The Wandering Witch Arrived!

Not long ago while looking for inspiration, I ran across the Eclectic Halloween Artists Group, or Ehag blog and ran across the Ehag Wandering Witch Giveaway. I decided to wander my way through the blogs participating and I ended up finding the Wandering Witch. I visited every blog on the list, and it was well worth the time, each is a very talented artist, and I found inspiration, and new favorites. I was just wanting to see what others did on their blogs, and what wonders they made, and never expected to win.
But I did...

I was chosen to receive Candace Navarrete's (of Howling Mood Designs) Witch Ornament!

Picture taken from Ehag blog Image and Artwork by Candace Navarrete Howling Moon Designs.

And she arrived today! In a box, gently wrapped in black and orange tissue, cushioned in her hideaway awaiting our first hellos!



She's wonderful! I love her toothy grin.


She fits completely in with my collection (small collection) of Halloween fellows and made herself right at home among them. I collect witches as well, and so she won't be seeing the inside of a box again for a long time.



She is the first of the collection of fellows to have come directly from an artist, and not a retail shop, and I love her! I hope to collect more of Candace's works please check out Howling Moon Designs, you won't be disappointed, I know I am not.

Take the time and look at Ehag too- they have a terrific list of member blogs and a lot of fun events online and in the world near you.

Enjoy the Halloween art, by talented artists, and I will go an enjoy my Howling Moon Design Witch Ornament- Thanks Ehag, and thank-you Candace!
*JB*

Lost post- Projects: Small dolls Marie and Dorothy

I just found this incomplete post in my drafts- I polished it up a bit, but thought I would go ahead and share it with you.

One of my good friends and I art "challenge" each other to track the year with a continuing art/craft project. Last year we marked the year with 11" X 14" boards that we paper crafted to express the particular time of the year, this year we are marking the year with art dolls. We have no particular "rules" since we are very relaxed about it, just follow the calendar and for 8 different time points create a doll representing your take on the time point. The doll can be completely hand made from the ground up, or a prefabricated doll can be used by either re-working the doll or by just focusing on the clothing. It looks like both of us are not going the pre-fabricated route, I didn't really think we would, but the option was put out there as an "out" in case either of us got really busy. We are also very flexible about the number of dolls, at the end of the year you are not required to have 8 dolls, and you do not have a deadline that dictates when each one is to be completed. When we started the yearly projects the "rules" sounded like it would be too flexible, and if you are a procrastinator- (like myself) you wouldn't get to the project, but for some reason we've both kept up with the process, and have actually produced multiple items. We each ended last cycle with 8 out of 8 boards, and so far I have 2 of the 4 dolls I was supposed to complete but I do plan on "going back" and creating dolls for the events I've missed.


Here is the information for the two I've completed- you've been introduced already but this gives you some details on their construction.

Marie Antoinette- Beltaine/May Day




Her Poem:
When wee Marie was told, there is no bread.
She responded, you should have cake instead.

You've already seen Marie- but I thought I would go into her with more detail.
With her is her grand cake and she stands in a pose offering you some.
She is made mainly from some form of paper,(paper clay, sheets of paper) with the exception of her wig and accessories.

Her body is sculpted paper clay over Styrofoam and her legs are dowel rods with paper clay feet attached. Her eyes are painted antique pearl beads and her wig (the piece I love the most, and am most proud of) is made of wool roving and was hand needle felted together to form the curls and twists. It is highlighted with; strands of colored roving, iridescent roving and little bows that match her dress. After sculpting and sanding the pieces, I painted them with acryllics and then did a "deathly" palor wash over them. (It gives it a gothy feel IMO).



After putting the body pieces together, I began dressing her. The dress is made with pieces of distressed handmade paper that I hand sewed together. The paper in the dress is actually so soft, it feels like fabric, but still remains strong. She wears an underdress, overdress, and a laced corset all made out of paper. I did add lace to the paper for the underskirt trim and ribbon accents for a little "queen decadance" Her accessories consist of a vintage pearl neck wrap with charm elements, and a tiny pair of pearl earrings.



She carries in her arms a needle felted Napoleon doll, who wears a blue uniform with matching ribbon sash, and has a tiny spit curl under his hat. Here he is in progress, before his uniform-


I appologize for the terrible picture- it was taken with an old cell phone.

Her generous cake is multi-tiered with a Styrofoam and papermache box base that was covered in french paper "frosting" and decorated with other paper and ribbon elements. Including a pink ribbon banner that has her poem hand stamped on it and swirled around the cake.



Marie was the first doll I've made using paper clay and using the techniques I followed. I enjoyed putting her together.

Now for her "sister": Dorothy Gail - Summer Solstice - Incomplete.



Her Poem:
Little Dorothy Gale
Did experience heavy winds and hail
Spinning her on a journey to discover
That when up and over the cloud cover,
Like a unwanted gypsy set to roam,
There's really no place like home.

Dorothy is made in the same manner as Marie, with paper clay over a Styrofoam armature. The differences are that she has a more sculptured face, her hands are wire armatured (Marie's hands do not have an armature) and her legs and feet are paper clay over the dowel rods. As you can see I only have her mostly finished
Her dress is also hand sewn distressed paper, and her wig is wool roving needle felted and braided and sparkle purple strands. She holds a needle felted "Wicked Witch of the West" doll and eventually with her will stand a Tornado just about to take her house.



She's asking me to put her legs on- she's ready to go adventuring-


I plan on giving her some accessories as well like a mail bag satchel for traveling in Oz and some sort of necklace. I love the way she looks up with a yearning and a kind of grin that states she's ready for adventure.

I plan to begin the next doll project very soon- I may switch gears a little bit away from "historical storybook", but I've enjoyed the storybook dolls and think I will be doing more (I have a list of possibilities that are too good to pass up- including of course- Alice), but I'm inspired by skeins of overdyed sari silk strips I have that would make a wonderful woven/crocheted cloak/coat for a witch...


Enjoy your creative way-
*JB*

Autocross or Solo racing introductions

Autocross with the Kansas City Region Sports Car Club of America (or KCRSCCA)....

OR how I spent my summer. But I thought I'd like to start with introductions before I really blog about it too much.

First- Nina, My husbands Car.
My husband purchased a car from our brother-in-law in July of 2008 and it basically provided him the ability to live out a dream. It wasn't a big dream, the kind you rarely get to realize, but one that nagged at him since he was old enough to say the word "car". (I actually think my husband could say "fastcar" before he could say just "car", but that's a different story) One dream obtained, the dream of the car itself, and one dream re-ignited, the dream of being able to drive autocross were handed to him when he pulled the 1987 Porsche 944 into his workshop that July.



She's a looker isn't she- not bad for a 22 year old car. Now the dream of having the car was achieved, but it could not be autocrossed, it needed some care and maintenance. So he spent that winter working on replacing and upgrading what he felt was needed. When spring arrived however it was on, and so began our autocrossing experience. I remember our first event the "Test and Tune", he was extremely excited and nervous (as I would find out is an interesting feeling) but his smile and boyish excitement was intoxicating, and we both had a great time. I've not seen him happier, or more in his element. I was hooked on photographing the events, and he was hooked period.




Introducing- Autocross or Solo Racing
OK but what is this "autocross" you may ask. Autocross- or Solo racing is a type of motorsport where the competition is made up of a single car/driver navigating a temporary course that is marked with orange traffic cones and the "run" is timed. The courses usually have an average time of 40 to 70 seconds (meaning the course is set up so the average time it would take for a driver to complete the course would take the 40 to 70 seconds- it varies based on layout, and drivers skills). The course is not an oval or straight line, but a collection of turns; some sharp fast turns, and some large sweeping turns, slaloms (zig zaging between cones) and other "obstacles". In our club the courses seem to be (at least this year) about 60 seconds average time and each driver gets 4 "runs" and then the best time out of the for is kept for ranking. Various kinds of cars can autocross and are separated into classes, so that you aren't competing with say a Volkswagen Golf TDI(my daily driver) against a Mitsubishi Evo X (trust me, the Golf is beat before it got to the event.) You can bring out a daily driver to participate or a car that is set up only for autocrossing and isn't even street legal. The variety is amazing, and I think I love seeing all the cars as much as I love driving. The whole event takes place on a Sunday and will go from 8 am to 3 pm.



Oh wait did I just mention I drove? I get ahead of myself. If you want to learn more about what Autocross or Solo Racing is check out these links:
Autocross definition
KCRSCCA

OK so on with my introductions- Me, the driver:
KCRSCCA runs a schedule from April until late October and after the first event we were both hooked. I photographed the events and he drove. By the third event my husband asked me if I wanted to ride with him to see what it was like- I was nervous and excited and I enjoyed all 58 seconds of it, and then I wanted to "try" it. My Mr. had been hinting that he thought I would like it, and that I should, so after I laughed my way through the ride alongs I wanted to drive.
So I was up to drive in the next event and I spent the next month thinking "What have you done." I've never had a worse feeling of excitement and well- terror. I'm relatively new to driving, seeing how I got my licence when I was 23 and I'm a few years shy of 40 and only recently started driving on a daily basis, I thought it was crazy to hand me the keys to the Porsche and let me go as fast as I could on an obstacle course. I just knew I'd break something and keep him from his runs. Only a year ago I ran the daily driver through a fence (foggy, dark September morning, gravel roads, missed turns= hello barbed wire fence and field. Good thing the cows were in another pasture) It was arranged that he had to do his runs first so that he'd have a month to put the car back together after I was done. Confidence abounds with me (sarcasm).
Well to shorten what I could make a long story- After I spent the day totally sick to my stomach and shaking in terror (the interesting feeling- kind of like excitement about going on vacation to a far away place combined with a mild case of stomach flu, or being punched in the stomach- I was a basket case and my in-laws and some siblings came out to watch!)I did my 4 runs and I didn't break the car, myself or my husband.




Or any records. I wasn't completely last, but I was pretty close, but I beat myself and actually did it, so I don't feel last. For me, it's about competing against myself and beating the lack of confidence I have, and developing new skills that will ultimately make me a better driver. (sounds all after school special, but it's really how I am approaching it)
I had fun, it took some time to realize it, but enough fun to keep trying. I've driven again 4 more times; one was very bad, I got too nervous and overheated (it was in August and it was 101 degrees outside, and 120 degrees on the track, and I totally quit (yep I'm a quitter) but I've since got back behind the wheel and ran two more events, the last event I had the most fun I've ever had, and can officially say I'm hooked. The nervousness remains, but at a whisper rather than a roar, no two courses are a like, and I actually worry about getting "lost" on the course. Now when I shake it's from the adrenaline. BUT I still am not breaking records, and I am last out of 100 cars each event- but I still beat myself, so I feel great. I am learning how to "read the cones" and I think I will be increasing my speed the next time, but all too soon the season will end and My Mr. and I will have to spend the winter talking about it, and dreaming of spring, beautiful cars, and cones.




If you love beautiful cars, fast, competitive, skill based driving, and a group of really supportive and fun people- it's really something to look into- and go drive! You really are only racing against yourself at first and it's a great learning experience. Here is a link to my Flikr site for the KCRSCCA group for the season of autocross/solo:

My Flikr

I will leave you with this introduction, but I have two more events, and with intros out of the way, then I can talk about what happens at them- I don't drive in the next event, but I will be for the Halloween charity event- and the Golf (Glubug) will get her day in the "spotlight". - Oh wait, you are probably wondering why not the Porsche- well that's because My Mr. is going to spend another winter in the garage with Nina swapping her engine out- He wants more out of the car then what came in the 80's. If you are interested (shameless plug coming) his blog is here: Nina's 20vt swap
It's also always on my sidebar. So for the Halloweenie event, we are going to have some humorous costuming and set up surrounding the project, and using our VW. I will post about it- it should be fun.

For now, thanks for reading- and happy early October- I'll be back soon with more-
*JB*

October Begins...

I love October. It is my very favorite month of the whole year and it seems to go by too quickly.
I love October for various reasons: That it is officially fall, temperatures cool and yet the frogs still sing (at least at the beginning). The light has changed and everything is painted with a gold shimmer. The air smells different, like mowed hay wet leaves, and frost, even snow if it's one of those years (I love the smell of snow). Harvests begin and end in a short time, and you can see things change from bright greens and blues, to deep reds and golden orange, and how brief this is before the grey of the Midwest winter removes all color is a crime. It seems like here in the Midwest fall is October- from beginning to end of leaves turning and falling, and the other various changes, and when November arrives, it's finished. 31 short days of amazing transformation and color before everything goes to bed to start anew. It's magic.

And that magic seems to come in the air, it's the end and the beginning of things. I choose to mark my years in October- the 31st being the last of the old, and November 1st the beginning. So it all ends with Halloween, my favorite of favorite holidays.

Halloween has always been special for me, I loved it as a child; to dress up as someone else, and to be out in the night with all the ghosties and ghoulies and other unseen. Watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" and eating popcorn before going out in the neighborhood with my sister and one of my parents (or during special years my grandparents). I just loved the excitement of it. I never out grew the excitement either. I still like to dress up- and I still have to watch Charlie Brown.

But also, now as an adult Halloween is MORE special because it's my wedding anniversary. - And I will talk more about the why's and what-fors on that topic in other posts. But I just love to make decorations, set out my LeMax Spooky Town collection, once in a while throw a big party complete with a haunted fun run through our fields, and just make it one wonderful end of my year.

So to make the short story long- I like October, and I've decided that since I've been a terrible blogger I am going to do more in October. I can't promise an everyday entry, but I will do a lot better than what I have been. I have a lot to share and talk about on lots of different topics- I just have put too much pressure on myself to the "right" kind of entry- and not the "I want to blog about THIS today" entry. It's time to be myself (which is what I have really been doing every October when I dress up) and post about ME- not what I think you want me to provide, just me and what I'm in the middle of. Which as usual, is a lot! (Autocross season coming to a close, a new car in my future, I finished a doll, I plan to begin a weaving, and socks for my sisters!)

So here's to October! 31 days of ending the year by celebrating the potential of new beginnings. I feel change coming in the autumn air, floating like a red oak leaf in a soft wind. Hopefully I can catch that leaf and become confident in blogging and continue to create the perfect me everyday!