I waited, Lydia's roses would have spoiled. So, here are some of the photographs. Still never sure what I am doing-mostly taking photos without my glasses on(and I can't see at all-I listen to the camera instead-I know that sounds crazy). I am wearing a gorgeous necklace by Jen Parrish of Parrish Relics Jewelry wwww.parrishrelics.com
Hope all is well with everyone in blogland! As always I love seeing and hearing about what you are up to.

I've Been Gone

"Gone from Myself"


"Bruised Peaches and Cream"
(Ha! It's so true though!)

I've been sick and really haven't felt like doing any art. I have been slowly working on the dolls and trying to figure out which shows this Fall I can reasonably do. Tonight was 2 hours(while I watched 'A Very Long Engagement' for maybe the 4th time-oh, I love that movie every time) for one sleeve which seems very silly. I was very happy because a good friend of mine was in town for a museum conference so seeing her was a lot of fun. Besides that, I have just been a pain, sick and tired. I worked with some photographs and I look, well, sick and tired. It would be lovely to somehow get away and do something different, but I need to get my act together first. If I can ever do that then I can take a some kind of break from where I am. I hope all is well with all of you out in blogland. I am reading your blogs and as always, loving what you are up to and have to share so thank you!

Fantastic Gifts from Down Under

A beautiful card filled with sweet words~

Aqua blue sequined trim-Little Jo, you know me too well! This will be perfect for a "La Petite" Ya Ya headress don't you think? And, look how it matches my mugs and table!

Sister Blackberry Bijou has to check out everything herself and look at her turquoise collar!

Everything so beautiful packed up! It is so gorgeous just like this I didn't want to open it and mess it up!

This necklace is beyond amazing! It says in letter beads "Mr. Fox you sing first" which is really something since my twin and I have called our little sister "Mr. Fox" since we were all little girls. Even more amazing as I never told Little Jo this! How did she know? I also love the vintage fabric flowers, ribbon and other pieces she used on it. Love this green ribbon she sent as well.

All together beautiful~

What's in this little turquoise bag? It's fancy aqua knickers, and black and white stripey "Alice Socks! Jo and I "met" over stripey Alice socks-it all has come full circle~ As Jo would say, "My hand was over my heart!".

More fun things including a dvd which is labeled "Alice", a small turquoise door which Jo says I need to put up because we can use it to visit each other-I will have the growing potion on the other end of it waiting for you! It was was wrapped in this old pattern envelope which I love because it reminds me of what my mom wore in the early 1960s before she became a gorgeous hippie(I love both looks on her). There were also many fun things all wrapped together including the little doll, a pink recorder, little cocktail umbrellas and JO'S FAMOUS RASPBERRY LIPSTICK! Below, is a sweet turquoise apron with daisies that reminds me so much of the wallpaper in my bedroom growing up, a beaded heart box, and gorgeous tropical turquiose fabric-divine!

I was having a rough time and the other day when this wonderful package arrived at my mail box. It was from the lovely Jo of OldFlowersForMe! Jo has filled it with an amazing assortment of fabulous gifts and a ton of turquoise goodness all of which she has made or which are antiques with an "Alice in Wonderland" theme(including stripey socks!) which I love. Here are some photos. Thank you Little Jo! You have made my week, my month, my year! Thanks for being such a wonderful friend! Love you!

New Work With the Dolls-Stitches!

I am still working little by little on the new dolls. Well, hours can go by and I don't even notice. I have fabric out now and I go kind of crazy with it. I can't stop adding layers and colours. The skirt for this doll is crazy. I first sewed and overskirt, decided it needed a lining, then added an underskirt, then a topskirt, then another little underskirt and well, now I have no idea what I am talking about. Same goes for her bodice(don't ask how many layers are under there. And yes, this doll has bloomers(all the dolls have bloomers of course!) under her skirts and little leggings as well and much more to go. The arms/sleeves need work. Then there will be the wig, headpieces, jewelry-ooh la la-much, much more. All is sewn by hand because I like these dolls to be "free form" and "off"-just like me! The Littles(my little cats) LOVE all the fabrics, the floss, and every part of this stage. Stay away Littles or I will "Gently Mist" you with my spray bottle(which has been stuck on 'gentle mist' for several years now) of water-sorry if some folks find this terribly cruel-others think of it as a spa treatment. My house is a mess by the way. Back to stitching...

New Beadwork and Some New Photographs

The real "Perdita"


My little takes on Perdita with my Perdita hair Jewelry





Of course I had to take a few "spooky" photos while I have all the camera equipment out and myself semi put together!


I have been inspired by Pre-Raphaelite painter Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys' "Perdita" painting. When I accidentally hennaed my hair bright, light red instead of the regular auburn I decided it was time to do something with it. So, I finished some new hair jewelry-a matching set of beaded headband, 2 barrettes, and 4 hair pins all which feature glass, crystal and ivory freshwater pearls.


Then, I needed a model for the pieces which would have to be me because I always do thing on the spur of the moment. I have my dear Miss Havisham(my head form covered in tulle) for help, but I know when I am looking at purchasing something I want to see how it looks on a real person so here I am-again. I so wish I had a really great "Pre-Raphaelite" beauty like so many folks I know on hand for photos! I just don't have this look. I have the"wild girl raised by a pack of wolves"look going on-oh and the "Sick Girl"-so I have been told. I have also been fiddling around with fonts. Will see how it all goes!