Open Barn Day

On Saturday, i went to Spruce Lane Llamas in Stockton NJ. It was "Open Barn" weekend!

It was so pretty and serene there and Bob and Carol Wolfe, the owners were warm and inviting. I went to purchase Llama hair...its so soft and pretty..I think its perfect for doll hair...The lama hair comes in pieces a couple inches long and can be needle felted onto a cloth doll head or Glued directly onto a clay head...or it can be glued or sewn onto a "Skull Cap" that can be attached to the dolls head like a Wig!

I really got to mingle with these amazing beautiful animals...they are very friendly! There were 2 new babies on the farm....see the pics.....

Tried some new hair

At the sheep and fiber festival...i really found some beautiful hair...i have been washing and washing blah blah blah...hair!!!! I dont think i'll ever buy unwashed animal fiber again...This is freaking work!!! Any way, some of the fiber i bought was clean ...so i tried a little on one of my halloween dolls that just didnt look right with her hair...I just "added this silky...glossy hair to what she had... I also dyed it a wheat color with some alchohol ink...which i definately wouldnt do again...because as we know alchohol dries things out...but even though this fiber got a little dried out..it still has smoothness to it...this hair is beautiful!!! See the pictures...its the doll on the right with the vintage lace,,,the girl on the left has real FLAX hair..(linen is made from flax)..i'm trying to figure out their halloween costumes!

Bear doll completed

I was able to complete the "bear girl " doll....she has tiny "Ugg" type boots! They are all the rage with my daughter and her friends...... i was also able to complete the other two dolls feet!!!

Sheep and fiber festival !!!

Yesterday I attended the 14th annual sheep and fiber festival at the Hunterdon County fairgrounds. I believe it was a small festival...but it was vey exciting. I am so happy that i took this journey! The animals were so beautiful and i got to talk with so many friendly people who owned the animals. I met Bob Wolfe who breeds llamas...he has a business which you can find on line http://www.sprucelane.com/ . I spent some time with bob and 3 of his llama .....he really loves and takes care of these beauties....this was apparent in their soft shiny coats. I bought a couple of bags of their wool...its straight ..soft.and silky!! This will make the perfect "straight" doll hair!!

I also bought Alpaca hair which is also soo soft and silky but with a little tiny kink to it....its beautiful!!! this came from a very cute charming woman that owns a farm you can find at http://www.desaifarms.net/ !

I also bought a just cut fleece from a grey jacob ewe named Hannah..they even gave me her picture!!! but i actually dont know what i got myself into...just that it looked so different...i had to have it!!! when i got it home...ugh!!! its filthy greasy...poopy...and its not silky doll hair...it might be some type of "wooly animal hair...i guess i have to start making animals!!! ha! i will search the internet to see what i'm into.....

The last thing that i got was a "drop spindle".... a little hand held wooden tool that you can spin roving into yarn.........very cool...this company was http://www.eklectikaknits.com/

A Creative meeting

Last week I had the good fortune of getting together with my friend Susan from Portland Oregon.. (We met in the Diane Keeler sculpting class at the NY WOW). Susan's husband was doing business in Mahwah Nj...so i went and met her . We took a ride in the city to a very cool store called "The compleat Sculptor", and foundsome great tools and products...

Susan is a fantastic sculptor and had started with miniatures.....see her "ladybug queen" and "flocked Mini dogs....I'm very excited about the animal flocking...as she gave me a website of an artist that she learned many techniques from....the site is http://kerripajuti.com/ ....check it out...she is amazing

Tiny wispy bangs found in the woods!!!

So i'm working on these halloween dolls...and i 'm trying to wig them all differently....My friend Susan from oregon had given me some beautiful angora fiber...goat maybe?? i dont know but very soft...so i wig one of the dolls in this fiber...and its really pretty hair...as i'm thinking...this needs something else...i look down and ugh..my workspace is getting so cluttered...i push a bunch of "stuff" out of the way...ouhhh! i get stuck by this plant thing i found in the woods that has been sitting for a month...couldnt find a use for it yet...maybe i'll throw it out! Then...some of the fibers fall out...OH MY GOSH...its right next to my doll i'm working on...its the exact same color of her wig..holy crap...they are tiny bangs!!! not only that...they each have thier "own" follicle PLUG that you can glue to the dolls head!!!! They are in the woods!!! they are FREE!!! haha

Yes...its the little things in life that "freak me out" check out wha the plant looks like and how the wispy bags look.....