Checking in!!!

Well, I'm back. I'm going to have to try again with the "unplugged" week. It was a busy week since my husband and I were in his brother's wedding and I didn't really completely unplug--I am addicted to the internet! However, I did succeed in getting a lot more bear time in, but instead of having a couple of finished bears to show, I now have eight bears in various stages. I guess I'm still having focus issues, but at least I have focused on making bears for my show!

Six of the in progress bears are Little Floppies in an array of colors.



As you can see, my new "Production Supervisor" keeps a close eye on my work!



I also spent part of the week working on a project with Brendan. He has written a book about me and my bears! He really wrote the text with only a little editing from me, and he designed the pages. He's a good little writer and I have saved so many of his school assignments because he liked to write about family members. I had taken a lot of photos of a bear in progress for a presentation I was doing last year and he used those to create this book on Shutterfly. He's so excited that we can have it printed and we plan to donate copies to both his school library and mine.
Here it is:

Click here to view this photo book.

I've got to get back to work, so I have something finished to share!

It's Summertime!!!

Well, school is finally out for both myself and the boys, and we are so ready. They are ready for a break, and I am ready to switch gears from teaching to bears and dolls so I have something to take to the Sauder Village show in six weeks!!
I have not been as productive as I had wanted to be during this, my first week out of school, but the boys are in full out summer mode--sleep overs,swimming, and major squirt gun battles in the yard!

I have had some studio time, but I still am finding myself distracted...





Isn't she growing fast? Actually though, even though she's always right there with me (she's on my lap asleep as I type this) I can't blame Missy for my distraction. I can't even say it is my sons keeping me from being productive. They have been keeping themselves quite busy so far. No. THIS is my distraction. THIS--being here in this chair, looking at this screen!!! I think that the internet is a wonderful place for an artist to read, learn, search, and be inspired. I love looking at all kinds of different arts and crafts on here. I love reading doll and bear artists blogs, and connecting to artsy folks in forums, but there are dolls and bears in my head waiting to be made and there is a show coming up!!! So as of right now, I'm declaring myself "unplugged" for a week! I will not surf.I will check my email only once per day, and limit my time doing it. I have a couple of bears in the works right now, and I am hoping that by the time I post here again next Friday, I'll have those two and one more finished for you to see. (hope I can do this)
See you in a week!