Flu hits and no dolls being finished!

I have been hit with the flu and just can't seem to get enough energy to finish any of the holiday dolls I started. Today is the first I've felt well enough to really do more than check email.

I have 3 really pretty angels that just need their faces done and wings glued on. I also have more of the Christmas elves I made last year sewn and ready to be stuffed but instead of working on them I've been laying around reading.

Lucky for me that last Sat. before I got sick I went to my local library and got some dvds and books. This week I finished Ernie by Ernest Borgnine and American Prince by Tony Curtis. Interesting reads. I found I liked Borgnine more after reading his book and Curtis less after reading his. I found it nice to know that Borgnine did like doing McHale's Navy. My Mom always said there was a rumor he only did it for the money and felt he was really too good to be doing it. It's also great to know that the old guy (91 !) is still pretty healthy and working. I always enjoyed Tony's work, even some of the really bad movies, but after reading about how much he cheated on his wives and how he still seems to feel there was nothing wrong with it, I have to admit I'm not as big of a fan as I once was. This is a guy who enjoyed women so much he really should have been like his buddy Hef and stayed single until he got much older. Last night I started Cheech & Chong by Tommy Chong. He's a very good writer and I was surprised to find that he was a muscian in bands in Canada in the late 1950's. I'm really enjoying the book but after I finish this one I've got to get back to sewing!

Thanksgiving is almost here but I haven't made anything!

Had a strange experience with the US post office in Oct. I mailed a mummy doll I sold, forgot to get delivery conformation so I had a tracking number, and wouldn't you know it took 12 days for the package to show up! I was all set to refund the customer's money when she emailed that it had come that afternoon. Learned my leason to always get conformation when I mail from the post office! Never have that problem when mailing using paypal, they add it for only 18¢. The P.O. charges 65¢. I picked up a small stack of the forms you have to fill out so I won't have to do it there.

I enjoyed making Halloween dolls so much I was still working on them until I realized I had better move on to winter dolls. I only sold 2 Halloween dolls this season but when I put up the winter holiday dolls I had left from last year at ebay all but 2 have sold. That was enough to get me moving. Funny thing was that I had already sorted my fabrics and had made lists of what I wanted to make but just couldn't get moving.

Part of the problem was I was in the middle of making a special order angel for a customer and I was so stressed that it wouldn't come out perfect for her. This is what I do, stress and panic over everything. First I spent way too much time just thinking it over how she should be dressed, then came having to take apart a baby dress the customer wanted her dressed in. It took 2 weeks before I had the courage to cut the dress. I finally got her sent out a few days ago and I'm stressed that it still won't be ok. The customer, Bonnie, found me on etsy and asked if I could make her an angel like my folk art angel pattern. She loved how that one looked like her daughter who had passed away from cancer. Knowing just how special this doll would be made me freeze when it came time to make her. You know I don't think I'm cut out to do special orders, I just can't take the presure. Here's the finished doll. I think she is so sweet, but then I LOVE dots!

Another slow down problem I had was last Wed. I cracked a filling and couldn't get to the dentist until yesterday (tue.). Made me misereable not being able to have raw fruits and veg because I couldn't chew right. Lucky no cavity just the filling had to be replaced and the dentist wants to cap it. Unfortunately my dental insurance only covers part of it. Guess I better get busy and make some dolls to sell, gonna owe the Dr. over $300!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to everyone! Our town did trick or treat last night and we only had 14 kids even though the weather was pretty good, cold but no rain. As much as I love Halloween I just wasn't in the mood to dress up, not even put on a my fav (and easy) witch hat with it's lime green feather boa. I'm still trying to finish my last 2 halloween dolls and having to stop to hand out candy was so distracting. One is a fairy that I LOVE but I still need to finish her wings. Today I'm going to add some irresdescent paint to them. The other one was supposed to be queen of the spiders but I've had nothing but trouble with her. I had planned on doing a skirt with layers of ruffles but didn't like how that came out so I redid her skirt. It's not how I planned but will have to do. I'm finishing up her net cape and then I have to make her some bead and wire spiders. Funny how some dolls come together so easy, like the fairy. and others just drive me crazy.

Sad how slow sales are this halloween. I only sold the 2 small crochet bears I did for halloween and 2 dolls, the mummy and Deirdre the witch. Hopefully after the election people will feel like shopping again. I keep most of my dolls up at ebay all year but since I may close the store from Jan to March, I'll move them to etsy as the listings expire. My groups at ebay have some great items listed all year for halloween so search ebay using SEHA and HA31 to find them. Don't forget to select store inventory in the options on the left of the page to see everything.

Started making lists of the winter dolls I'll be making. I'm getting excited to start cutting them out. I bought some great fabrics at the quilt show I went to and can't wait to use them. I want to make some more Santa elves like I made last winter. Go back to Jan. posts (maybe Dec) to see pictures of them.

I love Halloween!

Wow! here I am back again. Just had to post a few new pics. This pumpkin lady is Lissette and she's holding a black key wrapped in orange tinsel garland. After I finished her she insisted I just wasn't done and wanted a butterfly mask. I thought about sewing one or making it from paper mache but then I remembered I had bought some transparencies to try making wings for my fairies. I printed a few and one came out perfect so after I get it coated with gloss varnish a few times I'll attach it to a painted wood skewer, add some ribbon, cut out the holes for the eyes and she'll have her mask. I'll post the pic when I get it done. She's up on ebay right now but I'll have to revise the listing when I get her mask down.

This is Stella, a witchy cat. I couldn't decide if she was a cat turned into a witch or a witch who turned herself into a cat. I liked her so much I decided she needed a sister so that's how Calliope came about. When I was selecting the fabric for the clothing I just got the idea that this cat was going to be white instead of the traditional black. I found this great dotted fabric by Moda at a quilt show I went to a few weeks ago. I look forward to it every year and stock up on great Halloween and Christmas type fabrics. Both are up at my ebay store.

Have been thinking seriously about closing my ebay store in Jan. The fees are so high I'm not making much on tatting supplies. I think if I'd spend more time on my etsy store I could get it moving better. Etsy just added a catagory for art dolls so when the ebay listing end I'm going to move them over there. I've found other store owners at ebay don't keep them open all year around because of the slow times and not wanting to pay the rent. Maybe I should have a go at consignment sales for other artists that don't want to have a store? A lot to think about!