Scratch that. Reverse it. As usual, my blog gets ignored the most in all this. So where to start to catch up….
Well, the first big news is that we finally got Etsy to give us a Dolls and Miniatures Category!! It’s very exciting stuff because people have been on Etsy for over three years asking for one. When I first signed up with Etsy, I was thrilled to find the site but a little disappointed that there was no specific category for my art dolls. After campaigning for several months with a core group of doll artists and miniaturists and a petition of over 700 signatures, we finally got a live category for our art!!
Here’s a link to the category: Dolls and Miniatures on Etsy.
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The Bookbinders of Etsy Street Team is holding a Halloween Challenge. I was planning to enter a book but, as usual, I picked a totally new technique to use (relief work in leather) and couldn’t get it done in time. If I manage to figure it out before the end of the week, I’ll send it in to Rhonda to add to the group. For now, here’s the link to the voting post–GO VOTE!
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Other exciting news for me personally–I finally broke down and bought a graphic tablet. I didn’t go with Wacom (waaaay out of my budget) but got a Genius tablet that had some good reviews. So far I like it a lot but there’s definitely a learning curve that I’m still on the lower end of.
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What more do I have to share? I’ve got more projects started and ideas swirling around my brain than time to get them done. I picked up several copies of dog eared magazine from an estate sale and have had too much inspiration from it. The first time I ever saw it, I hesitated to subscribe because I was interested in basic bookbinding and it’s full of various book arts techniques and discussions from altered books to zines to traditional binding and everything in between. There’s an issue on zines, miniature books, popups and sculptural books. It’s packed full of ideas and with the first issue I was hooked–using rubber bands for binding (which make little books that even I can complete in under an hour), among other simple and unusual binding ideas.
I’ve got a Pumpkin King started that is, alas, going to be finished after Halloween (my usual timing; complete the holiday-themed item following the holiday). Ah well, perhaps some Halloween-all-year-round person will be interested in him. I plan to do a post sharing his progress.
I’ve got two leather relief books I’m working on–a spider on a web and a pumpkin. Again, two items that will problem be completed after the holiday, but I’m learning/teaching myself a new technique so I refuse to be frustrated at my timing.
I’ve got two custom full leather books to make, with two more waiting in the wings. I’ve got four assemblage dolls with books, one of which is pretty far along. I’ve got an Egyptian book that was going to be made out of polymer clay but will now be made from Apoxie Sculpt. I’ve got one Medieval style book in the same boat. Both of those will fall under my Keith Smith Challenge. I’ve got a doll sculpted on a bottle that I’m in the middle of; five pixies that go in a Victorian-style birdcage; and one man standing the rain. I’ve got five stamped and carved full leather books I’m working on; one artist book about Wash’s dinosaurs (from Firefly, the TV series); and one artist book about soap (don’t ask me why–just something that came to me one day that I started on).
Yep, definitely have more ideas and projects started than I have time to work on.