Doll Work and Other Stories

       February has been fairly interesting so far. I have struggled with seasonal issues but I feel like I am doing better than I was in January. I am managing to get bits and pieces of doll work done and I have been thoroughly enjoying NaMoPaiMo. I am continuing my plan of no fear painting this year, though I have not done any painting in many days, and I have continued to enjoy the #minispaintingminis photos on the Facebook group. I am a big fan of Chartreuse Guy. His painting party looked like a wild time!

photo by Sondra Householder

     Tuesday I was in the laundromat as usual and I was finally back into working on saddlebags. There are coffee tables but I end up using my leg as a table often. But it worked out. I listened to Mares In Black and got as much as I could while I was there. It gave me a burst of energy to get a chunk of work done. 

     When I got home I kept on going. Finally getting not one, not two, but five sets of bags done made me really happy. I am now also feeling somewhat motivated to keep on going. I have more saddle bags and dolls planned. I just need to keep going. 

          Wednesday morning, on the way to work, I noticed something that made me incredibly happy. It was not dark when I drove in to work. It was not fully light, but the sun was up. It really is one day closer to Spring! More light will make me very happy. 

      I got some great customer photos the other day too. It was a bit tricky working out colors for the saddle seat doll that Amy Brandes ordered. She had a variety of colors she liked but some of the horses she wanted to use them with are tricky to get good colors for. I used Caramel Latte (Leggs) to see how colors looked with the hardest to match chestnut horse. I'm glad to see that not only was the shade fairly close, but that the doll looks good with him. 

photo by Amy Brandes

     The other doll Amy ordered was an Arabian rider to go with a costume she had. Without having the costume in hand it's tricky to match colors. We settled on just black with gold trim. I think it all came together really well!

Photo by Amy Brandes

     Chartreuse Guy was not the only #minispaintingminis participant who had a picture that caught my eye this week. Jackie posted this photo of poor Link and his struggles. He knows he needs to get started, but he's just so overwhelmed!

photo by Jackie Rossi

     And then Tiny Tony is judging Heather on her work. Apparently she has not made as much progress as he has and he's feeling smug about it. We all work at our own pace Tony! Stop judging

photo by Heather Jackson-Lain

     So doll work is happening, sometimes slowly, but not too slowly these days, and NaMoPaiMo is in full swing and there is a lot of fun to be had on the Facebook group. I am currently feeling more optimistic about being ready for my live sale at the end of March. I am hoping to have a lot of dolls and accessories to offer. I just need to keep on working. And I need to get back to painting!