Field of Dolls Online Results

 Field of Dolls Results 2020

 

Other Performance- OF

1. Harness 

1. Catch Phrase- Mary Ann Snyder

2. Happy As A Lark- Danielle Feldman

3. Treble Bob- Joan Cook

4. High Horse Good Lad- Joan Cook

5. Barnaby- Lisa Smalley

6. Harley Quinn- Kimberly Bleecker

 

2. Regalia

1. Rose Moniet- Steph Blaylock

2. Kick Asset- Kimberly Bleecker

3. Luca N Sharp- Jenny Arsuaga

4. Azraf- Kimberly Bleecker

5. Ben- Jenny Arsuaga

6. Bill the Bastard- Jaime Rowling

 

3. Parade

1. Theodore- Jennifer Buxton

2. NLF Girasole- Lawrence T. Nichols

3. Vermouth in Parade- Jenny Arsuaga

4. Alexander Hamilton- Sara Bowman

5. Calico Creek- Dani Youdris

6. Zipped Right Up- Lisa Smalley

 

4. Showmanship

1. Theodore- Jennifer Buxton

2. RockNRamble- Hannah Clark

3. Troubadour-Sara Bowman

4. Ruggedly Handsome- Sara Bowman

5. Peanut Gallery- Jennifer Buxton

6. Harley Quinn- Kimberly Bleeker

 

5. Saddleseat

1. Theodore- Jennifer Buxton

2. NLF Kylian- Lawrence T. Nichols

3. Vainglory- Joan Cook

4. NLF Girasole- Lawrence T. Nichols

5. Champagne On Ice- Joan Cook

6. NLF Color Me Blue- Lawrence T. Nichols

 

6. Other Performance

1. Gifford- Hannah Clark

2. Theodore- Jennifer Buxton

3. Mirror Sight- Dani Youdris

4. Vermeer- Steph Blaylock

5. Troubadour- Sara Bowman

6. Luca N Sharp- Jenny Arsuaga

 

Champion- Theodore- Jennifer Buxton

Reserve Champion- NLF Girasole- Lawrence T. Nichols

 

Western- OF 

 

7. Stock work 

   1. Touch of Red - Jennifer Buxton 

   2. Cinch’Um Up - Charlotte Martin 

   3. Island Ferryman - Hannah Clark 

   4. Theodore - Jennifer Buxton 

   5. Dancin’ on the Ceiling - Charlotte Martin 

   6. Jesse- Corina Roberts 

 

8. Patterned Western (reining, Western Dressage, etc.) 

   1. Happy As A Lark - Danielle Feldman 

   2. Dancin’ On the Ceiling - Charlotte Martin 

   3. Honey Bea - Lisa Smalley 

   4. Valient - Corina Roberts 

   5. Island Ferryman - Hannah Clark 

   6. Calico Creek - Dani Youdris

 

9. Western Trail 

   1. Touch of Red - Jennifer Buxton 

   2. Happy As A Lark - Danielle Feldman 

   3. Hal Have Another - Jenny Arsuaga

   4. Catch My Drift - Susan Hargrove 

   5. Cinch’Um Up - Charlotte Martin 

   6. Dancin’ On The Ceiling - Charlotte Martin 

 

10. Western Games 

    1. Island Ferryman - Hannah Clark

    2. Touch of Red - Jennifer Buxton 

   3. Calico Creek - Dani Youdris

   4. Cinch’Um Up - Charlotte Martin 

   5. Dancin’ On the Ceiling - Charlotte Martin 

   6. Harley Quinn - Kimberley Bleeker 

 

11. Other Western 

            1. Catch Phrase - Mary Ann Snyder 

            2.  Peanut Butter - Evie Burnett 

     3. Theodore - Jennifer Buxton 

    4. Happy As a Lark - Danielle Feldman 

    5. Dancin’ On the Ceiling - Charlotte Martin 

6. Windy Boy - Corina Roberts 

 

12. Western Pleasure 

    1. Honey Bea - Lisa Smalley 

    2. Happy As A Lark - Danielle Feldman 

    3. Theodore - Jennifer Buxton 

    4. Dancin’ On the Ceiling - Charlotte Martin 

    5. Zipped Right Up - Lisa Smalley 

    6. TS Rippin Tides - Mary Anne Snyder 

 

Champion - Dancin’ On The Ceiling - Charlotte Martin 

Reserve champion - Touch of Red - Jennifer Buxton

 

English- OF

 

13. over fences

1. Rings A Bell – Joan Cook

2. Give Her A Ring – Joan Cook

3. Riverside Gold – Jackie Stover

4. NLF Raphael – Larry Nichols

5. TS Allannah – Mary Ann Snyder

6. Benedek -  Hannah Clark

 

14. Dressage

1. TS Allannah – Mary Ann Snyder

2. Benedek – Hannah Clark

3. Harley Quinn – Kimberly Bleecker

4. Honey Bea – Lisa Smalley

5. Theodore – Jennifer Buxton

6. Rialto – Sara Bowman

 

15. English Games

1. Troubadour – Sara Bowman

2. Harley Quinn- Kimberly Bleecker

3. Therblig – Danielle Feldman

4. TS Allannah – Mary Ann Snyder

5. Calico Creek – Dani Youdris

6. Cinch’um Up – Charlotte Martin

 

16. English Trail

1. Harley Quinn- Kimberly Bleecker

2. NLF Girasole – Larry Nichols

3. Benedek – Hannah Clark

4. Theodore – Jennifer Buxton

5. NLF Kylian – Larry Nichols

6. Cinch’um Up – Charlotte Martin

 

17. Other English

1. Vainglory – Joan Cook

2. Theodore – Jennifer Buxton

3. Jokul – Elaine Lindelef

4. Calico Creek – Dani Youdris

5. Therblig – Danielle Feldman

6. Glad Rags – Joan Cook

 

18. Hunt seat pleasure

1. Honey Bea – Lisa Smalley

2. All That Jazz – Jeannette Pook

3. Harley Quinn – Kimberly Bleecker

4. TS Allannah – Mary Ann Snyder

5. Theodore – Jennifer Buxton

6. Benedek – Hannah Clark

 

Champion - Harley Quinn – Kimberly Bleecker

Reserve Champion - TS Allannah – Mary Ann Snyder

 

 

Other Performance- AR/CM

1. Harness 

1. Hollywood Bling- Danielle Feldman

2. JTIA Unforgettable- Joan Yount

3. Sheza Prize- Kimberly Bleecker

4. Hollywood Bar Bee- Jeannette Pook

5. JTIA Rusty Bar Code- Joan Yount

6. Moon Dancer- Jeannette Pook

 

2. Regalia

1. Hollywood Bling- Danielle Feldman

2. Sabra- Steph Blaylock

3. Khemonohar Ali- Jennifer Buxton

4. Broken Harts N Smordern Lace- Charlotte Martin

5. Zips freckled Chips- Jenny Arsuaga

6. Snickers- Jennifer Buxton

 

3. Parade

1. Hot Summer Knight- Jennifer Buxton

2. Broken Harts N Smoldern lace- Charlotte Martin

3. Moon Dancer- Jeannette Pook

4. Arts Aero- Sara Bowman

5. JTIA Rusty Bar Code- Joan Yount

6. Sheza Prize- Kimberly Bleecker

 

4. Showmanship

1. JTIA Unforgettable- Joan Yount

2. Hollywood Bling- Danielle Feldman

3. Frederick- Lisa Smalley

4.  Tigrese Dash- Kimberly Bleecker

5. JTIA Ragdoll- Joan Yount

6. JTIA Hammer Down- Joan Yount

 

5. Saddleseat

1. JTIA Drafenor- Joan Yount

2. Black Adder- Kimberly Bleecker

3. JTIA Southern Comfort- Joan Yount

4. Lady Liberty- Jennifer Buxton

5. U-Turn- Jennifer Buxton

6. Mountain Music- Joan Cook

 

6. Other Performance

1. Zoey Zoomies- Sara Bowman

2. Xadow- Jenny Arsuaga

3. Clementine- Hannah Clark

4. Radiant Disciple- Dani Youdris

5. Expecto Patronum- Sara Bowman

6. Enamorado- Joan Cook

 

Champion- Hollywood Bling- Danielle Feldman

Reserve Champion- JTIA Unforgettable- Joan Yount

 

Western- AR/CM 

 

7. Stock work 

   1. LBR Darcy Farrow - Juliane Garstka 

   2. Bit of Gold - Kimberly Bleeker 

   3. Emelio DeRedondeles - Beth Rappleyea

   4. Dun Up Purdy - Jennifer Buxton 

   5. Mabel - Danielle Feldman 

   6. Broken Hearts N Smoldern Lace - Charlotte Martin 

 

8. Patterned Western (reining, Western Dressage, etc.) 

   1. JTIA Cattitude - Joan Yount

   2. PT Cruiser - Susan Hargrove 

   3. Hollywood Bling - Danielle Feldman 

   4. LBR Darcy Farrow - Juliane Garstka

   5. Denver - Susan Hargrove 

   6. Sheza Chexy Lady - Lisa Smalley 

 

9. Western Trail 

   1. JTIA Cattitude - Joan Yount

   2. Chipster - Susan Hargrove 

   3. Hollywood Bling - Danielle Feldman 

   4. Denver - Susan Hargrove 

   5. Mabel - Danielle Feldman 

   6. Flirtin Cuz Its Workin - Jenny Arsuaga

 

10. Western Games 

   1. JTIA Secrets Kachina - Joan Yount

   2. Hurry Scurry - Charlotte Martin 

   3. Legally Blonde - Susan Hargrove 

   4. Smart Looking Spots - Carlotte Martin 

   5. LBR StormDancer - Juliane Garstka 

   6. Hollywood Bling - Danielle Feldman 

 

11. Other Western 

   1.LBR Jacqui San Okie - Juliane Garstka 

   2. LBR Dusty - Juliane Garstka 

   3. JTIA Cattitude - Joan Yount

   4. Hollywood Bling - Danielle Feldman 

   5. Hidalgo - Dani Youdris

   6. Mabel - Danielle Feldman 

 

12. Western Pleasure 

   1. JTIA Cattitude - Joan Yount

   2. Hollywood Bling - Danielle Feldman 

   3. On A Whim - Susan Hargrove 

   4.JTIA Ragdoll - Joan Yount

   5. Schutzengel - Jennifer Buxton 

   6. Whisper - Dani Youdris

 

English- AR/CM

 

13. over fences

1. Quantum Leap – Kimberly Bleecker

2. Astra Shenanigans – Elaine Lindelef

3. Black Adder – Kimberly Bleecker

4. Perfect Nightmare – Jenny Arsuaga

5. Xecutive Decision – Kimberly Bleecker

6. Hollywood Bling – Danielle Feldman

 

14. Dressage

1. Xecutive Decision – Kimberly Bleecker

2. Hollywood Bling – Danielle Feldman

3. Rorschach – Hannah Clark

4. Captivate – Beth Rappleyea

5. Frederick – Lisa Smalley

6. Stillwater Symphony – Lisa Smalley

 

15. English Games

1. Clementine – Hannah Clark

2. Arts Aero – Sara Bowman

3. Xecutive Decision – Kimberly Bleecker

4. Pembleton – Danielle Feldman

5. Hollywood Bling – Danielle Feldman

6. Perfect Mirth – Kimberly Bleecker

 

16. English Trail

1. Lady Liberty – Jennifer Buxton

2. Clementine – Hannah Clark

3. Pembleton – Danielle Feldman

4. Astra Shenanigans – Elaine Lindelef

5. Zips Freckled Chips – Jenny Arsuaga

6. Perfect Mirth – Kimberly Bleecker

 

17. Other English

1. Emilio DeRedondeles – Beth Rappleyea

2. Xecutive Decision – Kimberly Bleecker

3. Jtia Drafenor – Joan Yount

4. Khompounded Interest – Jennifer Buxton

5. Perfect Mirth – Kimberly Bleecker

6. Snickers – Jennifer Buxton

 

18. Hunt seat pleasure

1. Khompounded Interest – Jennifer Buxton

2. Schutzgenel – Jennifer Buxton

3. Hollywood Bling – Danielle Feldman

4. Jtia Covergirl – Joan Yount

5. Black Adder – Kimberly Bleecker

6. Perfect Mirth – Kimberly Bleecker

 

Champion - Xecutive Decision – Kimberly Bleecker

Reserve Champion - Hollywood Bling – Danielle Feldman

 

 

 

Specialty/Scene – judge by Anne Field

 

19. Dolls

1. Someday…- Corina Roberts

2. Dirk- Juliane Garstka

3. Hollywood Bling- Danielle Feldman

4. Calico Creek- Dani Youdris

5. Indy- Bobbie Allen

6. Jump Crew- Jill Webb

 

20. Food

1. Queen of Thorns-Dani Youdris

2. LBR Shawnie- Juliane Garstka

3. Indy- Bobbie Allen

4. Unsupervised ponies and foals-Daphne Headley

5. Show-worthy snacks- Jackie Stover

6. Sierra- Glenn Rowling

 

21. Miniatures

1. Model horse therapy- Jennifer Buxton

2. NaMoPaiMo- Evie Burnett

3. LBR Heavy Sun- Juliane Garstka

4. Holiday Stable-Steph Blaylock

5. Hollywood Bling- Danielle Feldman

6. Krakus- Jaime Rowling

 

22. Projects

1. JAR Joanne- Sara Bowman

2. Daughtry- Dani Youdris

3. Hollywood Bling- Danielle Feldman

4. Fifty Cents-Jeannette Pook

5. Yolgenbernt- Evie Bernett

6. Shannon- Hannah Clark

 

23. Funny

1. Ashgrove- Jennifer Buxton

2. Hoarders: Buried Alive- Jennifer Buxton

3. Nonameyet- Anya Williams

4. ST3 Misty Morn- Amanda Bowe

5. Bucky- Bobbie Allen

6. Bobby Blue Shoes- Anne Van der Weel

 

24. Other

1. Morning at the Lake- Juliane Garstka

2. Something Stirs on the Ridgeline- Corina Roberts

3. Let’s Go Swimming- Lynn Isenbarger

4. Justified- Sara Bowman

5. Love N Stuff- Jennifer Buxton

6. Short Cuts- Susan B Young

 

Specialty/Scene- judge by Liesl Dalpe

 

19. Dolls 

   1. Nejmet es Subh- Jennifer Buxton 

   2. Clementine - Hannah Clark 

   3. Ramon - Juliane Garstka 

   4. Daniel Lanois - Juliane Garstka 

   5. Hilariosity - Danielle Feldman 

   6. Hollywood Bling - Danielle Feldman 

 

20. Food 

   1. LBR Shawnie - Juliane Garstka 

   2. Validator - Jennifer Buxton 

   3. Snickers - Jennifer Buxton 

   4. Agatha - Jennifer Buxton 

   5. Apple a Day - Juliane Garstka 

   6. Watermelon - Juliane Garstka 

 

21. Miniatures 

   1. LBR Heavy Sun - Juliane Garstka 

   2. The Garden - Juliane Garstka 

   3.Autumn at Garden House- Juliane Garstka 

   4. Daughtry - Dani Youdris

   5. Goosebumps - Steph Blaylock 

   6. Dirk - Juliane Garstka 

 

22. Projects 

   1. DIY Horse - Evie Burnett 

   2. Joe - Jennifer Buxton 

   3. Copperfox - Amanda Bowe 

   4. Daughtry - Dani Youdris

   5. Maeve - Jennifer Buxton 

   6. Legs - Jennifer Buxton 

 

23. Funny 

    1. 420 - Jennifer Buxton 

   2. Nonamayet - Anya Williams 

   3. Tonopah - Elaine Lindelef

   4. Duckville - Juliane Garstka 

   5. Bus - Juliane Garstka 

   6. Radiant Disciple - Dani Youdris

 

24. Other 

   1. LBR Wild Canyon - Juliane Garstka 

   2. LBR Lika Pokey - Juliane Garstka 

   3. Hidalgo - Dani Youdris

   4. LBR Rain Serenade - Juliane Garstka 

   5. Bonnaroo - Steph Blaylock 

   6. LBR Sky Blue Sky - Juliane Garstka

 

Specialty/Scene – judged by Marisa Spence

 

19. Dolls

1. Someday… Corina Roberts

2. Happy Little Dapples – Jennifer Buxton

3. A Family Affair – Mary Ann Snyder

4. End of Horse Camp Group Photo – Sara Bowman

5. Doll Mishaps – Hannah Clark

6. George Morris #1 – Joan Cook

 

20. Food

1. Hollywood Bling – Danielle Feldman

2. Agatha – Jennifer Buxton

3. LBR Seminole Wind – Juliane Garstka

4. LBR Shawnie – Juliane Garstka

5. LBR Under a Stormy Sky – Juliane Garstka

6. Barn Party Gone Wrong – Dani Youdris

 

21. Miniatures

1. LBR Heavy Sun – Juliane Garstka

2. Ranch House Kitchen – Juliane Garstka

3. Model Horse Therapy – Jennifer Buxton

4. Mystery Mini-Me’s – Hannah Clark

5. Pembleton – Best Birthday EVER! – Danielle Feldman

6. The Farmer’s Market – Mary Ann Snyder

 

22. Projects

1. DIY Horse – Evie Burnett

2. Pembleton – Park Project in Progress – Danielle Feldman

3. Ima Spotless Pinto – Anne Veeneman

4. Jose & the Unpainted Resin Herd – Jennifer Buxton

5. Gruff – Katy Niles

6. Towering Possibilities – Amanda Bowe

 

23. Funny

1. Horse Styles of the 50s – Hannah Clark (Judge’s Note: I’m a HUGE Far Side fan!)

2. ST3 Raishan – Amanda Bowe

3. Everyday is 420 Day in Colorado – Jennifer Buxton

4. Nothin’ Butt Spots – Karen Mallory Bushner

5. Hawkward – Jennifer Buxton

6. Pig in a Tutu – Larry Nichols

 

24. Other

1. LBR Rain Serenade – Juliane Garstka

2. Spotted Love – Susan Natschke

3. LBR Maybelline, LBR Lonesome Pine & LBR Amber Sequoia – Juliane Garstka

4. Morning at the Lake – Juliane Garstka

5. Quarantine Blues – Jennifer Buxton

6. Sunset Spin – Daphne Headley

 

Specialty/scene champions – for these champs were done by shower and points. 

Specialty/scene reserve champion: Jennifer Buxton         

Specialty/scene champion: Juliane Garstka          

 

 

Overall Champion shower. The shower that had the most first places through the entire show. 

Overall reserve champion shower: Juliane Garstka 

Overall champion shower: Jennifer Buxton 

 

 

Judge’s choice- Anne Field: Hollywood Bling- Getting ready for the Field of Dolls Black Friday Sale!

I love this entry. Not only is it a nod to my Studio, and another studio event, but it has so many miniatures and it well put together. The horse looks just as interested in what is going on online as the doll. I do have questions about the need for the handcuffs and rubber chicken…

 

Judge’s choice-Liesl Dalpe: Touch of Red owned by Jennifer Buxton due to extreme creativity in use of an OF model. 

 

Judge’s Choices- Marisa Spence:

 

1. The serious one – my very favorite entry: LBR Rain Serenade owned by Juliane Garstka. This entry from the Other class is simply beautiful. I’d actually print this to hang on the wall! 

2. The fun one – this made me crack up: Chocolate Never Lies owned by Anne Veeneman. I LOVED this unconventional jump!! If it had been labelled as a jumper entry instead of a cross country entry, it might have been in the ribbons! Very creative use of household objects. Of course, it may not be “safe,” but I loved it anyway!

Letters Home- Colorado Fun

      Continuing the story of my doll, Little Elecktra, and her travels. She is currently in Colorado with Jennifer Buxton. All photos in this post are by Jennifer and used with permission. 

     Hi Mom!

         Sorry it has been a while since I have written. I have had so much to do here! Jennifer said she needed a lot of help getting ready for your show and she put me to work. It did not always go super well though. I know showmanship is one of your favorite classes so I was super ashamed when the horse rolled during the judge's inspection! That is so embarrassing!

        Not everything has been work though. Ruby and I had an incredible time playing musical chairs. It is so much harder with horses! This is definitely a good time though. I think it should be in a games class at a show some day. 

      We also did some yoga with the horses. It was really nice. 

      So remember how you said you rode an elephant once when you were a kid? Well, I rode a camel! How cool is that? It's a little scary to ride a camel without a saddle, but I managed it. It was fun, but I think I prefer to ride horses. 

        There was also an adorable orphaned foal that needed some love. Poor baby was sad and scared so I snuggled up with him in his stall. He finally went to sleep so I just stayed with him. I hope his bear will help him feel secure when I am gone. 

      I have so much more to tell you but I will leave it here for now. I am having so much fun but soon I will need to head out to visit someone new. I know there are so many more adventures out there!  

     Love, 

        Elecktra

Field of Dolls Online Judge's Choice

     The Field of Dolls Online Show (2020) wrapped up yesterday. So now I get to start blogging about the show. Perfect timing too, since I am a bit tired after working so much for so long, and this will allow me to have a bit of a break from thinking too deeply on what to write or feeling bad I have not gotten much work done so don't have a lot to say. To start things off I am going to talk about the judge's choice entries. 

 

      This first one was my choice. I loved so many photos in the show but I got a big kick out of this one, Hollywood Bling owned by Danielle Feldman. Her caption was: Getting ready for the Field of Dolls Black Friday Sale! Snacks, drinks and all devices at the ready! (Gotta see which device streams the fastest). I saw this entry for the first time just before my sale. And it made me laugh a lot. Not only is it a nod to my studio, and another studio event, but it has so many miniatures and it was well put together. The horse looks just as interested in what is going on online as the doll. I do have questions about the need for the handcuffs and rubber chicken...

     This next choice was from Liesl Dalpe. And it was not just one entry but the horse. Liesl chose Touch of Red owned by Jennifer Buxton due to extreme creativity in use of an OF model. I have to agree, these photos are incredibly creative!

     Marisa Spence asked me if she really could only choose just one. I said we could swing two of them. Her serious choice, which is her favorite entry, was LBR Rain Serenade owned by Juliane Garstka. She said it is beautiful and she would actually print this one to hang on her wall. Again, I have to agree. This photo is amazing and amazingly realistic. Juliane should consider doing a calendar with some of her lovely photos!

     Marisa's other choice was this one, Chocolate Never Lies owned by Anne Van der Meer. She commented that if it had been marked as a jumper entry instead of a cross country entry it might have been in the ribbons. This is definitely an unusual jump! It really is amazing!

     Thank you to everyone that entered the first Field of Dolls Online show. Yes, I said first. I am already planning another for the Spring and I have settled on April, but not a day just yet. I have a new class list just about ready, which I will post on the Field of Dolls Online page on Facebook, and perhaps here, as soon as I am sure I like it. I have already tweaked it several times so who knows how many more times I will change things. If at all. 

Hoodies

     I made 4 hoodie dolls for my Black Friday sale. It was not enough. They were incredibly popular and were snapped up immediately. When the sale was over I got orders for 6 more of them. I definitely think they are fun. I worked on hairing the heads before school, took a half day on Wednesday and got a HUGE amount of work done, and I managed to finish up 3 of the dolls I was working on.

      I was getting really frustrated with the hoodies for a bit because the sewing is challenging, to say the least. Sewing a curved narrow stitch, into a stretch fabric is very challenging. The machine(s) kept eating the fabric and I was getting super annoyed. So I finally decided it was not worth the stress and I used fabric glue to put them together. I know there are people who feel that glue is a dirty word when it comes to doll making, but I am a firm believer in using the best tool for the job. The hoods that are put together with glue are SO nice! The don't have a weird puckered stitch and they are incredibly strong. I also started gluing the hoods onto the shirts instead of hand stitching. It actually comes out neater than the hand stitching. 

        Something occurred to me while I was working on the batch of hoodie dolls. I will skip details if they are never going to show on a doll. I know that a lot of people love to know the little details are there, even if they don't show, and I agree, those little realistic details are super cool. But all the extra details also take extra time and materials. People don't want to pay more for their dolls and I don't want to have to charge more for details that are not seen. All the hoodie dolls lack belts. Or even belt loops. Skipping that detail also makes things sit nicer on the doll. I think it is worth skipping some things that don't show to keep costs down. 

      School has been challenging this week. One of the students was killed in a car accident. We don't have our usual way of dealing with the loss as a community. We have lost students before and usually the students will gather, sometimes many times, which is of course quite healthy to grieve together. But we can't do that now. We can't see a student struggling and take them for a walk to talk or just let them have a break. It's another new, weird, vaguely awful situation. Some of the teachers have mentioned the tragedy, reminded the kids that we have councilors ready to talk if they need it, and would post resources. Yesterday we spent all 90 minutes of one of our classes talking about grief, the stages of grief, more resources. That class really needed it. One of my co-teachers put together a really nice presentation. And then I told them some stories about me. I told them that I do understand some of what they might be feeling. I had a classmate when I was 16 who was killed in a drive-by shooting. I didn't know him well, but it was weird. I lost 3 friends my age when I was between 17 and 18. I explained that there really is no timeline for grief and you can't just "get past it". You have to go through it and feel all the feelings. And then even over 20 years later you might have a day when you are sad for a bit thinking about the people you lost, even if most of the time they don't even cross your mind anymore. The other teachers told some of their own stories as well. Then one of the students thanked us for sharing our stories and being vulnerable with them. I think it is easy for the kids to forget that we are human too. Even though a lot of the kids have run into me outside of school (I do live in town) I think it is still weird for them to think of us as having the same things happen to us that happens to them. 

     Anyway, like I told the kids, sometimes life is very random and we can't know what to expect. We need to look out for each other and not take our loved ones for granted. Call your family. Maybe send out a text to your people you haven't talked to in a while. 

     Tomorrow is my livestream of the results and door prize drawings for the Field of Dolls Online show. I am hoping it won't be super long, but it turns out I have A LOT of prizes that need awarding!
 

Fun Hair and Tiny Things

        At some point this year, not that I remember exactly when, I noticed that my usual doll hair supplier was now stocking fun colors of viscose. This made me super happy. Anyone who has seen me knows that I do love fun hair colors! My supplier of choice always has the nicest viscose hair. Some places you get sort of frizzy, short hair, that you end up wasting a whole bunch of while rooting the heads. But OOAK Artist Emporium has beautiful hair. But no pink. That is super sad. 

       I have a head I need to work on that needs to have partially pink hair. I figured I would have to paint it or something to get the right color. But then I decided to hunt around and see if I could find other suppliers that have fun colors of viscose. Feltrite on etsy , had exactly what I was looking for. And not just pink, but a nice purple, blue, "mermaid" blue, a sort of lime green color, a nice blond and navy. I have not used it yet but the colors are nice. And the shipping was super fast. I am excited to have new fun hair color options available!

     Since I have been working in batches I got a bunch more heads haired, just in basic brown. I found a way to do a hatless head where the hair still stays in scale, at least most of the time. Viscose is still a very delicate doll hair and will not hold up forever if hats go on and off, but it has a very realistic look for a long time, if taken care of properly.

     I also got my November Micro from Maggie Bennett in the mail the other day. I completely forgot to actually look at the card so I have no idea what this horse's name is. But I like it and I think this one will stay. I am pretty sure the fighting horses, from September and October, are not going to stay. I just have to get around to listing them. I have shipped so much stuff recently, and with the show results coming out tomorrow I will have even more to ship next week, so I am not in a hurry. Though if someone made a good offer on the pair I would pack them up and let them go. 

     Speaking of the Field of Dolls Online show. The live stream for the results and prize drawings will be tomorrow, Saturday December 5th at 3:00 EST on the show page on Facebook. I will announce champs and reserves and draw for several door prizes. Full printed results will be emailed to all entrants sometime after the live. 

 

Heads

     I'm back into doing things in batches. Sometimes it's just an efficient way to work. I have a bunch of new orders from my Black Friday sale, so I am starting to work on the heads. I have this cool teal one done. I also ordered some more fun colors that should be here on Friday I think. 

     I got this redhead done. I also got part of a brunette done. I have a whole bunch to go, but it's a nice start. I think I have several more brunettes and I don't remember what else. 

        I have also been picking away at these heads for a separate project. I don't love nylon hair, or full roots, but these came out pretty well. I am really pleased with their faces at least. 

      The hair is a low heat type nylon so I either run them under hot tap water, or very gently heated in the microwave (the water, not the heads!). These heads have all been treated and now I am hoping to "train" the hair to lay flat. Once they are dry they will be finished and ready to head out. And I am excited, I can get another project knocked off my list. 

     Sometimes working in batches is very boring, but hairing a bunch of heads all in the same day was not too bad. I took breaks when it started to bug me too much and I got a decent amount done. I still have plenty to go, but I don't need to rush it. I think perhaps the next thing I do will be to start on a ton of hoodie dolls. 
 

Gail’s Gift

     I have fairly poor lighting in my house. I am used to it for the most part, but sometimes it can cause issues. Like during my last live sale for one. During the miniatures sale in August my phone battery nearly died (I use the phone for the lives). My extra battery/charger was also dead. So I had to get my plug which was not long enough to reach the outlet from where the camera was. I moved everything and the lighting was so bad I had to turn off the overhead light and work in very dim light (it was daytime anyway). This past Friday's live I think I must have had the camera in a slightly different spot than I usually do, the lighting was atrocious. I have been considering getting a ring light for months. They are supposed to be excellent for videos. I hemmed and hawed for too long and my sale day arrived. I had no ring light and it was bad. So again I considered buying one. 

     And then I didn't have to. 

     Monday I arrived home from school and there was a large Amazon box in the middle of my kitchen. Nothing I recently ordered from Amazon was due to arrive, so I was puzzled, but at that moment (really, it was right then) I got a message from Gail Berg asking if her gift had arrived. Hmm...

     Gail had sent me a ring light! How cool is that? I had to set it up and try it out, but I didn't want to do a live right away. But the lights are supposed to be great for selfies too. OK, that's a way to go. 

        I didn't have time for the experiment until it was already dark out. But it went really well! My selfie was not dim in any way. In fact I was incredibly well lit. Now for a small item experiment...

    Yup, we can see the doll head clearly! This was excellent news! Now people will be able to see what they are thinking about buying. I am very excited for this. The hardest thing about the ring light is having THAT much light in your face is sort of blinding. I can change the light levels, but I don't know that I can turn it down enough to be perfect for my eyes and still make it possible to see the products. But I can definitely experiment and figure it out. I am THRILLED that people will be able to see things now!

      Thank you Gail for such an incredibly generous gift! It was definitely an awesome bright spot in my week! (lol, see what I did there?)