zippypops

a moment of quiet introspection...

with Sally.

etsy update!

I busted out the seamless and the spotlights and re-shot the remaining dolls and added one new one. in honor of Bobby's birthday I let him name her (Nora). I am also working on a boy doll... and am kind of fretting on how I am going to do the hair, so I've been procrastinating. I should just get on with it!

second hand

Bob's birthday is tomorrow. so today Luke and I drove a distance to a small junk shop we stumbled upon a few weeks ago with the intent to buy him as a gift a 1937 16 mm Kodak Cine model E camera that he fell in love with, but couldn't afford at the time. it was a smidge on the pricey side, but after going home and doing a little research, found it was reasonable. at the time, I had told the shop owner that I would be back to buy it for my husband's birthday. when I got there today and placed the camera on the counter, she gave me a price that was $25 MORE than the price she quoted me 3 weeks ago. then she hemmed and hawed and said that it might actually be worth even more and could I come back next week so that she could check on it's price. after bit of arguing and bargaining I stomped out.

grrr... SO MAD!

we ran around and checked two camera shops that often carry old cameras, but, no luck.

now I don't have anything to wrap up and give him and I am so upset!
I told Bob when he came home, he doesn't seem to mind not having a pressie to unwrap, but I do. fortunately, I found one on ebay that I will buy.

I stopped by a second hand shop, hoping that I would find a lovely treasure to lift my spirits... bing! 4 perfect house dresses! (I'm wearing the 4th now!)

and then later, Bob and I went  to Books and Memories and... bing! a fab photo album. I am having a harder time finding these for a reasonable price nowadays. this one was a bargain.
it starts off with typical wedding shots, then moves on to shot after shot of the same woman modeling outfit after outfit. there is a 1947 newspaper clipping tucked in featuring the woman, an Alice Bukowski who apparently worked as second floor manager of Chappells... a swanky department store in downtown Syracuse that closed in the early 80s.

where is spring?

not here. that's for sure. (another one of my favourite houses)

not a lot going on. just trying to stay warm and stay sane.

7 random things

no one has tagged me, but I'm telling you anyway.

1. I hate driving. one of my biggest fears is dying in a car crash.

2. because of this fear, and because I actually have to drive a great deal, I refuse to listen to anything in the car that I would not want to hear if I DID get into a crash and was lying amongst a tangled wreck on the side of the road while my life slowly slipped away. I'd rather have Marin Marais in my ears than, say... the Dixie Chicks

3. carrying along this morbid thread; I fashion my morning goodbyes to Loo and Bob as if it was the last time I will ever see them again. you know... just in case. nothing over the top, but I try to make sure they know how much I love them.

4. I am also afraid of falling down the stairs, because that is a stupid way to go.
I did suffer a terrific fall once— I missed calculated the top step of our second floor apartment while I had both both hands occupied with over-stuffed garbage bags, and 15 steps later, I landed on my face. I have always been a bit uncoordinated at times, and I chalk that up to the fact that I am very tall (6 ft), so now when I walk down the stairs I always hold on to the railing or touch the wall and look at my feet.

5. I was a strict vegetarian/vegan for years, and all my rigid guidelines went to hell in a handbasket after I took an Anatomy for Artist class in college. yup, one semester in the basement morgue at the medical college with an assortment of dissected cadavers and specimens in jars spurred an epiphany for me... we are all just biological beings and we are all going to die (death again!). I fell off the healthy vegetable wagon... but recently climbed back on. I just won't eat anything that I wouldn't be willing to kill with my own hands. (fish are not off the hook)

6. I don't like to be asked a lot of questions all in a row. (what are you doing? what is that? where is this? blah blah blah) I have a limit of 3 consecutive questions. This particular quirk of mine certainly annoys some people, and paints me as impatient or short tempered, but I counter that criticism with the point that most of the annoying questions could be answered with a couple seconds worth of quiet observation, and if you can't be bothered with that, then you are probably not truly interested in the answer, so don't bother me.

7. I don't answer the telephone.

wow, this makes me look like a morbid kook. hmm?
oh well,

here's a new little doll that I've been working on...

one of my favourites

in Minoa, NY
panning from right to left. starting at the house, ending with the barn.

sleepy sunday

what a week!
I have been intending to post every other day at least, and then WHAM! I get slammed at work... when I get home at the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is look at a computer. or sew. or do anything other than crawl into bed and read. not that I am complaining, mind you. the few jobs that my loving spouse had lined up have not come through and unfortunately, he long ago ran through his savings, so for now, I am the only one bringing home the bacon. AND frying it up in a pan. *sigh* I am trying very very hard to not get stressed or depressed or angry. these things happen. I am trying. I am heavily relying on Ricky Gervais to lift my spirits. later today I am going out to rent Extras, season 1, disc 2.

BUT, I have managed to press forward a leetle bit with some sewing projects!

I sent my grandma a little bear. a few of her friends have recently passed away, so, she's in need of a little extra love. and if I can't be there to personally hug her, well, at least this bear can.

next added on the free patterns list is a lovely, simple little doll. i've made 2 at roughly half-size and with slightly elongated legs (3 squares length).
the first attempt is in felt, with fiberfill stuffing. I tried making the dress, but I don't think it is flattering. I am also going to undo the hair and re-do with a simpler center-part and braids. Also, the face scares me... so that's a re-do.

the second attempt is in muslin with LOVELY bamboo fiber stuffing. have you tried bamboo stuffing? JoAnn's just started stocking it. in handling it is similar to kapok, but softer. it tends to get bunchy and clumpy, so until I get more familiar, I don't think I will try it on my larger dolls.
the overall feel of this doll is nice— a firm, weighty, old fashion feel. I forgot how much I like working in muslin. more photos as this one progresses.

Luke's first band concert was this week. (you can tell that I have pushed my poor camera to its limits here)