Face Markers

       I buy these really cool pen/ pencil binders from Dick Blick called "Global Classic Leather Pencil Case."  I prefer the smooth black that holds 120 Pencils.  They retail at $34.14. I try to only buy them when there is a really big deal or coupon. When I started buying them they were $25.  That was probably 20 years ago. The binders were especially great when I was traveling and teaching. The core of a pencil is a bit delicate and if the pencil is dropped on a hard surface, like the floor, the inside may break which makes the lead fall out, especially while sharpening.  So I got all my supplies in one binder to create doll faces and as obessive/ compulsive as I am the colors are in Roy G. Biv color order.  For the non artist friends, that means Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. Like a rainbow. You can see the elastic strip with little divided spaces that can hold 3 pencils or typically 2 pens in the pic above. So while teaching I could always find the specific pen/ pencil I needed right away. I have quite a few pencil binders. I seem to have an obsession with buying pens and pencils and putting them in order. A BIG obsession.  And I always buy the 120 pencil size because sooner or later I always fill them.
       The binders are great for holding just what you need. I already have several for Prismacolor Pencils (2), Watercolor Pencils, Inktense Pencils, Pastel Pencils, Gel Pens, Micron pens (not just color variations but sizes as well), Pitt Pens also including various sizes and colors, Calligraphy Pens, Tom Bow Brush Tip Pens, other brush tip Pens, Zig and Paint Pens and there is one off the shelf and I can't remember what it is. Like I said, a BIG obsession. Oh, and I have a display stand for my Sharpies (I think I have 72).  

       So I recently added Arteza skin tone markers to my collection of markers.  I bought a set of 24 Arteza markers and had a few Copic markers in flesh tones so I decided to put them together in my Copic marker binder since I didn't want to fork out $35 just at the moment. The pens are all squarish so they fit there nicely. I initially thought I would buy more Copic pens that I have so far but they are expensive compared to my other writing instruments and since the Arteza pens are similar in shape I rearranged a few pens and now have a section for just flesh tone pens.

        Of course, the pens needed to be in color order. Organizing flesh colors is not as easy as Roy G. Biv. I cut little pieces of paper from a sketch pad and on each one made a color swatch, listed if it was Arteza or Copic, added the coded number and then the name the company issued that specific color.  I then shuffled the little cards around until I felt the color order was from light to dark and listed the info on a piece of paper.  Of course, there were 2 more pens than there were lines on the paper so it's not "perfect."  If the OCD gets to me I will redo the list to fix that.  Fortunately that doesn't bother me enough to keep me from making a blog post or fixing dinner since my 32 year old son is looking at me with hungry eyes.  Not the love song Hungry Eyes but the "I worked hard all day and now I'll just disintegrate and die if there isn't food coming soon" eyes.  Actually, he doesn't pester me for food, but he is really good with his expressions so it's all in good fun.

       So. Now that the pens are all in order, I wonder if I'll get busy on drawing and coloring faces on watercolor paper tomorrow. I've been watching some Karen Campbell videos lately and that's why I wanted the alcohol inks.  Copic and Arteza are both alcohol inks and they have an alcohol blending pen. I bought some other brand of pens and they blend with water but the variety of colors isn't very good.  I never found a pale enough color to satisfy me as a base skin tone.  I like pale since that's basically me, since I avoid the sun like the plague.

       So, will I get busy and see the difference between markers or finish that project I promised for Christmas?  Time will tell.  Meanwhile, I'll most likely be playing Candy Crush.

Looking for Vendors!

        The Craft Show at Skeelhaven is a unique shopping event.  Crafts are accepted 1 week prior to the show then creations are displayed in the style of a gift shop with areas such as the garden area with bird houses, yard signs and dried floral wreaths. The kitchen area will display quilted table runners and original kitchen/ dining room decorations as well as home baked/ canned goods.  Multiple Christmas trees will display ornaments with a theme, such as Victorian and Whimsical.  We are also looking for fall and Christmas creations with a preference given to original handmade arts and crafts.  Our goal is to not duplicate types of crafts by multiple vendors.

Heliotrope by Judy Skeel

        Please contact me privately with “Craft Show” in the subject line and include photos of your work. Show dates include Friday thru Sunday, November 5- 8, 2020 in the Westerville, OH area. Contact me Judy Skeel: jskeel@skeelhaven.net

Due to Covid-19 the Craft Show at Skeelhaven has been postponed until 2021.

I've been watching You Tube videos by Karen Campbell and drawing faces.  It's been a while since I've made a doll and I thought this would help me do a better job when I make my next one. I'm loving the process! The one with long hair was my first one and I drew it while watching a Karen video.

I guess I remember more than I thought tho I'm having trouble with tarantula eye lashes.  I should make myself stop and sharpen a pencil first, yes? The profile and 3/4 views were the second day. 

Yesterday's drawing is still bald. I need to work on some of my blending before adding hair. She is my favorite so far.

I hope you like them!

Sorting Stuph

       I am STILL working in my studio, organizing and unpacking totes full of miscellaneous stuph!  I just counted AT LEAST 42 UFO's (Un-Finished Objects) that are waiting for me. I told someone once I have to live long enough to finish every item I want to create.  With the length of my list I'll live to be 350 years old!  For probably a dozen years I had a serious case of Pattern Acquisition Syndrome.  I bought every new pattern that caught my eye. I have a filing cabinet filled with files on a slew of designers, each having somewhere between 1 to 15 patterns.  I didn't count all the epb patterns, but I'm sure they are hedging towards a count of 20! Three drawers full of patterns designed by other people.  I do mean full!  The 4th drawer is full of kits that I absolutely had to have because I would get the doll completed sooner, or make a second one in a different color as a gift.  Ha!  I have been making dolls 20+ years. That's a lot of patterns and extra kits waiting for me.  
       My Mother-in-Law will be visiting for 10 days in December.  As we have no first floor guest room we need to convert one of my "storage rooms" into a nice little room for her. The room is currently walled with those white/ semi transparent drawer units.  2 walls are stacked over my head.  Okay so I'm only 5' 1" but seriously, what will I do with all this stuph? at least 2 walls will be moved into my second "storage room" which of course is the smallest room in the house sans the ladies room! That is part of what motivated me to tackle the boxes and totes to get excess things off the floor.  She arrives in 4 weeks.  I think I'll meet the deadline. I think I can, I think I can... chug chug chug.
       But for the rest of the day I'm back in there organizing and rearranging some stuff with some other stuph to make it organized so there is space for my Mother-in-Law. Come January I had better start in on these UFO's before they begin to take over the whole house!!!

Books, Boxes and Things

       I have finished putting all my books on shelves in the order that I want them.  Now if I want to read about embroidery I can find all my embroidery books in one place.  I did find that I have a few more books that are duplicates, including Wendy Froud's "The Winter Child."  I took a workshop with Wendy in New York City several years ago and I must say her dolls are even more lovely in person.

        There's a table with the sewing and ironing stuff.  Some small drawers hold pins, needles, bobbins and other miscellaneous items. Some larger items like ironing hams are in a unit under the table. Finally, there is nothing else on that table. My work table, however, is full of small items that need to go home. I'm trying to leave them there as I open the rest of the boxes. It seems small items got tossed into boxes just to fill the box so small items are everywhere.
       Speaking of boxes, I only have a few left to unpack and find homes for the things inside.  I can easily move a few around if I need something "boxed in", like my filing cabinets full of doll patterns.  I have a couple of file drawers full of doll patterns I've purchased.  I used to have a bad case of "Pattern Acquisition Syndrome." It manifested itself requiring me to purchase almost every new doll pattern sold on Dollmakers Journey.  That was back when I was friends with most of the designers.  Now I look at the designers list on Dollmakers Journey and I don't know at all 37 out of the 87 designers. I mean I have never heard of them or seen their patterns.  I guess that means I need to peruse DMJ again, including every dollmaker that I do know that has designed anything new in the last 10 years.  Wow!  I guess that will keep me busy for awhile.
       Meanwhile I'll keep emptying boxes in the studio.  My son Shawn will be helping me today by placing dolls on my tall book shelves while I sit back and point. Some are mine, some were made by others and a few are made from patterns of other designers.  Just to clarify, my "Patten Acquisition Syndrome" means I bought all the patterns, not that I actually made the patterns. 

Still Unboxing!

       I have been working on the studio bit by bit and most recently books.  My bookcases are like 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide.  They hold a lot of books!  That's great because I HAVE a lot of books! I got distracted and think I'll be reading Reclaimed Textiles this afternoon since I am done unpacking books today.

       So far,today I have opened 5 wine boxes. Each box was designed for 12 wine bottles and I packed the books in them to make them lighter to lift than the bigger boxes I used for everything else. Anywhoo, my wonderful son Shawn moved these 5 boxes out for me and between all 5 I managed to fill only a shelf and a half.  I thought it would make a bigger dent that that, but no.  So I went to the studio, moved a few things around and exposed more boxes of books for Shawn to carry in to the studio tomorrow.  Then I'll have to move more stuff for him to get to more books. The hard part was I wanted to sit and read a couple.  I am guilty of buying a book and not actually reading it.  (Shame on me!) I tend to flip through and look at the pics, read a couple lines of info and then saving the book for later, put it on my work table, or desk.  Then eventually, I'll clean up the studio- well at least the work table and put the books away that are there.   

So far I have only found 1 duplicate book! The one above.

       It will be easier to prevent duplicates from happening since the book shelves and my desk where I order from Amazon are on the same floor.

Boxes, boxes, boxes!

         I've been working on organizing the new studio and starting to empty Shawn's tiny old bedroom that has been a storage room for everything we needed out of the way for the craft show.  Here is a view of the wall packed to the ceiling.  I couldn't get the whole wall because it was too small a room. 

The second pic here is the rest of the wall, across from the doorway.  You can see the closet and a black shelving unit to the right that just fits the wall. 

        Did I mention it was a small room?  It didn't seem this small when it was a bedroom! 

          My dear friend Amy has been helping me unpack boxes by doing the lifting. She's awesome!  Amy establish a small path down the center of the room.  It makes it feel like there is hope to finish so I can start creating again.

       Oh- under all these boxes are boxes with books.  I have 2 large book cases that currently have things on them that need to go to their rightful homes, but the homes are blocked with boxes. What a surprise!