Fairy Tale Dolls

I sold out of most of my
'Fairy Tale Dolls'
at the last show.

I didn't have time to do as
many new dolls as I would have liked...
but
I did get an Alice in Wonderland...
a Snow White...
and
I'm hoping to get a
Rustic Goth "Alice in Wonderland" doll
completed before the week-end.

We'll just have to see
how it goes.

Some much needed R&R

The Fair is now History...
and
as exhausting as it was...
it was truly a great experience.

We had so much 'input' from thousands
of people who came through in the course of eleven days...
and almost all of the 'input' was very positive.

Oh sure...you had a small handful that just
do not understand art...
and said as much...
but...I was very pleased at the reaction of the majority...
and the sales were nice too!

So now...I am taking a couple of days for some
much needed R&R...
at least I'm going to try.

We've got another show
October 10th and 11th...
and our inventory is majorly depleted.

We left the show with 7 or 8 pendants...
I sold almost all of my Fairy Tale Art Dolls...
and we sold a lot of postcards and prints...
as well as a few paintings
and some art boxes.

With the upcoming shows...I will include more of the
Seasonal Art Dolls....
we'll need a lot more of the pendants...
and maybe not as many paintings...
(only because those are hard to transport and our display area is quite limited.)

All in all
we had a very good show...
and still have four more to go!

Art boxes...

When I contacted
the local Craft Show promoter

about signing up for the upcoming fall craft shows...
there was only a few weeks before
State Fair.

Most rationally thinking persons would probably
have 'passed' on such a long show...with less
than a month to prepare for...

but...I haven't been 'rational' in a long time.

So...I had plans to do this and get that done...
long store short...
it didn't happen.

I did get "some" of everything I had planned...
and this art box is a perfect example.

I intended to paint 10 or 12...
I got 2 done.

But...maybe for the next show...hopefully!
(It's only a two day show...and I have more than a month to prepare!)

Craft Shows this Season.

All Spring and Summer
I have 'debated' with myself
whether or not to
'get back "into" crafts'.

I decided 'yes'.

To be honest...
even as busy as I've managed
to keep myself...
I was beginning to get bored.

So....I signed up for 6 art and craft shows
for the Fall Season...
beginning this week-end
with...
the Nebraska State Fair.
11 days...
(I've never done a show that ran that long before...
hopefully I didn't 'bite off more than I can chew'.)

Getting ready for Fall.

I know it is still mid-summer but...
Jaime and I went to Hobby Lobby over the
week-end
and I was reminded of
my 'craft show' days.

There were rows and rows of
Halloween and Fall
decor
and Halloween and Fall craft materials
for the crafters.

A few rows after those
yep...
Christmas!

I will confess that my husband and I just couldn't bring ourselves
to do our Christmas crafts quite this early...
in the twenty years we did craft shows we often
had to put finishing touches on our items
the night before each show.

But...since we are seriously entertaining
the possibility of doing a few
craft shows this year
(it's been five or six years since I last did a show)
we're going to have to start
getting things worked out.
For one thing...we need to get our fees
in now..
or we won't have an option.

So...we'd better get our deciding done pretty quickly!

If we go for it..
I'll be sure to preview some of the items here.

Art Show Cannes

I found this video on
You Tube.
I thought it rather interesting.

Art Supplies

When I first started selling my art on eBay
in 2004,
I purchased all of my supplies
through local outlets.

One of the shops we patronized
was our local Dick Blick Art Supply.
But, it wasn't always possible to
get the canvas sizes we most preferred
and even waiting for shipments
didn't guarantee that we could get what we wanted.

So we decided to see
what was available online.
We discovered Blick Art Materials online.

Wow, the online prices were
way under what we'd been paying...
a 'no-brainer' there...
we began shopping online.

We didn't always spot the sales though...
and we missed out on a lot
of great deals.

I've placed this "Hot Deals" link


on the sidebar of this blog...
just click it and it will take you to the
"Hot Deals of the Week".

This week they are having a
"Huge Clearance Sale"
and you can save up to 85%
on some of their items.

Go ahead and check it out!

Art for Cancer

I know that most everyone who
follows me...both in CMZ art and Rustic Goth...
are familiar with this particular piece.

Well...it's one of the few pieces I have also
listed over in my Imagekind Shop.

Imagekind is much like Art.com.
The artists upload an image that is large enough to
accommodate prints of various sizes and on various mediums...
for instance...
it is possible to get this print on 8 x 10 Fine Art Paper...
get it matted and framed in a 16 x 18.5" frame...
get it on 8x10 canvas...or 8x10 canvas framed...
it's even available as a Greeting Card.

At this point...this is the only print that I have submitted for
Art For Cancer
but...I want to do some totally Brand New
never before seen pieces
exclusive to Imagekind...in the next week or so...

then...I want to include ALL of my prints as part of the
Art for Cancer group
with 50% of all sales going to a couple different
cancer charities.
Right now...my charity is
'Cancer Funds of America'
to help cancer patients purchase necessities not usually
covered by insurance, medicaid and other
charities.

If you are in the 'market for some new art'
I recommend you visit
Imagekind and see all of the wonderful
art pieces available through the
Art for Cancer group!

Make your own papier mache masks.

Image by Pinot & Dita via Flickr

Make your own papier mache masks.

Before you get started, tear up a bunch of brown craft paper into small pieces. Don't cut the paper, just tear it so the edges are ragged and somewhat uneven.
Mix 50% craft glue to 50% water.
Take some basic measurements of your upper face. Measure from temple to temple and from mid forehead to mid cheek. Measure the distance from temple to outer eye and from the inside of one eye, across the nose bridge to the inside of the other eye. Using your measurements, draw your mask onto a piece of sturdy but flexible paper, the brown craft paper will work.
Cut out your design and make sure it 'fits' your face, that your eye holes are accurate, that the mask extends from side to side and top to bottom as you planned. Once your mask template is just right, begin to build up the layers. Dip each piece of torn paper into the glue/ water mixture and cover your template with the pieces, overlap each piece for secure bondage. This is going to take a bit as you will need to build up a number of layers, on both sides of the template. Make sure you are hand forming the mask, unless you don't mind if it lays flat.
Once all of the layers are in place and dried and your mask is shaped as you want it, brush on several layers of art gesso. When the gesso has dried, you can paint your mask, add feathers or whatever.

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• Not all masks are created equal (thegirlwiththebluesteth.blogspot.com)

One Day At A Time

As much as I really love the art
I have listed in my CMZ Art Etsy Shop...
I believe I need to
"really change things up"

so....

I will be leaving the art...in the shop...for another week or so...
then...

I'm going to take it in a whole new direction.

I'll be 'sad' to see the 'old pieces' go...
yes...they'll be removed from
my shop....Forever....and I'll be adding all
Brand New
'nothing like what is currently available'
pieces.

When I have enough of
the 'new art' ready....
I will do an update...

until then...

"one day at a time"