It's Bug Art, man!

http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2010/01/25/poorchildrenarestrayanimals-bauer-was-a-recipient-subsidized-school-lunch-program-as-a-child

At The Mountains of Madness from NilsB-Film on Vimeo.

I'm STILL working on the Fairy altered book. Of course one reason this project is taking so long is that it's my first altered book and I'm learning as I go. It's been a lot of fun so far but I'm ready to be finished with it and off to start a new one! I think in the future I'll use discarded children's books, both because of the larger format and because there are fewer pages to 1. rip-out or 2. decorate.

I want to incorporate this into my display for the Ulricamässa (art fair) this March. If some wants to buy it,that's even better but I envision this book as being something to catch people's attention and draw them to my table (hopefully).

Joyeux Noël
Hyvää Joulua
God Jul
Feliz Navidad
Happy Holidays
(whichever ones you celebrate)!

( You are about to view content that may only be appropriate for adults. )

( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )

I'd waited an entire week for an answer to my email about booking the museum's exhibit hall (such as it is) and finally called today to see if CL at the kommun had read my email. The answer was that yes, she had read it, and no, she didn't have an answer on whether or not I could book the hall during the middle of April. She didn't have a reason why, just a lot of stammering about uh, I'm SURE it's not available but um, I'll get back to you by the end of next week.

This is a simple damn question and it has a simple damn answer. I am 99% sure that they just don't want me to book the hall and haven't figured-out a good-sounding excuse for why not. I'm not even especially interested in this hall except for the fact that it is rent-free and well-lit and heated. Since April in Sweden is still pretty chilly, this is no small matter!

I have an idea about renting part of the old stables for 2 weeks but I'll have to drum up some grant money to pay for it. This year, I am going directly to Sparbanken to ask for money since they like to support innovative art projects.

My feet are all rough and my hair-colour needs help and the dry indoor air is sucking the life out of my skin. . .you get the picture. Think this is an excellent day for soaking in the tub, etc.

Spider Mandala by ~ItsBugArt on deviantART

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=50715&op=new&body=1

If you are interested in the scarf but don't care for the colours, I can crochet one in just about any colour combo you like although I don't know if I can get more of that particular yarn.

I don't know why the links didn't work properly in my earlier post but I only noticed today when I added 2 more bags to my Artfire shop:

Violet Bag:
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=734347

Mangrove Bag:
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=734289
This was the first one I made so it only has a few beads.

Ocean Spirit Bag:
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=640417
These later ones (Ocean and Earth) have lots of beads.

Earth Spirit Bag:
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=686632

Yes, Virginia, I do indeed have 9 mm snaps in my sewing supply drawer!!! (insert evil laugh here)

And, yes, I am very easily made happy!

I have 2 crocheted and felted bags listed there:
http://www.artfire.com/users/It's%20Bug%20Art!

Note to self: NEVER, ever again buy the 6 mm snaps for sewing onto doll-clothing when 9 mm will work just as well and not make me crazy!!! And I had to make a new front pattern piece for the pinafore since I apparently tossed-out the old one. Otherwise, things are rolling along!

Sewing the finishing touches on the renaissance inspired grown; I'll hopefully finish it tomorrow. I haven't processed any of the zillions of photos I've taken lately and some of them came-out pretty cool. I'm not so sure an outdoor photoshoot will work so well, so I have (as usual) Plan B in the works. Off to bed now since I am freezing and want to pile quilts on myself, not to mention that a 50 pound collie dog will probably join me!

I worked on 2 doll chemises this evening; the first was a basic mock-up and the second one that I'll use in a photo. Doll clothes are hard to sew btw, since they are small scale and even a relatively small error is large in proportion to the item.

This doll was the last one given to me by my grandmother; I think she was a Christmas gift in 1980 or so. My doll had a blue, cotton "victorian" style dress and my cousin's doll had the same in red.



I've made different dresses for her over the years, pretty much all of them neo-pseudo-victorian. Recently, I noticed that her wig was disintegrating; the blond acrylic fibers were literally crumbling to dust! This hasn't happened with my other other dolls, some of which are older than her by 2 decades. My first thought was to make a new wig and I just happened to have an auburn hairpiece that I could modify to fit her head. All I needed was to borrow Harri's contact cement!

But then I started thinking about her baldness and what it represented. People who are prisoners in concentration camps have their heads shaved, ostensibly for reasons of hygiene. This act is a ritual desecration of their humanity as well, though; the camp guards forcibly remove the person's hair no matter how clean and well-kept it is.

Chemotherapy patients are another group who often become bald. Unlike the concentration camp inmates, they have a choice whether or not to undergo chemo. But, since the alternative is often death, it's a rigged choice. I lost about 35-40% of my hair when my thyroid became hyperactive, although this was the result of the illness and not of the treatment (radioactive iodine).

This afternoon on the way home from various activities in the center of town (more about them later), I scouted and discarded several possibilities for photo ops for my dolls. The large park near to where I live, Ekhagen, is totally boring and empty. There's hardly any play equipment even and I remembered why I so seldom go there! I didn't expect to find so many possibilities but had hoped for more than just an old, rust water-fountain.

I've been without a fever for 2 weeks now after 2 weeks of the flu and I still feel really weak and tired. Ggggrrrr! I did cut out and start sewing the rust-coloured chemise for my doll. The only thing left to do with the overdress is to sew some type of fasteners on the back of the bodice.

*******************

On the festival front: still haven't heard or read anything from the evaluation meeting so I don't even know if 7H will be in Ulricehamn next summer or if it will move to Borås. I think I will do Dragonfly next year if I can get Susanne or Lola to help me sell my bags. And I've already emailed the people putting on the Ulricamässa that I definitely will do that again in 2010. Can't beat a craft-show that's literally a block away from my apartment! Plus, even though there was a snowstorm during last year's show (which was only 1 day), we still had a lot of visitors. Starting in 2010, the show will be 3 days. :-)

I FINALLY sewed the skirt section to the "brocade" bodice; I'd declared that I wouldn't go to bed tonight until I did! I need to buy some metallic sewing machine threads.  I took some pics of my china doll as well but haven't uploaded them from my camera yet.

1) Go to: Urban Dictionary
2) Search your first name only - though try a nickname if everyone calls you that instead
3) Post it to your journal with at least 5 choice results
4) Tag two people to do this meme.

******These made my day but I'm laughing too hard to copy and paste 5*******

1. Erin is a female who has the body of a goddess and the brain of a genius. Men are drawn to her good looks and her awsome sense of humour. Out of all the females in the world its the Erins who rule.