Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving

To You All!!!

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!

TTFN

Sneaky Holiday Gathering

Hello All!
Hope your days away have been productive and happy!
Can you believe it's almost Thanksgiving? Man, that went fast! Busy, Busy, Busy!

This post, along with the next few, will be a tad short and secretive. Due to working on Christmas gifts. Can't give too much away! LOL  My wife and I have been working diligently on this years gifts - next year I think we need to start in June. I'll show you a sneak peek...

how's this for a sneak? HA!

I've been working on the doll from Ankie's class as well. Not as much as I would like but there's just so much being crammed into this time of year. She's coming along very well and I'm really happy with her so far. There's a lot of talented people taking the class with me. Wonderful versions of this doll being made! When they are done I will ask if I can post some of their pieces for you to see.

body sanded smooth - I am so far behind!

My wife and I both got new vehicles recently. She got a Camry and I got a Tacoma. They are both Metallic Grey. I needed something with a backseat - with all my grand kids I needed more room. Imagine that! They're all getting so big, so fast! Just thinking about how fast they're growing makes me feel old! :)

my new truck - still with the window sticker

I was online the other day and came across an advertisement for Jolie's new movie - How The Hell Did I Miss This? It looks really good and she fits the character. It's called Maleficent, in case you haven't seen the ads for it. I love the makeup and the story line looks pretty good too. I must be slacking because I heard absolutely nothing about this - even though it's been in the works for over a year. Can't wait to see it!

My daughter got the opportunity to go and see Steve Harvey at the university this past week as well. She had a great time and said he was 'very motivational'. From the photos it looked like she had some pretty good seats too.

The new portrait is coming along fantastic. I have been very pleased with the progress so far. It appears that the client has been as well - That's Always A Good Thing! LOL! I haven't gotten permission to post progress pics yet, so I can't show the whole thing...maybe a peek. ;)

This coming week is going to be frantic! So much to do and so little time. Thanksgiving is going to be fairly quiet, but then we have a get together on Saturday. Lots of people, lots of children...just LOTS! So there will be plenty of prepping, cleaning and general cussing I'm sure. :) I will have to move all the gifts that we are working on into a room I can lock to keep out all the 'looky-lou's'. Have to work on the yard this week too. Gotta get the fire pit ready for a bonfire...marshmallows and all. Apparently there will be enough food for 200 people. I have three people cooking, I will have to cook nothing! It will be nice but extremely odd - since I usually do a lot of cooking and baking at this time of the year. I might even break out some of the mead I made. Only time will time.

I think that's all for now...I'm sure I've forgotten something. I have no doubt that I will remember it as soon as I post this.

Anyway, Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!!

And if I don't see you before then........HAVE A FANTASTIC THANKSGIVING!!

TTFN

slowing going back to the earth

Running Baby Portraits!

Good Morning Everyone!
Hope you've all had a productive week!
It's been a hectic (I know, that's not abnormal!) one in my little corner of the world.

We have started working on holiday gifts. The place looks like a bomb went off. There are various projects taking place in my studio, the living room and of course the dinning room table is completely inaccessible at the moment. Unfortunately, I can't show any photos at this moment. Don't want to give away any secrets! LOL! My wife and daughters began their Christmas shopping this past week. They spent the day together. I'm glad they all got the time to spend together. :)

just a tease - pieces cut for one of the holiday projects

I realized after I posted last week that I forgot to show you the goodies I got after Halloween. I always go shopping afterwards. It's the 50-75% off that gets me. :)

post Halloween goodies!

tea towels, skelly garland, ornaments, pumpkin bells,

black tea-light owl and new doormat

The online class that I'm taking from Ankie Daanen is going well. The doll looks good so far. And believe it or not I'm only a week behind. I seemed to have run out of hours this past week. Nothing new, never seems to be enough of it! 

does this photo make my butt look big?

LOL!

front side - lesson one

lesson two - paper clay being applied

We are also gearing up for a holiday gathering. I think it's going to be the weekend after Thanksgiving. I guess that means I'm going to have to move all the projects to the spare bedroom and padlock the door!

This past Tuesday began my babysitting adventures! I get to watch over Kennedy while my daughter goes to school. She started back (post baby) on Tuesday. I had a blast with little miss Kennedy. We sat and talked (ok, she listened, mostly). She's gonna be hell on wheels when she gets her balance. You would swear she's running a marathon the way she kicks and wiggles. Remember all the exercise videos of 'the bicycle'? Where you lay on your back and 'ride' a bike....well, imagine a little, tiny person doing it. That's Kennedy! She just goes to town riding her bike! LOL!

Got to spend some time with my grand daughter Shaylor this past week as well. She was in my studio with me. That girl can talk! I don't think she took a breath the whole time she was with me! She likes to 'paint' when she's "working in my studio" with me. She put all her drawings on my door. She went and got the magnets from the fridge so she could stick them on my downstairs door. She's so sweet! And I got Lawton's school picture too! Lord they wear me out! Love em all!!

miss Kennedy after her exercise routine

my oldest grand son, Lawton

And just when I thought I couldn't possibly squeeze any more into 24 hours - Looks like I may have a New Portrait Client! I'm so excited. We've begun choosing the image to be used and all the initial information for the portrait! I have to remember to get permission to post progress pictures on my blog. It's a Christmas gift, so I may not be able to post anything until after he's given his wife the painting. I will keep you all posted on the progress!

Well, I do believe that's all the news that fits.

Have a great week! See you all soon!

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!!

TTFN

Soggy, Wet Weenie!

Good Post Halloween Day To You All!!

I hope you all had a Fantastic Halloween this year!
Mine started out really...crappy!
I had plans to use a projector. Made a photo folder to run with lots of great Halloween images. But, I guess it wasn't meant to be. The projector blew the fuse three separate times. Finally I gave up and put it away. :(
We then had two groups of kids show up - just as it was getting dark. And of course it began to rain. I was not happy. As it began to rain harder, I started unplugging things. Which was no small feat. I had enough electrical cords and multi-plugs to light up the entire neighborhood! And then it rained harder...so I pulled everything back to the garage door. In addition, I made a dry ice fogger, that I didn't get to use. Just as my spirit was crushed and I was ready to call it quits...it stopped raining!! YAY!! Halloween was saved! The Halloween Spirits must have heard my heart break! Within ten minutes of the rain stopping the kids started coming. We had 83 kids this year! I know that's not a lot compared to some places. But in my little neck of the woods that's a pretty good number. I had a blast and the kids seemed to as well. I got lots of compliments on the lights and decorations. Several comments on how they remember my house - and of course the full size candy bars! :)
I even had neighbors tell me how they look forward to seeing my house lit up and the hot apple cider. It's always a great pleasure to know that all the work is appreciated. I also started taking pictures this year. That in itself was a major chore due to the rain. I wanted to take pictures in front of the scarecrow but had to settle for taking them from just inside the garage door. Trying to take pictures in the dark, without my glasses on a 2 inch screen was something of a spectacle in and of itself. Because of that, not all my photos came out. What I thought I had turned out to be blurry or completely dark. :(  So, if you are looking for your photo and don't see it that is the reason. I promise I will be better set up for pictures next year. With that being said, here are the pictures......

Jack smoking.

testing the dry ice that i didn't get to use

Jack was happy, he doesn't normally do Halloween

festivities...he usually pulls office duty

2013 set up - prior to the rain

our neighbor Amy, being witchy

closer view of the table set up

this years selection - plus gummy's for 

the younger kids

my dry ice fogger that never saw the light of day

:(

after the rain - reduced to the garage door

2013's first Trick or Treater

nieces and nephews!

this is when it started raining...

niece and her friend

this is me waving goodbye til next year!

Happy Halloween!

My daughter took my grand daughter, 

Shaylor, trick or treating in Tallapoosa

more Shaylor

decorations my daughter took pictures

of while they were beggin'

creepy porch decor

tiny ghost makes me smile  :)

Perry, Jenifer and Kennedy

all ready for their Halloween Party

last Saturday

lil' Miss Kennedy in her kitty-cat costume

me and my son, Ryan

aren't our costumes scary?

Miss Shaylor hamming it up 

before they left for the Halloween party

just one question...

can you tell this is my grand child?

pink Skelly's - ready for Halloween!

Last post I showed you a peek at the claws I was working on. They turned out great! I literally finished them Halloween morning. The picture showed the quick mold I did of my hands...well, that didn't work. I wound up doing a free sculpt and pouring each one separately. You can see me wearing them in the photo above (the one of my waving goodbye). 

styrofoam cups - quick mold container

(forgot to get photos of the sculpt)

first pour of the neoprene

first and second pours...

prior to trimming and painting

painted black and glossy

I think somewhere in the midst of Halloween, sculpting claws, working on Ichabod (no new photos yet), children and grand children I lost my mind. I am taking an online class from Ankie Daanen. Yes, I know...another project! I couldn't help it. It's called 'The Perfect Body'. And I must say that so far it is coming along freaking great! It's being offered from A for Artistic. This past Thursday was the second class...I haven't even had time to open the instructions for this week yet. I think I need an additional 5 or 6 hours in the day. Due to this being a paid class I won't show the pictures of the pattern but I will show you the progress so far....

***HOLY RED HERRING, BATMAN!!!! (No, those were not the expletives coming out of my mouth)

GOOGLE CRAPPED OUT ON ME IN THE PROCESS OF THIS POST. WTH?!? THAT WAS AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO. AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!

and now the photos...

waiting to be sewn....yes, three of them

sewed and arms and legs...

stuffed!

butt implants...

baby's got back!  LOL

Ok, now that I'm completely frustrated with the internet...

I think that will be all for this post. 

Again, I would like to say sorry for the delay (Friday was a blur...hours and hours and hours purchasing a new car for my wife). And thanks for your patience! I would also like to say a 'BIG THANK YOU' for all the page views (well over 500 in the last couple of days)!

Til Next Time...

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!!

TTFN

oh yeah....

minus a day or two  :)