Our Latest Mini

OK...don't look at the date I was last here....lol! Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer...ours has been fun, hectic, slow, fast and full of surprises...oh, and hot...120 so far has been the high...with more on the way...UGH!

Anyway we have been busy with work and some of the work we have completed is our newest Miniature 1:12th scale Japanese 'White Heron Dancer' . Years ago we did a large scale male version of this one and since we started the minis I have wanted to create this one again...tiny...don't ask why...OK, I will tell you...I AM NUTS!!!

This was actually harder than the large one ...dozens of hand cut paper feathers strung together, paper mache 2 1/2 inch tale Heron Head, gold leaf hand painted pants and other mind exploding details that will be a long time to get over...LOL. In truth is was a true joy to create just very time consuming and great 'fretting' material!!! It is on our website in the 'Dolls Available' section if you want to see more pictures and read about her... ( http://www.creagers.com )

I think we are now hoping onto a 12 inch Forest witch who will be lots of fun.... stay tuned...

Hugs to All

Sharing the Old to create the New

Got up this morning thinking what new thing do I have to share on my blog...I am in-between dolls , no trips planned, the weather is average, no new recipe, ...so I started going through my boxes and baskets filled with old pictures, ideas, poems and stories and these 3 photos literally 'popped' out at me...(actually I picked up a stack of stuff and these 3 pictures fell out of the lot) so one who believes in signs..I saw this as one and scanned to share.

Now the explanations as to what these pics are... first off...they are VERY old dolls of ours from many many a moon ago....(YIKES... near 20 years ago)... I had almost forgotten about these characters ...and like an old friend it is always wonderful meeting up with them again....I figure anything that makes you smile and think fondly of old times is a very good thing...right!

These were made before we had anything other than a 35mm and a 4x5 camera... ahhhh the wonderful wacky days of film photography... each shot nerve wracking until you had them developed...praying all along to the Film Gods for decent shots! (no photoshop either) lol...

So these were just a few examples of Richard's and my early polymer clay dolls.... as you can see, I was just learning but damn we had fun! Each stood approx. 12-13 inches tall then...and as with our work now...we made each and every thing that you see in the shots....

Bucket, rocks, leaves and icicles of 'Jack Frost' ...and the second one 'The Show must go on' is one of our favs of all times... Richard designed and built the stage, stools, all the accessories including the little Thermos and cup, the sandwich and even the bag of tiny pretzels and beer can. I painted the backdrop setting and made the puppets...we LOVED all of the details and kept adding and adding...had to finally stop...LOL!

Went to a great collector friend of ours.

The third was our beginning and first fascination with ventriloquists and their 'dummies' The Great Ventrillo and his Pal Barney'... ...The Great Ventrillo had a wicked sense of humor...he was reading to Barney ' Woodpeckers of North America' ...poor Barney is a tad nervous and does not appreciate the humor. Richard made all the accessories including the small oak chair and mic and bowler. Sold him at the Disneyworld Doll Show.

Those really were some fun dolls and each holds a great memory for us.

I always think it is fun to share past works and to never forget the starting places of careers...

I have always said, artists learn from each piece they create, growing and discovering new paths to walk down... and from past works to the work we all create now , if the journey has taught lessons and the creations have brought smiles... then you are a success in your chosen field..

Thanks for stopping by...

Hugs

Our Newest..warning .. may appear a little bland to many!

Happy Wednesday Everyone...thou I am writing this late in the day may already be Thursday in other places...in that case...happy Thursday!

We just finished out latest miniature doll for EBAY (listing today) 'Ikebana' ...I felt a very strong need to do a peaceful piece ...that feeling hits me once in a while ... ooooommmmmm!

She was very relaxing to create and satisfying for us both... the Japanese pieces usually are , just something about the color, and flow that makes one smile...

But as I stated in my title... warning!! may be a little too bland for many! LOL...By that I mean,

I have been looking all through Friends blog Pages today and yesterday...playing catch up to see what has been happening in bloglandia... and all I can say is ...MY GOODNESS! There are some exciting and extreme art pieces out there beyond my door... right to the edge art and a tad beyond in many cases...visually stimulating and mind boggling . I could not help but think..."WOW, the world of art (doll art in particular) as changed so so much since I started...and it's times like this when I see extreme art and art that tests the very fabrics of our souls that I can help but wonder ...are we to calm in our approach to doll art.?? Actually this is a funny statement for me and specially for those that know me well...I am anything but calm and laid back....as a matter of fact...the words 'Nuts' and 'Wacky' pop up often when I am being described to a group of people... but I guess when it comes to Art (dolls) I tend to be more grounded ...

This is neither good nor bad.... just who I am as an artist... or rather the direction I took as an artist...but as they say...inside every person there is another... dwelling, lurking and begging to get out.

I admire so the 'edge' people who hang it out there for all to see... creating from a mysterious place of uniqueness and individuality ...I have always adored art that just makes you exclaimed out loud..."Wow" !!

Oh to be 30 years younger and not so firmly entrenched in life's pathway...

But alas...I love what I do, it brings me joy , it keeps me focused and offers up a a righteous serving of soul ....

What makes Art such a splendid form of self expression is it's ability to be what each person/artist needs it to be .. total freedom.

Hugs

Happy Mothers Day to All the Moms

It is a glorious day here in Arizona...warmish winds and blue skies ... and the feeling in the air that there are many Happy Moms spread throughout the land.

I am having my Mother (picture above when she was approx. 20) who is now 88 over for a lovely breakfast of Eggs Benedict , fresh strawberries and pink grapefruit slice and Mimosas. ..this just happens to be her favorite..so I can feel her excitement as I ready myself to pick her up at 10:00am. Mom makes it clear to me all the time that she wants nothing and needs nothing...so it is hard to buy for this lady , fixing her a meal is a wonderful treat for her ...and it makes me so happy to do this.

But of course we did get her a plant , a bottle of her favorite wine, and I made her a card...

We will eat, chat, play a game or two of dominoes and reminisce ...then she will want to go home for a good nap... all in all a day well spent in comfort and love for us both...

I will then thank my lucky stars that I had he another year from last mothers day ...this is my Mothers Day Gift to 'Me'....

Hope everyone of you has a Glorious Day filled with good times and the creation of good memories for the days to come...

Hugs....

Said Bye Bye to Facebook

Well I am back to chat!!

I left Facebook 2 days ago (not sure anyone has even noticed yet...lol) and I am feeling pretty good so far. I was beginning to feel a little like the baby birdies atop .. sapped of energy...I found there is a lot of 'upkeep' on FB ...and being one to never throw anything out...I had over 3,000 emails generated by Facebook .that were stashed in my save file...no wonder my computer had the lightening speed of a banana slug. So I 'cleaned house' took a vacation from FB and have decided that anything I needed to say or if anyone wanted to chat...I could do it all right here ... I can tell you one thing for sure...I am getting about 90% less spam mail daily...FB seems to generate tons of it... and it all finds it's way into my mailbox...

There is something very freeing about being disconnected from FB... though I miss friends there...I know I have great ones here...

Also I have done so much work in the past 2 days...unbelievable!
So my plan is this... to work, accomplish what I had a hard time doing before, chatting here more often, keeping everyone up on my doings and dolls and viewing all the lovely stories of friends in Bloglandia...


She's BaaAaaAack!!!

Barkley Von Muttley...Dog about Town!

Howdy Doody Bloglandians! We just finished another doll...er, uh...Dog! and I thought I would pop him on here for a quick look see. His name is as above 'Barkley Von Muttley' and he is indeed a Dog About Town! Hope you can read his little poem that I wrote...kinda explains everything about him...it's his story and he is stickin to it!!

I love doing animals (specially in clothing) ..oh, also bugs (note to self: Need to do another one of those again soon).. anyway, back to dogs in clothing...this little fellow just sorta 'popped' out from no where (you know those dolls...lucking just under the surface and it takes the slightest thing to bring them out)...well, this is he! Actually for a very long time now (5-6 years) I have been kicking around the idea of 'Semi Deranged ' Critters...chickens, rats, rabbits, dogs, cats, birds etc... and one of these 'critters' was 'Deliriously Deranged Dog' that looked strangely enough like Barkley...only with clothing..so this is what popped out...It was quick and fun and feed the artistic soul nicely ...we all need these little morsels every so often.

So Barkley has made me laugh for the last 2 days, and Richard...even our Dog seems to be chuckling under her breath... all good signs! Anything in art that makes you laugh and enjoy...is healthy and rejuvenating.

We are about to pop onto some more serious pieces so this bit of humor i can nibble on for a while.

I am popping Barkley onto EBAY this evening ...not sure at all if he is any ones cup of tea other than my own...but again...a good thing to feed ones own inner being.

Hope you enjoy our little canine critter...and that he brings you smiles enough to nibble for a good long while...

Hugs

Hobby Lobby...pinch me, I am dreaming

Be still my heart...we are getting a Hobby Lobby in Lake Havasu!!! OK OK, I know that more than likely 98 % of you out there reading this are saying "What's the Big Deal...we have 8 of them in our town" ...But to us in this little semi sleepy desert town of Lake Havasu ,AZ...it is a Big Deal and cause for celebration of artists and craftsmen alike...we are damn near ready to take to the streets in a out of control dance of unabashed Joy! Remember anything they build here keeps us for a 2+ hour drive to the Bigger City...and I simple HATE hitchin up the buckboard ...do you know how much freakin hay those horses eat..and the price of hay is through the roof...you do realize I am kidding...right!!

Anyway...little by little our town is coming out of the retail dark ages and putting in stores that we can all enjoy...instead of Flip Flop, Bikini and fast boat retailers...ZOWIE this is great news!

The old Walmart turned into a Super Walmart in a different location and the Hobby Lobby took it over...and this sucker looks like it is going to by Gynormous!! We do have a Michaels...but...as Michaels go...this is a poor excuse for one...Michaels Light!! So I am sure they are sweating bullets just about now, and they better get with the retail pleasing program otherwise Michaels will soon be "Buy some shit at Mike's Craft Barn"...

So I offering up 'gifts' at the Great Craft/Art Alter of life in thanks for this new addition to our tiny town...

Does anyone else out there love or at least strongly like their Hobby Lobby? Hey, as my dad use to say..."Better than a Poke in the Eye with a Sharp Stick"!!??

Hugs