What to make, what to make...that is always the question before company deadlines!! And that was no exception this time around for the Easter/St.Patricks Day 2013 deadline. I had it all figured out: Spring dolls!...girls holding kites, birds, balloons and flowers! When I shared my thoughts, I was told "great...now make them have detachable parts that are easy for packaging and for the customer to assemble when purchased-okay...that began the tailspin into creative brain block!!  Ugh!!  For weeks I couldn't come up with any good solution to make that happen...so it looks like I'll be making those dolls for Etsy!  yes I want to finally jump on board at Etsy and make dolls that I don't have mass production restrictions on!  Here's the first of many!!

I know, the traditional story  has the wolf trying to eat Red Riding Hood but in my depiction, Little Red is simply a girl who likes picnics and wolf dolls!  Especially wolves who wear Argyle named Lester!

I love clay.  I love how it feels.  I love the process of taking this soft lump and turning it into whatever I decide it should be.  I spent many years making dolls from fabric and thought that was the best until l I discovered paperclay.   Ok with that said, I admit, I don’t always love what I have to create.  That fitted perfectly with my wedding couple. 

One thing nice about working for a company is that it has categories for me to create for.  That helps…you want a Halloween witch?  Great I can do that.  You want something 4^th of July related?-no problem!  The downside is, when you have to design something not on your creative radar, hence my wedding couple!  This week was definitely a tough one for me in creating this couple-I just couldn’t see the outcome (something I need if I’m going to finish a project) and I really didn’t want to do it.  I kept putting it off hoping I wouldn’t have to make it but knew I already committed myself so I finally had to just go for it.  Happily I can say after nights of complaining to my husband about trashing it (which he kindly just listened to), I kept plugging away and wa la!- A Happy couple is born!  I really, really like what turned out and can now say I’m happy I was given that challenge (at this my husband just gives me that knowing smile that says yes…until the next complaint session about trashing a doll you’re frustrated with-he’s right! Some things just don’t change!).

I'm so excited-my PRIMS magazine came on Saturday and my dolls are in this month's issue-here's the first page.  I'm feeling like a very happy camper right now! 

   

I'm not all that great with technology.  I'd rather do what I do best, make dolls, make good food, homeschool my boys, compose music, play skip-bo, watch Chopped, read a book, go for bike rides, go thrifting etc.  Ok, you get the idea-I'd basically like to be doing anything but technological stuff like creating and maintaining sites and pages!  That's basically why it's taken me forever to create this blog page.  Today I took it one step further and even put pictures (which is a big ordeal for my non-computer skills!) on a Facebook page just devoted to my art stuff.  Look up Jenene Mortimer artist to see that page.  So far my daughter gave it a thumbs up "like it" so....that's a start!  Thank goodness she's around-I have a guaranteed number 1 fan!  

Here's the pumpkin man I made a few years ago.  I'm always happy to see my old friend when I pull out the Halloween decorations.  I'm currently making another more detailed doll (like he is) this time a witch.  I'll post her when I'm done.  Now and then I just need to make something that looks different than my typical doll look.

Do you have a bucket list?  I don't.  I haven't really thought about making one but my daughter Courtney has and last weekend in Petaluma we got the chance (by accident) to mark an item off her bucket list-Milking a cow! 

It went like this, after we went to a great art show (Halloween and Vine), we happened to be driving along the road leaving when we saw a cheese shop.  Okay, who can pass up a cheese shop-definitely not us so we pulled in, had a lot of tasties (so good) and then found it was free farm day...free what?  Free farm day!-people could go and see the farm where this delicious organic cheese came from and get a wagon ride, see the animals, buy a pumpkin, and best of all try milking a real cow!  Here's the pics to prove it.   


Okay, I know, we don't leave the city much! 

For as long as "Halloween and Vine" has existed (a really fabulous Halloween art show) I have wanted to attend but every year there is something that I have going on so I miss it.  Finally, last weekend I got to go (it's in Petaluma) and had a fabulous time with my daughter Courtney.  It was a moment I wish I had unlimited funds to spend-I would have bought pieces at almost every booth and yes I definitely would have purchased first at Nicole Sayre's booth-my favorite doll artist.  It was definitely the highlight for me to meet the doll artist who has been such an inspiration to me-I just love her work! Like a typical fan of a celebrity, I did ask for a picture with her and she very kindly agreed-if you ever read this Nicole, thanks for making my day!