Totally loved Harry Potter yesterday...

I saw it in an Imax theater and the first 15 minutes or so are in 3D. It was so amazing - I felt like I could reach out and touch the characters. So very realistic and the movie was very faithful to the book. Really wonderfully done.

Today I am working on commissions. Taking a little break for my eyes and then I am going to get back to it. Hopefully I will be able to complete a couple of dolls that have been waiting for a long time and take some pictures before I lose the light today.

It is a really hot time here in Florida. The heat and humidity is crazy! I always look forward to the beginning of October when things cool off. Besides I love everything about autumn! Speaking of October and Halloween - here is another picture from a private collection of Dracula's Brides...

New doll!

I just love the classic Tyler... here she is with an Asian-American look - her name is Trini. Today was pretty productive. That is good because tomorrow I am finally going to see Harry Potter... it just opened in Imax and that is the way I wanted to see it. Sooo no dolls tomorrow!

Stayed up too late!

But I do have some pictures even if it is officially tomorrow. Here they are -- the Madra inspired by Angelina Jolie and a Louise repaint named Nikita... she looked Russian to me. Now I am going to bed! Good night!

Oh - you can click on any of these pictures to see it in full size.

Today is a big day for me!

First off I am starting my diet and exercise program. I am also starting a new work schedule as well. Yikes! It seems like a lot but with just a little discipline and I should be fine. I will have something to show later in the day too. I think the Madra repaint is finished... just need to complete her hair. And I have been working on another girl for eBay - so pictures later.

Here is a private collection picture of some of my dolls.

Off to bed..

Well - it was a quiet day for the most part. I am going to bed and getting up early in the morning. I want to accomplish a lot and that means an early morning wake up call. Night! Sweet dreams....

Well - I have been fairly lazy this weekend...

I have way too many ideas and sometimes I think it cripples me a bit. I want to do this and that... but I need to just pick one or two projects and stick with those. I usually take the weekends off. I did mail out everything I needed to on Friday and yesterday I spent the day with Roxy.

This morning I did a little watercolor painting just for fun. It is a good way for me to relax and I don't do it often enough. Repainting a doll is very tiny work and it is tedious. I love that type of work but it can be tiring because of all the details so I can't paint dolls all day. Usually I do all of my best work first thing in the morning when I am fresh. Doll hairstyling is tedious too. It took me hours to get Allie's hair right. I just wanted to flop down in a recliner afterward.

I don't have anything to show today so I found a picture of a Layne repaint that I really liked... her name is Keiko.

Taking a day off >>

Yesterday I took a day off and went to this beautiful shopping area close to Orlando called Winter Park. So many cute shops to walk through. I went with my cousin, Kelli, who I haven't visited in a while. It was a really nice day. I don't get out much so I was glad I did this. Being that I live in such a gorgeous area I need to get out in it more! It gives me the fuel to work today which is shipping and unfortunately not creating a doll!

Finally!

Here is a picture of Allie inspired by Rachel McAdams in The Notebook. She is a repaint of a Lana Lang by Tonner.

I finished up two repaints...

Yesterday I did manage to get two repaints pretty much done with maybe some tweaking this morning. I completely forgot I had some shipping so I need to do that first! Yikes! I literally looked over and wondered why I still had a doll. Eeee!!! But it is only a day or two behind.

Here is a link to some wonderful photography of my latest Bella. And there is also a Jac Designs/Jennifer Sutherland Edward that is amazing too.

http://janesdollhaven.com/Twilight/BellaSwanLL.html

Here is a quick flash picture of the girls I said just above that I was finished with but they need more work. The Madra needs more than tweaking... otherwise they are pretty close to having a completed face.

I am having one of those weeks...

I haven't felt like painting! This is not good. Today I think I feel like it. Sometimes if I just make myself sit there it will happen - other times - not so much. I am working on so many dolls that I feel a little scattered. Gotta make that list again. I notice that when I make a list of dolls to do I can get it done in a more orderly fashion but if I just look at them on my desk as they circle me - well not much happens.

Roxy helped me yesterday. I was painting Rachel McAdams who is just gorgeous but it wasn't really looking like her. She broke down the problems for me and it really made a difference. Ahhh - young eyes. Plus I think sometimes I just look at something for so long that I can't see what is wrong. She will be honest with me and that is something we all need.

Time to get busy! Here is a close up of the most recent Bella I painted.

Off to bed...

I tried to get a doll done on Thursday but it just wasn't happening so I set that aside and worked with Roxy on rerooting. She is really good at it but I should have guessed that. She is really good with small things and she is a perfectionist when it comes to details.

Hopefully I will have a finished by tomorrow but not if I stay up all night!

This is a repainted Gene I named Water Lily...

Roxy is rerooting!

I am SO excited. She wanted some meticulous work to do and behold - I have reroots. So yesterday she and I worked on rerooting all day. She worked on the Lana and I worked on a Madra for a charity event. You don't see many rerooted Madras. Anyway - today I will be finishing up and auction and she is doing her school work. But we will both be back at the rerooting on Friday.

Monday Monday...

Well - I just finished up my auctions and updating my website... I am pooped! Here is a picture of two dolls up for eBay - the Antoinette is new and Lidia is a redo... the Bella really came out nice.

Good Morning!

A new week is here. I should have some commissions to show this week. Hopefully! I did get the new Antoinette Bloom Mannequin and again, I do love her. I just love this new doll. I am looking forward to Spice. I haven't seen her since Idex in January.

One doll I am working on for commission is a Bella from Twilight. She isn't finished yet but here is a peek at her.

I was just going through pictures of older dolls...

I have to say that over the years I still think the original Gene has one of the most beautiful faces and I loved repainting her. I found this Elizabeth Taylor I created back in 2003.

Happy Friday!!!

The week really did fly by. I will be working on commissions all day today and the newsletter over the weekend. I feel pretty good. Even though I woke up sort of late I got 8 hours of sleep and I definitely needed it. Sleep is so important. If I am tired I have a hard time focusing on a doll - their faces are so little.

Here is another Disney Dream Portrait - Rachael Weisz as Snow White.

Finished!

I just finished my two auctions! Here are the girls... one is a Veronique! I haven't painted her in ages and ages!

Busy Thursday...

I am finishing up pictures of two dolls for today. A Veronique as Megan Fox and the Sydney pictured below. Hopefully I will get the editing done quickly. : )This is a quick flash pic of Megan... she likes her hat.

This week is slipping by...

It feels like I am getting nothing done. Grrr!!!!!! I am burning DVDs and mailing them out. It takes so much time! I Just need to focus... breath and focus...

I did try to get to bed earlier last night and I managed to get an earlier start to my day. I showered, did my makeup and hair! That is a big deal. Working at home sometimes means you don't get ready for the day. A terrible habit I have fallen into. But I am turning over a new leaf - I am putting myself on that list. Now to fit exercise in. If I can just get up just a little earlier... it is so hard to work out in the afternoon... sigh.

Dolls on the list? Too many to mention.

Here is a gorgeous piece from Annie Leibovitz's Disney Dream Portrait Series. This one is of Julianne Moore as Ariel featuring Olympian Michael Phelps. You can click on the picture to see it larger.

Good Tuesday morning!

So I am working on so many dolls. I have my hands in a lot of pots. But one day I will just be finished with them all and it will look like I painted them all in one week. Oh so not true. Here is a Sydney I have been working on...

Ahhh - Monday morning...

What to do... what to do. I haven't been to my Facebook in a while. Feeling like painting... might organize my commissions and put them in order. It will help a whole lot. And that list - that one I make in my head every morning... well I knocked off cleaning the house. Did that - and I don't need to go to the grocery store either. I am going to make a doable list - that is what I did on Friday and it was more satisfying at the end of the day that I could accomplish everything on my list. I think if you have a list to look at you just automatically start to get those things done. Sort of like having a shopping list verses going to the store without one. You end up coming home with stuff you didn't need and forgetting half the stuff you did need if you don't have a list.

I have painted literally hundreds of dolls! I was just going through files of pictures which is a huge waste of time - but as I was looking through them I sometimes find dolls that were favorites of mine. Here is Kimmy... she is the Classic Tyler sculpt.

A quick peek at my project >>

This is the project I have been working so hard on. : ) It is a newsletter with lessons for creating dolls. : ) I will update as I go on but I am hoping to complete it within a couple of weeks. It is on the list. HA

I was quiet yesterday!

Actually I have been working on a project so I was just busy. I am creating something that is turning out to be quite a bit of work. I am going to have to do it a little bit here and there since I do have so many dolls that need to be completed as well.

I swear when I wake up in the morning the first thing I do is let these thoughts run through my head of what I am going to achieve today. Here is my mental list for the day:

Answer all my emails
Work on that new project
Mail out DVDs (burn, print, and package them)
Go to the post office
Take pictures of doll things that I need to sell
Edit pictures of doll things and create auctions
Finish at least one commission doll or work on an auction doll
Clean house
Go to the grocery store
Spend time with Roxy

Everyday it is the same! And then I sit here staring at my screen in utter panic because I don't know where to start and I know deep down I can't possibly finish any of it. And there is NO time for me. Where is my shower, exercise, mealtime, etc...

It is no wonder I can't get anything done.

I think I need to sit down and make a list and include myself in it too. A list of what I know I can do today. Whew! Honestly with this way of thinking I haven't been getting much done at all. I literally cripple myself with fear and overwhelming circumstances. And the list above doesn't even include other problems or stresses.

Time to get that list made! I feel better just acknowledging this and now I can move on to doing what can be done today.

I have been busy today!

A friend wanted to know if I could create a Britney Spears out of an Antoinette. So I decided to give it a test run and here she is. I have to admit that I am still loving this doll. I am sold!

Working on Cameo Antoinette...

I am also going to use her for a lesson so when I am painting her I have to stop a lot and take pictures. This always takes so much longer but it is really worth it.

The last couple of days I have spent more time with Roxy than in here. Yikes! We also started that Soup Diet... always fun. I am already tired of cabbage soup and it is only Wednesday. Actually it isn't going that bad. I was a vegan for nine months and just recently decided to stop doing that. I noticed my health and energy was way down so we decided to slowly put animal products back into our diet. Of course steak on this diet will be weird to eat on Friday. I can't believe I didn't really lose any weight as a vegan. It is a huge misconception that vegans are thin.

Anyway - my energy level is going up a little bit everyday and hopefully I will be back to my old self before long. Now I better get back to work! I will post some pictures later on today. : ) For right now - here is something I painted.