Finally all moved and a Fresh Start

My goodness what a loooong almost 2 months!

Well we are finally settled in the new house after many unforseen delays in moving in , still some issues with the house being older especially plumbing as we woke one morning to find that we had a sauna for a toilet! We found the hot water and cold waterlines in the house were crossed and caused all sorts of busted pipe problems EEEKKK , but we are working through them and everything should be normal soon . The last of the moving and renovating happened this Saturday, and I still have yet to set up my office the way it needs to be but it is for the most part unpacked and semi -functional . I have so many little doll projects unfinished I am dying to have a moment to sit and work on them . Another reason I have not really set up my office is that I after long hours of debate with my self I am to be closing VMB, so to organize all the bath and body supplies to me right now is not really worth doing.

Yes , I will be closing shop because with a new start you see things differently and with events and health situations in my life right now it has left me with the hard decision that I must stop stressing myself out, spreading myself to thin in every way and really start to spend more time with my family ...that over all is more important to me than anything I am doing right now. What once was a happy hobby has now become a burden of stress and chaos :( So when you lose the heart to do something you must let it go . It is sad because it took 5 years to make my business with blood sweat and tears but then too what a breath of fresh air this will because there is no more made to order , no mad rush for turn around times and no dealing with delays of suppliers , and yes ...no holiday rush!! I will begin to focus my energy and creative thoughts toward my art and dolls so here in the next few weeks will be adding some new projects up for sale on etsy and ebay and finally being able to keep up with fellow bloggers , My Space and eventually FaceBook and Twitter! A lot of change in my life but for the better! Not only for my family but my own sanity and I look forward to more tranquil moments from now on. Like... a full 8 hours sleep instead of 4 or 5, baking, gardening, curling up to long talks on the couch with my hubby, and tea parties in the back yard on a blanket with my little girl before she grows up and tea parties with mom are just a little girl memory.

Here is to New Beginnings!

~Nina.

Gone for a while :)

Just dropping in to say I will be gone for a while. During this time I will be moving to a new house and trying to set up my studio again which I am excited about and can't wait to show pictures! Packing right now is such a task as I am a bit of a pack rat and am having difficulty deciding on what goes to the new house and what goes to the curb... eeek.!
I plan to return to making dolls and opening up shop for VMB again around Sept 10th... so until then Dark Kisses and see you soon!
~Nina.

Etsy Shop now open!

I opened an Etsy shop a while back but never listed anything. So finally I got around to making a few ornament dolls and listed them this morning . It is a start, as I get more stock and add more lovelies you will see more of my pin cushions and boxes rather than dolls like what I sell in eBay . This shop is perfect for the what-nots I make every now and then that I don't want to list on eBay so you will get some ooak things at a buy it now price with no waiting on an auction to end. Do drop by and view the ghost doll ornaments Lilah, Lily, and Lenore all great to add to your Halloween tree! Simply click on the same image you see on this post but in the right side bar of my blog under my eBay listings picture.

Masquerade Doll

I love to play around with different sculpting material, from making my own home made clay or using a local artist friends (Through the Sea Gate )recipe of old fashion bread clay ,to paper clay and paper mache . This time I used paper mache and found that the bumpy texture that is the finshed product is quite unique and does very well when trying to give an aged look to your work . So in playing around in the wee hours of the morning this past weekend, I created a few doll busts and set them on candle stick holders and old vintage bottles ..even wooded dowels for fun Halloween and Spooky sceptors. The first to be finished was a doll stand called "Halloween Masquerade" now on ebay .

She turned out to be quite a lovely piece and wonderful to set upon your table tops and mantles to add a little gothic Halloween Masquerade touch to your decor this season . I have her on top of my piano where I display most of my dolls and take my pictures as it makes for a wonderful dark back ground.

Oh which by the way,I don't think I ever mentioned that my piano was a new addition to my home decor a few months back . Up above is a picture of when we first got it. I bought it for a mere $25.00 and it is and old 1950's or 60's cherry wood ,Stratford Piano that took 6 men to bring into the house one rainy afternoon . My husband was one of the men behind the brawn that brought it into the parlor and often teases me by saying " if we ever move the piano is staying with the house!" Ha ... think not! It took me 13 years to get another piano to replace the one I left in Texas that I had since I was 9.. not going to part with it any time soon!

I so enjoy playing it when all is quiet and everyone is asleep up upstairs. It is another creative release of mine outside of making art, I create and compose my own songs where I escape into yet another world filled with music. I find it good to have a choice in of doors in which to open and escape from one world to the next when you find that you need a break from things.

New kitten and our other fur babies!

Here she is, little Luna! The little stray cat we took in recently and a fuzzy and playful addition to our family . I finally got her to sit still long enough by having her focus on a rubber band above her... Geeez she is active! I love her coat, it's a smokey, mystic color with a silver sheen to it and she is sort of fluffy ... has a tail like a squirel ...he-he . She reminds me of my old cat I used to have in Texas who was grey as well, we called him "Church" ... yep you may have guessed it, it came from Stephen King's Pet "Pet Cemetary". She is so very shy around other people but when all is still and you are on the couch she comes to you for some love'n. Things are still new for her but she will come around and soon enough I will have her posing with pumpkins and witch hats for cute Halloween pictures...I know, I am a big geek ;)

Well, I could not take pics of just one fur-baby with out showing the rest so here are some li'l snaps of our other darlings .

Here is our 12 year old cat , she is old and wise and has a very regal pressence to her we call her "Seis" because she amazingly has six toes on each front paw!

Here is my mama's boy Boston mix dog "Sméagol "( remember we are big Tolken fans;) who loves to smile at you with is massive underbite , sometimes he looks like a little bat or gremlin with his toothey grim :) He crouches when he walks .. poor thing , a habit he has from being insecure and fearful as we he was abused at one time .We rescued him from our local human society and fell in love instantly. I never was a dog person until we adopted him and now he is my sweet little furry shadow who follows me where ever I go .

I do hope you enjoy these! :)

Halloween Bat Girl

"Halloween Bat Birl " now listed on eBay , a perfect little gal to add to your Halloween decor that is for sure. I had a hec of a time making and wrapping the clay candy and lollipop to add to her little jack-o-lantern ( tiny items can drive a person to drink I tell ya ) but it worked out in the end ..and the drinks too ;)
I have about 3 more dolls to list this week and still working on some items for my etsy shop as well ...not to much to start with but enough . I am having so much fun I tell ya I feel I could just burst with Halloween joy and oh ....only 73 more days til then!
I also have to tell you about the new addition the family,.... a sweet little grey kitten we took in that we named "Luna". We named her that because of the gorgeous , silvery, grey fur she has ...I can't wait to show you ! I will have pictures of her up her soon, as I have not had a chance to take pictures of her while she is cat napping or lounging, which is not often as she is very active and all I can get are blurred pictures of her running by . It does make for a cool and spooky picture though :) More to come !

Halloween Art and Purple Witches

The last two doll I created were indeed the last of the poisoned summer themed dolls that I will make until next year, now on to Halloween and Haunted Art ! Oh yes , it is my fav-o-rite type of art as I have so much fun creating for the season . I have listed now on eBay a "Purple Witch Spell" doll complete with her familiar cat and spell book to kick things off and will be listing a bat doll , another cat doll and some oujia ladies.. also a few ornaments. I have had my mind on creating some topsy turvy dolls since it has been ages since I created one of those so this weekend I will play arond with some ideas. Also toying with the idea of opening an ETSY shop for small dolls and ornaments but more info on that as the days go by. Do drop by for a spell and visit the new gal on ebay, you will find her quite enchanting :)