Where am I?

I know it has been a while since I posted on this blog. That's because I haven't been creating. I thought moving my creative space to the garage was such a brilliant idea at the time, but now it's so hot that I can't stand to be out there for long at the time. I was opening the garage door and enjoying a nice breeze for a while, but that came to an abrupt change once the snakes started to show up and it started raining every day. Not just any old rain.....no....not here in Florida! It's the "sideways" rain like on Forrest Gump! (Btw, you have to say "sideways rain" just like Forrest if you're gonna say it) That just makes it more likely for the snakes, spiders, roaches, etc.... to look for shelter under the garage door. So no creative time for me any more. Not until we can figure something else out. I would move into our spare room, but that's the bird room. I'd move to the screen room, but it's friggin' hot and humid out there, too. Not good for my wood projects...or anything else I'd like to keep from getting moldy. Yuck!

I do have my sewing machine inside still, though, so I've been thinking of coming up with my own pattern for the cloth and clay dolls so I can sell those on Etsy. I can make them all day long for myself using Jane DeRosiere's pattern, but when it comes to selling them I really need my own pattern. The thing is, her pattern is so simple and efficient that anything I have thought up so far is too close to hers. It's harder than I thought to come up with something that is different enough to not be copyright. So you may be seeing more C&C Dollies here soon. I have to get something going or I'll just go nuts. Joel has been working way more than usual. Maybe it just seems that way because of the oddball hours. Plus, Kolby is in GA and has been for a while. So I'm all alone with no creating. Seriously......I can't do this much longer! If I do I'll continue to focus on the not-so-great things. (Health stuff....trust me you don't want to hear about it)

Since I don't like to post a blog entry without posting some eye candy to go along with the boring old words, here's something I don't think I've shown on this blog before...

Since that photo she has been sealed and she's ready to be listed on Etsy.

Here's another one I don't recall posting here....

As you can see I made her into a card for Earth Day since she's supposed to be Mother Earth. I was too lazy to watermark her....DON'T steal her! ;-)

Oh, one other thing. I think I'll be revamping my blog pretty soon. I have a lot of links over there to the right. That clutters things up quite a bit. I think I'll create a post with all of my links and have a small link on the side bar that links to that post. I won't be listing blogs that don't have me listed on theirs, though, so if you see your blog disappear that's why. I've noticed a lot of the more successful blogs and Etsy sellers only link by exchange, so that's what I'm doin', too.

I'll be back soon with more images. I have tons of creations or even just drawings that have yet to be featured on the ol' bloggeroony.

XXOO ~Rischa

www.Rischa.Etsy.com

Some of my latest creations

One of my recent paintings that will soon be in my Etsy shop was inspired by Ms. Penny Longbelly. It's called, Polk-A-Doxie. Pink Polk-A-Doxie, to be specific, because I plan to do more in different colors. The colors are a bit off in the photos I'm sure as I'm using my laptop and the monitor needs calibrating severely bad! I can never tell how bad the colors are off till I see the posts on my desktop. I'm too lazy to do the photo editing on there tonight, though. So anyway, here are the photos...

One more:

And here's a photo of a dolly I made. She's in love. See the daisy that her love sent her?

She's a school teacher. Can't you tell by the outfit? Isn't she proper looking?

Mt Dora Art Festival

I had a great time this weekend at the Mt Dora Art Festival. They say the event grows each year with more than 250,000 attendees in recent years. I believe it! It was elbow to elbow downtown! I wouldn't have missed it, though. It was so inspiring! I collected cards from each of my favorites, with the exception of a couple that were out of them. Here they are:

• J2 Gallery
• Victoria Sexton
• Jeffrey Kennedy
• Milenko Katic
• Sandra de Nijs
• The Metal Quilt
• KoKo' Brandao
• Andi Helfant-Frye
• Barbara W. Doncaster
• L. Balombini
• Madison P Latimer
• Robert Griffis Rodenberger

That list isn't even a drop in the bucket of how many talented artists were in attendance. If you can make it to the annual Mt Dora Art Fest, don't miss it! It will be worth a drive. Sorry, I don't have any pictures. I would have taken some, but the place was packed so tight it was hard to even move, for one, and they ask you not to take photos of the work, for another. I didn't want to make any artists nervous. I did take a video with my cell as we were leaving. It's on 12 seconds.com Nothing really interesting, though. Just 12 seconds of us leaving the festival. I'm trying to catch up with Joel in the short clip. Visit my other blog to view it.

I will be posting another painting that I finished soon, and another CC Doll.

Finished Cloth & Clay Doll and My Art Show

I finished Cynthia, the doll I was working on. Here she is:

I roughed her up a little bit so she wouldn't look too perfect. I did that by rubbing an oil pastel on my fingers and smudging it over her skin, hair, and cloths. I'm not as happy as I could be with her skirt. I folded the top over to make it look a little more finished and used spray adhesive to hold it down. I wish I'd have just left it alone. It looked better before. Oh well....ya live, ya learn. I'm doing a weighted, standing doll now. I already had the sand for a different project, so I'll just use that.

If you happened to catch my other blog you know about my new "art show". (lol @ me calling it a show) It's just me sitting in front of my web-cam making art. If you tuned in yesterday and day before you'd have seen me sewing Mrs. DoLolly's skirt and giving her a final varnish. I don't have a set schedule yet. I do plan to come up with one. Maybe something like Lunch to 5:30 Monday-Friday. We'll see. Anyway check it out: Rischa's Art House

I've added a new Links list on the right side for my Cloth & Clay Doll Classmates. Look under "Doll Peeps" and go give them a look. While you're there leave them a comment. Blog folks love getting comments! ;-)

Also, now joining the world of blogs is my Mommy Dearest. Go tell her hello if you have a sec!

Doll WIP

Just an updated photo of my Dolly work in progress. I just have to give her a crackle finish and rough her up a bit. She looks too perfect. She needs a vintage look.

....one more...

She needs more personality. I'm working on it. I'm pretty tired, so this is a short one. See ya!

Meet Cynthia May DoLolly

I haven't given her make-up (paint) yet, but here's Mrs. DoLolly's debut...

I really enjoy playing with this clay. I think I'd like to do it more often. I could maybe even make my own clay bowls and paint them? I don't know, but I do know I enjoy it. How do you like her name? Mrs. DoLolly is the matriarch of the DoLolly family. She will have many sons and daughters. Perhaps that's why she has a double chin? Ha!

Tomorrow she'll get a make-over, complete with arms, legs, and make-up. Then she'll get her Tea-stained skirt. Well, we can't have her running around without a skirt on, can we? She'd get a reputation!! I may have her holding something. A stuffed heart? Clay Bible? Cross? Puppy? I don't know yet. We'll see what she's in the mood for when I'm done.

The Weekend Artist / Artful Spaces

Hello my dear blog readers! I hope your November is off to a fantastic start? If not, may it improve by infinity by the time you finish reading. ;-)

I have a little update for you today. Remember THIS entry I posted where I whined about how bad I wanted to buy The Weekend Artist? Well, a couple of months ago the artist of that book commented underneath that entry. Cool, right? I thought so! If you're too busy or lazy to go check it out, here's what he says, "Hello there! I actually am Gerard Smith, author of the Weekend Artist, and someone told me about your blog at work today. Thank you so much for your interest. I have been told that the book will be published by F+W Media in the USA next April or May, but you can get it on the UK Amazon site. Their site is:www.fwpublications.comThere are also a couple of projects on YouTube that were taken from a pilot I filmed about 3 years ago. Just search under 'Art Shop Guy' on YouTube and they should come up.All the best with your art. I love the dreamy quality of your work and how motivated you are.Reading your comments really has made my day!Gerard Smith"

Soooo....being the YouTube junkie that I am....



Be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom of my blog to turn off the music before watching any videos. I really enjoyed that first episode. I'll watch the rest when I have a chance. I haven't watched my class videos yet for the Cloth & Clay Doll Workshop, so all in due time. ;-) I did go ahead and subscribe since, like I said, I AM a YT Junkie! I should say YT Artist Junkie. I'd love to make my own videos some day, but that's another thing to learn......adding to my numerous list of "To-Do's".

So anyway, today Gerard stopped by the ole blog again with an updated that I'm pretty darn excited about....

"G'day, its Gerard Smith again. Just thought I'd let you know that my book is now listed on US Amazon. For some strange reason the name has changed to Artful Spaces, but as far as I know the content is still the same. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Artful-Spaces-DIY-Wall-Home/dp/1600614590/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225744027&sr=8-1 Hope you and your art are going well!Gerard Smith"

Woohoo! Guess what I'll be purchasing! And did you see that price? $16.49!! Even I can afford that! Yep, yep!

Thanks for stopping by and letting me know, Gerard! I'm honored that the author himself would grace my blog with his presence. ;-) Seems like a cool guy......go buy his book!

I've been quite busy the past few days and have not had a chance to finish my Blue Haired Birdy Girl. The Doll workshop started on the 1st, as well, which puts me.....what.....2 or 3 days behind assuming everyone else started on the 1st. I doubt it, though. I think I could make the doll in a few days and the workshop is up for a month. If I had a day job I wouldn't be that confident.

Skiesart Sharon & Shopping at JoAnn's Fabric

I thought it was about time I featured my close, personal friend, Sharon. You'll be amazed at her beautiful artwork. I certainly was! Check it out: http://www.skiesart.com/. I think my favorite paintings of hers are the last two oil paintings she has listed. She's also decided to take Suzi's Les Petite Dolls class AND the Cloth & Clay Dolls class. It should prove to be even more fun having a friend in the classes with me! :-)



In other art related news, I ventured off to JoAnn's Fabric to get the supplies for the Cloth & Clay Dolls class that starts next week. Big surprise....they didn't have Creative Paperclay or even basic pottery tools. I wish they'd open a Michael's closer than Sanford. So anyway, I have to get those online. The cheapest I've found it is http://www.jerrysartarama.com/, but they sure think a lot of their shipping. They charge regular shipping, which is whatever UPS or USPS charges, plus a $7.95 charge for their part unless you get the most basic shipping, which is still 11:95. I may check out the other places and go into the check-out to see what their S/H charges are before buying. I don't mean to sound cheap, but the supplies list for these classes can sometimes be pretty long. I'm trying to do my due diligence before getting the more expensive items. lol