Check Out My Review of this Amigurumi Book

I recently received and reviewed Tiny Yarn Animals by Tamie Snow for Vintage Indie, where I am a contributing editor. Check out my Off the Shelf review here. And watch for my interview of Lisa Kettell on that same Web site along with my Etsy shop featured in the Vintage Market holiday gift guide. Vintage Indie and Vintage Market also were recently plugged in Bust magazine's Bustline newsletter. That's the big-time, baby! Editor-in-Chief of Bust is Debbie Stoller, also editor of Stitch 'N Bitch and The Happy Hooker and more.

Quest for Doll Heads Never Rests

A quick Halloween lunch stop in Union City, Indiana, not far from Dayton on the Ohio border, netted me this humongous old doll head. I placed the other ones for perspective, and even though the dark-haired one is four inches, the comparison really doesn't do it justice.

This old gal is a full five inches high and five inches wide at the shoulders. She must have made for a pretty big doll. It appears she was played with because the shoulder has clearly been broken and glued. The clerk seemed amazed I would buy it (it was verrry cheap). "You know this is cracked?" he asked. A statement so obvious I couldn't believe it was a question.

When I told him I liked to make altered art with doll heads, he disappeared for the longest time and came back with a box full of cloth and rubber dolls. A doll collector might have gotten faint, but since usually only porcelain heads do it for me, I couldn't even take his $2 box off his hands, although I probably should have, if for nothing more than to be polite.

In the car I noticed the hollow head was stuffed with something strange-either old wool or old doll hair-lots of it- and as I struggled to pull it out, I had momentary imaginations of either baby mice or a million dollars, neither of which fell into my lap while driving. The head does have an old tag on the back-stuck on at one time-but so old now it is almost embedded into it and impossible to read-even with my new Sarah Palin-esque readers. Not sure what I will do with this big head, but right now it waits patiently with its sisters.

But one head and a couple of pieces of old cold type later I was out of there and on with my work, proving again that "Wander Indiana" is an excellent state marketing campaign slogan.

Driving around all the time for work also lets me see all the campaign signage in my state-something I will be very glad to see gone and soon! Doing my part for that, I voted Saturday. That was a first: Saturday (not voting). The absentee voting process was smooth and convenient, since I will be out of town for election day, wandering another state. I was amazed to hear some states are even offering voting this Sunday-truly the sign of a landmark election. So, don't miss your own opportunity. Go vote.

Speaking of wandering-or shopping- you don't have to leave your house or your jammies to do some great holiday shopping. If, like me, you don't want to think about that, well don't! But when you do, there is an outstanding holiday gift guide from http://www.vintageindie.typepad.com at http://www.vintageindiemarket.typepad.com. There are tons of categories for all sorts of handmade gifts and gift ideas as well as discounts galore. I am proud to be a vendor member in this guide as well as a contributing editor for the wonderful Gabreial who runs VinatgeIndie. Vist my etsy or my Flickr for goodies to gobble up: from jewelry and altered art to Blythe doll clothing and furniture and publications for the collector. Even if I don't feel like shopping yet (when did summer end?), I always feel like selling!

Miss Vicky's Fall Workshops: Fun at the Funny Pharm in California

My good friend, the inimitable Miss Vicky Breslin wants to help west coast crafters get their holiday projects done early, while holding to the "Handmade Pledge." So, she is offering a series of great workshops at her shop in Colfax, CA in her historic apothecary building, and in her home location, the gold-rush town of Dutch Flat, CA.


Her 'No Frill Fall Workshops' will be Nov. 18 -23, (Tuesday through Sunday), 9am-9pm at The Funny Pharm, 30 North Main Street, Colfax, CA and 32770 Main Street, Dutch Flat, CA. You can even stay for the week! Sleeping Arrangements: Tues, Wed or Thursday at the Dutch Flat Hotel next door to workshops.

Rooms are based on 2 people in a room 50.00 per night or 5 people in a room, 30.00 per night. Please call Vicky directly to book the rooms at 530 389-2233, or 530 220-4103. To keep the expenses down there will be a potluck breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dessert too!

No frill Class fees: $10.00 per class plus supplies.

Card Making Class: Use a hand printing press. It works with the vintage wood type. You can make all of the holiday cards you wish & have a fun time doing it! Vicky will show you how to set the type.....the rest is up to you. Black ink will be provided. This will be available all days!

5 Minute Collage: Learn how the experts make such amazing collages for their background art projects. It is a very fun, fast moving and a surprising hour of fun. Available every morning at 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Soldering Class: Vicky will bring a soldering iron & all supplies needed to make all kinds of glass hanging stuff!Like houses, ornaments, ovals, rectangle & squares.You can use your 5 minute collage paper too. Every day at 10:30 p.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Gift tags: Using Glimmer Mists & Stencils we will make tags that will dazzle. You can monogram them with the printer!Every day 12:30p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Altered Silverware: This is the most creative silverware possible. You can make a hanging piece of silverware, a rack for the kitchen, place card holder, pin or necklace.
Every day 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Image Transfer: Learn how to use the new Golden digital grounds to copy all kinds of images to all forms of materials. Paper, fabric, foil, gel skins, acetate etc. Every day 4:00 p.m. to 5:00p.m.

Image Transfer BookMake: a cloth book using the fabric transfers made in the image transfer class. 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday.

Chart Your Path: Paint on a piece of wood. Learn how to measure it out & make compartments to house all kinds of ephemeraThis is a very fun class to do on a cutting board.5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday

Game Board: Make a game board using your family photos. We will use scrabble letters to spell out family names. You will need a vintage game board for this project. 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Thursday

Convex Glass: Use our vintage convex glass to house a fun moveable art piece.You can make it on a card. canvas or whatever your heart desires. These are all very old pieces. Learn how to drill holes in them and screw them into your piece. Friday 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Bracelet: Everyone loves the button stacking class! Vicky will teach you how to stack & add beads. We will then turn our pieces into a fabulous bracelet. Friday 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Resin Jewelry: Make fun jewelry out of resin. We will make a few charms & turn them into a fabulous necklace or a charm bracelet.Saturday 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Frozen Charlotta Jewelry: Using these very vintage dolls we will make a very unique piece of jewelry! Give her wings or a saltshaker hat. Guaranteed beauty.Sunday 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Cupcakes: Crochet the icing & then add a vintage flower to the top made out of vintage sheet musicSunday 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Wire Working: Using rebar you will create rustic looking ways to enhance old bottles. They make great hanging candle lightsTuesday. Wednesday and Thursday 11:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Initial Photo Necklace or Magnet: Make a fabulous initial & back it with a darling vintage hand tinted photo. Then solder it for the amazing finish. These make the most charming gifts. Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 2:00 p.m. to 4:00

Crown Making: Using cardstock we will make the most amusing crowns. We will add vintage jewels to bedazzle them. Tuesday 11:00 to 1:00 p.mSo let's have some fun & get our holidays started.

Remember to take the handmade pledge!

Please make your reservations now: Miss Vicky 530 389 2233 or email vicky@cut-it-up.com .
You will be given class supplies list when you register!

'By the Sea' Treasures from Art & Soul

I felt like a kid on Halloween night, dumping out all of my treasures from Art & Soul Portland; arranging, rearranging, mentally cataloging and slowly putting away all that I had collected in the way of supplies, trades, purchases and finished art.

It is tradition to bring small pieces of art to swap, such as charms and artist trading cards. Charms were very popular since many A&S attendees belong to a group called Charmsters, including my hostess Michelle. I swapped enough charms to make an entire bracelet, nicely full of handmade goodness (top). A few extra charms from Michelle made their way into my pile of goodies during our 1:1 swap (second photo). I also received two lovely 4 x 4 fat book pages from her for my 2008 book. The other pics/piles are more swap receipts, ephemera collected, class supplies, purchases from the on-site store, Collage, and vintage finds from around Portland.

The bottom three photos are my background papers completed in Traci Bautista's Doodling & Letters class. The will now be cut up for ATC or other backgrounds.

Portland Art & Soul Even More than Expected

Beautiful but soggy Portland was the site of another Art & Soul retreat, and I had a spectacular time staying with Michelle. She's shown above in her home studio which is much more like a store-make that a candy store for grown-ups. Cassondra joined us most of the time-what a cheerful, sweet person she is!

We shopped 'til we truly dropped on two different days. I'll be posting pics of my goodies. Portland is an amazing city, and there is such a hip, happening, vintage and artsy vibe. Every place we went was so cool. I walked nearly a mile up and down Alberta Street in heels because I just couldn't get enough of shops with names like Frock, Flutter, Collage, Imp, Bolt, Swoon, Red Bird and more. We ate at places called Hula Hands, Pizzicato, Picazzo's, and I went nuts over the New Seasons funky grocery we went to twice. Let's just say I got a finger puppet, heirloom tomatoes, 10 different kinds of Luna bars and $15 cookies at the green grocer.

Gas was even a bargain at $3.22 a gal for 87 with no self-service allowed to support entry-level jobs. I do think all the grown-up hippies have re-located there as I lost count of VW buses-seriously. We all agreed they needed lots of collage and painted daisies on them. There was a baby blue one right out of my 1970s teenage dreams.

Michelle and her family were fun to hang with. Even her cats were amazing!
Julie Collings and friends (Deb is fun!) also joined us one day. Julie has a new book out, Pretty Little Felts, which she signed for me. Just adorable projects! Julie also produces ArtNest in Utah. Oh yeah, and she has a family and four children and makes art. Nothin' to it.

Several other artists were on hand signing books, including LK Ludwig of Extreme Visual Journaling and Nature Journals, Kelly Rae Roberts of Taking Flight (I bought a journal from her), Sally Jean Alexander, whom I met at ZNE, Tonia Davenport of Plexi-Class and jewelry acquisitions editor for F+W Northlight and Mary Ann Hall of Quay/Quarry who is editing my friend Lisa Kettell's book Altered Art Circus that I am in and which comes out this winter. I missed seeing Dawn Devries Sokol of 1000 Artist Journals, whom I met at ZNE, but she had bookplates for everyone. So many great people! It was a joy to finally meet James and Helga Strauss of ArtChix Studio. They were selling collage sheets like mad. I haven't been as active lately but am still thrilled to say I have designs on their Pet Faux Post and Pink Faux Post sheets. Get yourself a bazillion copies! Helga's new mini pins are great, too, and the By The Sea and Mermaid collage products are super. I love the work of my IRL friend Jade Adams on them! It was also a joy to see Mike and Shosh of Hannah Grey again, although I was so exhausted by the end of vendor night Saturday, I was standing about one inch from Shosh and didn't even know it! We were shopping at the tres Francais Vintage Charmings booth of Kate and her sister. More hugs and love were shared in Lisa Kaus' darling booth. I'm so glad some friends bought originals.

I had two classes Friday: the Beachcomber with Beverly Gilbert of Gilbert Designs. I was almost dreading this class, having avoided seed beads like a disease. I didn't have a task light, didn't have beading needles, didn't even know why I picked the class. It must have been good karma, though, because I knew in the first five minutes I would love it. And I did. I didn't even leave the room for lunch or when class ended. I could have attached myself permanently to Beverly. She is so sweet and so enthusiastic about color and what she does. Her jewelry is amazing. Check out her Web site. I'll be posting more pics, and I can't wait to play with my 'bead soup' I bought from her for class. Pictured above are the two pendants I made, wrapping sead beads around found treasures like beach glass, with a mix of free-form peyote and netting stitches. That's me with Beverly. She has a great fashion sensibility as well. No surprise.

The goodies are still needing to be unpacked and photographed as well as my charms (enough for a bracelet) and other swap goodies. I also need to take pics of my work from Traci Bautista's class. It was all just an incredible experience! Can't wait to do it again.

Off to Art & Soul PDX and Blog-land Friends

Yes, that is one grumpy cat. The suitcase has been perpetually out for weeks and weeks. In fact, one day last week I was in four states in one day. You can see here where Larry tried to go to A&S once already. Tomorrow, I head west, instead of my usual Midwest or east, to Art and Soul, Portland. This will be my second A&S this year, having already gone to Hampton, VA in May. Yes, I liked it so much, I wanted to go to another.

But the real attraction is not only Portland itself, which I have never seen, but my dear blog friend Michelle of Hold Dear whom I have also never seen! But will. Tomorrow. We've been blog friends for well over a year, having bonded over charms and mermaids and other common interests. I don't think we can even remember who contacted whom, but we've been emailing and speaking on the telephone and have decided we are like-minded enough that a brief co-habitation is not too scary!

So, Michelle graciously invited me to stay with her and her husband Glenn, and some other art girlies, specifically Cassondra and Julie of ArtNest, will also be there.

After my cross-country flight, we're planning lots of artsy shopping and acquainting me with the Portland art community. Friday, we both have classes with internationally-acclaimed instructors. I'm taking a jewelry and beading class to make a necklace called "The Beachcomber" with Beverly of Gilbert Designs and a collage and doodling class with Traci Bautista, whom I've met a couple times before, most notably at CHA where she signed her book for me. Traci also knows a couple of my Cali art friends, Miss Vicky and Shosh, both of whom will also be at A&S.

Since Michelle lives there, she is also taking classes Wednesday and Sunday, and I can't even keep up with all she is doing. I do know one class sounds great: Junk Drawer Metalsmithing. Can't wait to see what she does.

Friday night there will be a number of authors there for book-signings, including the charming Michael DeMeng and also Kelly Rae Roberts, whose new book I absolutely love: Taking Flight. Some ZNE friends will also be there, signing books and teaching, like Miss Sally Jean and Lisa Kaus. Saturday we are hitting more vintage and artsy spots before the nearly-famous A&S vendor night. One could drop mega-bucks...or just drool a lot. All-in-all it should be a very supportive, art-filled weekend before I hop a red-eye or should I say red-eye-all-day-and-night-long flight back into my own time zone. Can't wait to post pics from the event.

Ike Demands Fair Time

The other little person in my world-although I don't get to see him much either, or his mom (!) is Ike. Doesn't he look like a perfect date for Gwen? He's a little older, about 10 months, so he's more mature, secure and can take care of her, I think. I can't believe Ike and Gwen are the same babies I crocheted such tiny baby hats for not very long ago. I'm glad their parents take lots of pictures. They'll enjoy these even more many years from now.

Another Post for the Cute Baby Gallery

My dear friend Jen and her hubby Andy recently moved from Indiana back to Pennsylvania where both sets of their parents live. So, of course they decided to take baby Gwen with them! For some reason, I couldn't convince them to leave her here for Auntie Gina to spoil. She's clearly full of personality at six months. I am sure all the relatives are glad to have this cutie close by!

My On-the-Scene Report from Colfax, CA: Check out Miss Vicky's Cut-It-Up

While in California recently for the first-ever ZNE Convenzione, I had the pleasure of staying with blog friend Miss Vicky of Cut-it-Up and scrapbooking fame. A published author and artist, Miss Vicky has an incredible shop in historic Colfax, CA. Check out my article on Vintage Indie. There's tons more pics, also. Thanks to Miss Vicky for the hospitality and to Vintage Indie publisher Gabreial Wyatt for running my random musings from time to time!

Arte du Blythe Fat Book Auction Live Now for A Place to Bark

The "Blythe and Friends" book, pictured above, contains 25 hand-made, front and back, 4" x 4" original mixed media art pages as well as handmade front and back covers, from artists in nine states and three countries. The book was created by the Arte du Blythe group on Yahoo, which was founded by Shoshanah Jennings of Hannah Grey Curiosities & Drygoods (http://www.hannahgrey.com/) and Heather Simpson-Bluhm of Bluhm Studios (http://www.bluhmstudios.com/), both based in California. The book was hosted by me, the group administrator, here in Indiana. It features work by well-known and published artists such as Vicky Breslin, Debbie Metti, Angela Hoffman, Chelise Stroud-Hery (founder of ZNE), Shelly Mundel, Maija Lepore, Heather Simpson-Bluhm, and Shoshanah Jennings. Artists from the United States, Canada, and Israel sent submissions.The book is a paper arts lover's dream or is perfect for a lover of Blythe, animals, dolls and/or good deeds.A Place to Bark and Meow is mixed media artist Bernie Berlin's no-kill animal rescue in Tennessee. Bernie Berlin's blog is http://aplacetobark.blogspot.com/. As she herself says, "I run a full-time dog rescue, taking in the dogs that have been abandoned, abused or police confiscated. I foster, retrain, transport & adopt. Cats are also welcome at my rescue. I am drawn to the unwanted, unloved and misunderstood. I am hoping to educate and effect change for the animals that do not have a voice of their own."

A Place to Bark and Meow was one of the five top national finalists in last year's Parade magazine charity profile/fund-raiser. To date 2,453 people have donated $44,527 to AP2B, but the needs are constant as Bernie travels to other states to rescue abandoned, abused and injured animals, rehabilitating them (often with costly veterinary bills and medicines) and then placing them in loving homes. Bernie currently specializes in Faberge-style eggs and is the author of the popular Artist Trading Card Workshop. She will send a special surprise to be enclosed with the 'fat book' for the winner.

To bid, simply leave a comment at this link or click on the headline above.

Special thanks to Scrapbook Royalty and its head tiara, the darling Elena Etcheverry, Traveling Princess, for hosting this auction.

Me & Larry, Heading to Art & Soul, Except Larry's Not Really Going. Shhh! Don't Tell Him!

With Art & Soul Portland http://www.artandsoulretreat.com/ just 15 days away, I knew I needed to get some swaps made. Trading little bits of art is a wonderful tradition at art retreats. I don't ever want to go empty-handed because the goodies made by other artists are such fun to receive. Some people make little bags of ephemera or supplies; some make artist trading cards (ATCs) or other small-scale art. When I went to Art & Soul Hampton in May, I took both charms and ATCs, and with A&S PDX looming so soon, I resorted to making the very same charms again. I call them Ballerina Moons. It's not hard to see why, although it is hard to see in these pictures. But after several hours to make 28 charms and already putting them in their tiny bags with Moo cards from Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/lillysoflondonish, I couldn't see unbagging them all just for a photo-opp. Hopefully, I will get some cards made as well, and I still need to get some class supplies. I am making a 'Beachcomber' necklace with Gilbert Designs http://www.gilbertdesigns.net/ and am taking a collage class with Traci Bautista, author of Collage Unleashed. You can buy her book on Amazon here http://www.amazon.com/Collage-Unleashed-Traci-Bautista/dp/1581808453/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221365456&sr=8-1. I'm also looking forward to staying with Dear Michelle of Hold Dear http://michellegeller.typepad.com/, my firstest and bestest blog friend, who is going to show me around Portland. Looking forward to seeing Maria of Collage on Alberta http://collageonalberta.typepad.com/ again, and I just found out tonight that Shosh and Mike from Hannah Grey http://www.hannahgrey.com/ will be there, too. And, some of my new ZNE art friends, like Lisa Kaus http://lisakaus.blogspot.com/, will also be in town, especially easy since Lisa lives in Oregon. All in all, it should be like old-home art week. Fetch my umbrella. Can't wait!

Larry the Cat looks really excited, too. But, I have bad news for him. Unlike the charms, he is going to get unpacked, and soon.

Check out my Project of the Month and Interview on Mind Wide Open

As a member of the design team for Shabby Cottage Studio http://www.shabbycottage%20studio.com/ and owner Gail Schmidt http://shabbycottagestudio.blogspot.com/, I created the "Haunted Mirror" tutorial for the September Project of the Month, over on Gail's interactive and challenge blog, Mind Wide Open http://mind-wideopen.blogspot.com/. You can find the entire project here http://mind-wideopen.blogspot.com/2008/09/tutorial-by-lilys-of-londonish-gina.html.

I am also the featured interview subject on the blog this month. Fellow design team member Sherry Smyth http://www.espritdart.blogspot.com/ interviewed me to go along with the tutorial. As a writer and former reporter and a behind-the-scenes artist, it is kind of fun to have the tables turned every once in awhile. You can read my interview here: http://mind-wideopen.blogspot.com/2008/09/interview-with-gina-m-smith-lillys-of.html.