A couple of new dolls...

I wanted to share a couple of new repaints. First is an original Gene repaint named Joan. Second is a Veronique named Carol Ann who is available on eBay right now. Her link is on my website... www.laurieleighart.com.

I have repaint DVDs available...

through my website or on eBay. Watch me paint dolls in real time as I explain the process. I also have a rerooting DVD too! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at beautifulfaces@cfl.rr.com.

http://laurieleighart.com/dvds.htm

or

http://shop.ebay.com/beautifulfaces/m.html

I will be offering more DVDs soon, including hairstyling.

Britney will be getting her hair done soon! Check back....

Repaint Lesson - Twenty-Two

Next I added more shading in the iris with black and more color with burnt sienna over the feather-like highlights I had put in with Goose Feather. After that I added a little bit more shading on the eyelids above the crease using a mixture of Coffee Bean, Hot Pink, and Burgundy. After that I added the lashes in Black using my smallest, finest brush. Then I watered down the black even more and shaded the bottom of her eyebrows – but only slightly. I then added a tiny bit of Goose Feather to upper part of her eyebrows.

The repaint is done! Next to come will be hairstyling!

Repaint Lesson - Twenty-one

Next I added the pupil using black and a tiny bit of Burnt Sienna in the iris.Taking the finest, smallest brush I have, I added tiny hair like strokes to the iris working from the pupil out. I then added three tiny white “shine” dots in white to the pupil. Her eyes are very dark so I want them to sparkle. I also worked a little under the eyes to even everything out. Using Coffee Bean I touched up the bottom line and using Goose Feather I touched up the inner eye line. I also added a few outside lashes to the outside corners of her eyes. While her eyes are finished underneath they still need more on the upper eyelid, lashes and more color and shading in the iris.

Repaint Lesson - Step Twenty

Next I used the same pastel colors on the end of a Q-Tip to shade her face and blush her cheeks. A trick is to dampen the Q-Tip a tiny bit, add your pastel colors (I am talking chalk - not oil) and blush her on her cheeks, hallows of her cheeks, hairline, and jaw. I often use my thumb to blend the color into the vinyl.

Repaint Lesson - Step Nineteen

Well I am much happier now and feeling like I am getting somewhere. Using a toothpick with cotton wrapped around the tip I blended together four pastel colors and shaded her nose. I darkened the nostrils with Burnt Umber and highlighted the tip of her nose and around her mouth with Goose Feather. She is starting to come alive.

Happy Tuesday!!!

I will add more repaint lessons later in the day. I still have all of that shipping to do and I WILL be completing it today.

On Sunday night a friend and I headed over to Halloween Horror Nights. We had so much fun! We rode The Mummy and had some really good scares. Monday morning I was completely useless. My feet hurt, I had a scratchy voice... but it was fun!

Yesterday I finished up a Gene repaint and got a few other things done. I had dinner last night out and again, had a wonderful time. This morning I got up and made some Apple Walnut muffins. I have the recipe here... they were delicious!

Apple Walnut Muffin Recipe
Preheat oven to 350

5 Tablespoon Butter
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
2 Cups Grated Apples
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour (I like whole wheat pastry or white)
2 Teaspoons Baking Power
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts (I toasted mine in the oven)

Cream butter and sugar... add eggs and mix well then add the grated apples (grated apples will be juicy - that is okay). Let the apple mixture sit for about ten minutes. While that is sitting sift all dry ingredients (except walnuts) and set aside and toast the walnuts.

Slowly mix in the dry ingredients and blend well. Add toasted walnuts.

This makes around 18 to 21 muffins depending on how big you want them. I made 21 and baked them for 22 minutes until the test stick comes out clean.

Enjoy! XOXO LL

Blocked!

This week has been so strange. I haven't accomplished much with my work. I read Halo's blog and she had a part about painter's block. Very interesting and super helpful - thank you Sam!

http://halorepaints.blogspot.com/

Check out Sam's blog... it is full of information.

My painter's block has turned into more than that... it is literally a worker's block. I sit down and stare at my things. I am behind on shipping in a serious way. I haven't put anything on eBay in several weeks. The only thing I am pretty caught up on are my commissions - however I haven't mailed them.

The problem is that this is my only source of income as it stands now so when I stop - well so does my money. I am not just sitting around. I have been cleaning and organizing, going out and having fun... so what is my deal with the shipping? Here is the dilemma. I wake up and come into my office. I spend way too much time on the computer. Then I have to decide between shipping and painting. That is like deciding between getting paid or not! I get myself in such a frenzy sometimes I end up doing nothing with my work at all!

Goodness... so what I tell myself is always the same... "tomorrow is another day." And so it is. Somehow over this weekend I plan on packing the million things I need to ship. I will also email everyone to let them know about the delay. That is so very important. Most people really just want to be kept up to date. Everyone I am behind on is overseas (that is why I haven't shipped because I can't just put it out for the mailman to pick up). On Monday all I have to do is head to the post office. I have a Gene repaint in the works that I can finish up on Monday as well. I also have things I have already photographed to sell. I will be fine, I always am.

Mostly I remind myself how happy I am with what I do. I forgive myself a LOT. I love that my house is cleaned up. My 18 year old daughter is very helpful and I can ask more of her. She is also driving now which is another plus. I am very blessed! I have been in far worse situations and the sun still came up the next day. I look at all of the good in my life.

Regardless if you work for yourself, are a homemaker, or work outside of the home there are always challenges.... I think the best way to stay focused is to be grateful for everything you do have in your life and not be too hard on yourself. There is so much to be happy for. Always look for that over the chaos.

Lots of hugs!!! LL

Happy Monday!

So I have already posted a bunch of repaint lessons below. If you are following the lesson remember that you can click on the pictures to make them bigger. I hope the lesson is helpful!

Had a peaceful weekend. Caught up with Glee... cute show. Loved the Britney Spears episode. Really funny. I did a little keep up on the house but really had no major plans. On Thursday I went to Halloween Horror Nights but it was SO incredibly packed I only ended up going into one house. I still had fun though.

I have some deadlines I plan on making today! I am about ready to get busy with that. A little more coffee please! I have lots of pictures to take and post. Hopefully today - if not then definitely tomorrow.

I did my first 15 minute cleaning spree in my office and I took before and after pictures. I am going to save them for later but I was really shocked by how much I actually got done in only 15 minutes. Of course I have messed it up a bit since then - I better get 15 more minutes in this morning before I mess it up some more. It will only be my second 15 minute cleanup since Thursday. I was suppose to do it every day but hey - stuff happens.

So off I go to get lots of work done! Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday! I am leaving off with a beautiful rendition of Poker Face by Lea Michele and Idina Menzel performed on Glee. Gorgeous voices.

Repaint Lesson - Step Eighteen

Using a combination of Folk Art Burgundy, Apple Barrel Hot Pink, White, Goose Feather and Burnt Sienna I worked on the highlights and lowlights of the lips. Working from the lip line I feather in the highlights - shaping the lips. Once I am happy I mix together Hot Pink and a tiny bit Burnt Sienna (to soften the intensity of the hot pink) and do a super thin layer over the lips to blend away the harsh lines and bring the colors together.

Repaint Lesson - Step Seventeen

Right away I notice the lips are too dark. But they are coming along the way I want so I am going to add Burgundy because I want a pinker hue. Using Titanium White and Goose Feather I added more highlights to lighten the lips.

Repaint Lesson - Step Sixteen

In this step I took the Burnt Sienna and Hot Pink in equal parts and created the outline. Next I am using Goose Feather with a combination of the other to colors to built highlights and shadows using the picture I have as a guide.

Repaint Lesson - Step Fifteen

At the lip’s crease or where they part I mixed two parts Hot Pink to one part Burnt Sienna and started building the color from the lip crease out. I use a lot of water to keep the paint thin.

Repaint Lesson - Step Fourteen

Using Burnt Umber I drew a line in for the lip crease. I want to measure the length of her lips with her irises but I am noticing that the irises might not be even now that I have built on makeup. So I am going to fix that before I move back to the lips.

To do that I will balance the iris using Titanium White and then I will draw them back in the same way with Black and Burnt Umber. I don’t paint over the irises and start over. I use Titanium White on the outside and then I go over the irises outside line again in Black and then I filled it in again with Burnt Umber. I was able to go back to the lip crease and lengthen it some more since I had something to measure it by. I feel like there is more balance with the eyes now.

Repaint Lesson - Step Thirteen

I want to fill in the eyebrows a bit now. I feathered in wispy hairs using the Burnt Umber in Golden paint. I went over that with a light wash of Coffee Bean to soften the color. That is all I am going to do on the eyebrows for now. I will come back to them later.

Repaint Lesson - Step Twelve

Next I painted in the upper eyeliner in Black and a little bit at the bottom corner of the lower lid. I also mixed Burnt Umber and Black and shaded more in the outer corners of the eyes and the eyelid for more depth and a smoky eye makeup effect.

Repaint Lesson - Step Eleven

Next I went over the eye shadow again in the same pattern using Burnt Umber in Golden. My paint is getting darker as I go and closing the gap in that eyelid. I also mixed together Burnt Sienna in Golden with Hot Pink from Apple Barrel and painted the inside corners of the eyes and the line just under the iris. So far this looks sort of silly but it will work out in the end. Next I am blending my Coffee Bean with Hot Pink again and working on thin layers between the dark crease of her eyelid to her eyebrow. I am going to leave the highlighted part just beneath her eyebrow light using only Goose Feather for blending the darker and lighter shades together for good dimension.

Good Thursday morning!

I have been fairly quiet the last couple of days. Just painting and creating. I can't wait to share some of my recent dolls too! I have an Ice Queen and a new AvantGuard repaint as well as a Wu Gene.

My office is a mess! This is very distracting and distressing for me. Creating is best done in an organized environment but I haven't taken the time to really clean in here. I am thinking about trying the method I learned off of flylady.com. She suggests setting your timer for 15 minutes and only cleaning for those minutes. Often we believe that when we clean we have to do everything at once, literally setting aside a day that we simple can't justify. That means that we keep putting a cleaning day off and the mess continues to grow and make us a little crazy. 15 minutes a day is time we can all spare and would really add up. I think I will do that experiment and get back with you. I will take a picture today and every day after 15 minutes of cleaning and see how I progress.

For now I am going to share a few more repainting lessons and get myself back to work.

Happy Thursday! LL

Repaint Lesson - Step Ten

Next I added more Goose Feather Apple Barrel to the inner corners of the eyes and then I mixed Hot Pink in Apple Barrel with Coffee Bean in Folk Art in equal parts and went over the lids, a little big above them and under the eyes as well. I am starting to shade the outside corners of her eyes underneath to give her that puppy dog look.

Repaint Lesson - Step Nine

Next I paint in the first layer of eye shadow using Coffee Bean in Folk Art. I paint it darker on the outside corners and lighter toward the middle having put no paint in the center of the eyelids. I already know this is going to be tricky because the doll has big eyelids and my muse today, Britney Spears, does not. I can work my eyelid line down with shading and build my eyeliner up.

It looks terrible - doesn't it! Just remember this when you are painting. Keep it as clean as possible and your layers very thin. There are many more layers coming. In the end, your doll will come alive.

Repaint Lesson - Step Eight

After they are balanced I fill in the color with Burnt Umber in Golden Paint. Her eyes are going to be dark brown but for now this is all I am going to do with them. I am moving onto the eye makeup next.

Repaint Lesson - Step Seven

Next I place my irises with Apple Barrel Black. They are uneven so I am going to use Titanium White to balance them and make them as even as possible.

Monday Monday...

Soooo - I didn't have a really good night's sleep last night. One of my adorable babies, I won't name names, kept waking me up. To clarify, I didn't go to sleep until after 3AM. Roxy and I discovered Glee.... we are on the 10th episode of the first season. Couldn't stop watching! It is like a drug.

Little bit of a slow start this morning. COFFEE PLEASE!

I had a great weekend. Even though I work at home I treat my weekends no differently than anyone else. I do occasionally work over a weekend but mostly not, well other than laundry, house projects, etc...

When you work at home sometimes it is hard to get back to work on Monday since you don't have to wake up at a specific time and you don't have a particular "boss" to answer too. I would absolutely love to sit my ass in front of my TV and watch more Glee today. I could even justify it by saying I am tired because of last night and couldn't possibly be expected to create anything. So how do I motivate myself to come in here and get my butt in gear? Just like anyone else who has to get up and go to work. I know I have responsibilities. I know I have made promises. I love what I do. I remind myself that I am very lucky and should appreciate rather than begrudge. I also think about the people I will make happy. You don't know how many emails I get when people receive their dolls that say I have made their day.

So if you have ever considering starting your own 'at home business' but you are not sure if you have the discipline... just know that if you have the discipline to get up and go to work then you have it in you to do it for yourself. It isn't like you suddenly don't have the responsibilities you had before. They are still there. Sure, you have different worries and stresses. Following your dreams is very satisfying... I promise.

When I left my job to pursue being a full time artist I was petrified. First off, I didn't get the support at home. I did it anyway though. I really and truly believed in myself. I didn't start as a doll artist. I was painting watercolor fantasy art and selling it on eBay. I had been painting at night and working in the day. When my artwork was selling enough to match the salary I was making at my day job I decided I could quit my job. It had always been my plan. A goal I was working towards. It was met with much resistance. Basically I had been working two jobs. Roxy was about 7. I would pick her up from daycare after work and literally pass out on the couch I was so tired from staying up late at night painting. Of course I didn't do that every day. But I was afraid to quit my job. Afraid of the fight I would get. Afraid that I wouldn't be successful.

The first months at home were pretty good but soon more artists discovered eBay and before long I was painting more and more to make up for the sudden competition. I was aware of dolls when I left my job but it was felt that they were a waste of my time and I should focus on my painting. At first I resisted working on dolls because they took more time and I wasn't much of a seamstress. Later I discovered straight repainting. I knew deep down that dolls were my future. I was a cosmetologist as well as an artist. Faces are my favorite to paint. I love hairstyling. I love makeup. It was a match made in heaven.

More than ten years has passed since then and I couldn't be happier. I feel like I am ever growing and changing... evolving with the times. As an artist it is important to continue to explore what thrills you and trusting in yourself.

Today, think about what makes you happy. If you have a dream... write it down. If you see someone doing something you love, find out how they got there and literally follow their footsteps. Don't buy into your own self doubts. Don't let fear control your destiny. Believe in yourself. Know you are as deserving. Know that you are smart enough. I am not saying to start your own business because maybe that isn't what would make you happy. I am saying to follow your dreams. I am saying to trust yourself.

Have a wonderful Monday and remember that life is too short and too precious to spend a moment of it in a place you don't want to be. Follow your heart. Find your happiness. Live your dream.

XOXO LL

FRIDAY!

I don't know how it was for everyone else but this week FLEW by for me. I really feel like I got a lot accomplished too. The house is neat! Listen - I still have problem areas. Does anyone have one of those rooms that is the catchall? I certainly do. My office is also a big old mess right now but I can close that door. : )

My cousin sent me a site ages ago - www.flylady.com. It helps you get your house in order one little step at a time. I think I will do this. You can find flylady on Facebook as well.

On Wednesday I went to breakfast with Shannon and after we ate we took a trip to Walmart where I bought flour sack towels to make my "un-paper napkins" with. Now Shannon said she likes her to be two-ply but I decided to try one-ply. I am completely happy with them that way. I got six little "un-paper towels" out of each flour sack towel. I seamed up the edges, washed them, and put them in a little basket on my counter. Basically I now how cloth napkins but I love them and the idea. If you want to use them when you repaint remember that acrylic paint will not wash out of cloth. You can use them over and over - but only for painting. : ) I will make myself a set just for that and eventually weed out any and all need for real paper towels. I believe Shannon said I would save about $300 a year and that is not too shabby.

I guess it is time for me to get busy. Have a little breakfast (I still have those muffins) and post a few more repaint lessons.

Have a safe and happy weekend! LL

Repaint Lesson - Step Six

Using Burnt Umber in Golden Paint for the top lid and Coffee Bean in Folk Art for the bottom I outlined the eyes. I like to build my colors as I go. This is the first layer and starts to shape the eyes. Again – keep the paint very thin as you work. You can always add more to deepen the color.

Remember - you can click on the picture and make it big so you can better see the details.

Repaint Lesson - Step Five

Using Goose Feather in Apple Barrel Paint or Titan Buff in Golden Fluid Matte Acrylic Paint, I water it down to a watercolor consistency and paint in the eyelids up to the eyebrow, around the eyes underneath, and the inner corners of the eyes to create highlight and a nice canvas to paint on. The paint adheres well if you do this first. I know it doesn’t look great now but remember you are going to be adding layers of paint over this. It is a very thin coat, like a light wash of paint.

Hello Thursday!

I will be posting a couple more repaint steps shortly but wanted to make a quick shout out to the world. I stayed up entirely too late last night. I was out first of all, then I came home and watched Survivor. After that I read a little bit in bed. I love that Kindle! I think lights went out at 3AM.

Roxy woke me up somewhere around 4:45AM to show me her crazy face makeup. I have attached a picture. The child is a complete night owl. Love the makeup! I went right back to sleep and woke up somewhere around 10AM. Decided I wanted muffins so I whipped up a batch I found on the internet.

Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins


Ingredients

* 2 cups whole-wheat flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1/3 cup honey
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 tablespoons orange juice
* 1 cup carrot, peeled and shredded
* 1/2 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 14 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together yogurt, vegetable oil, honey, vanilla extract, and orange juice in a separate bowl. Gently fold carrots into the yogurt mixture. Stir yogurt mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Gently fold raisins into the batter. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups until nearly full.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 12 to 13 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 146 | Total Fat: 4.4g | Cholesterol: < 1mg

They were good - not very sweet though. I admit that the raisins I didn't add might have made a big difference. I don't care for cooked raisins so I would add something else sweet - like dates next time. Roxy and I had fruit with them. Yummy!

Today I am doing a combination of doll work and house work. Washing my sheets right now while blogging. : ) After this who knows. I need to make a list for the day so I can fit it all in.

Have a wonderful Thursday! LL

Daily Affirmation: Life supports me in every possible way.

Repaint Lesson - Step 4

I am using Raw Umber in the Golden Paint.

I painted in where I want my eyebrows to be. Using a picture of a real person helps a lot. I can look for how close her eyebrows are to her eyelids and how close together they are in the middle and the length compared to her eyes. Usually I just get them marked in and go back later to really fill them out. Right now I just want to know where they should be.

TIP: You can use a pencil to draw in your eyebrows lightly.

IF YOU CLICK ON THE PICTURES THEY ARE REALLY BIG! YOU CAN PRINT THEM.

Repaint Lesson - Step 3

STEP THREE:
Next I mix black and white and shade the eyeball. I am going to use Medium Grey from Folk Art for this as well as Golden Titanium White which is much smoother than craft paint and Apple Barrel black for the soft quality. I also used Apple Barrel Country Grey.

Repaint Lesson

Look here daily for updates. I will try and post one of two new steps every day! I hope it is very helpful for those of you who would like to repaint! Have fun!

Supply List

You won't need everything on this list. I wanted to give a complete list of what I have and use daily.

Acetone Removing the manufacturer’s screening.
Rubbing Alcohol Removing the residue from the acetone.
Cotton Balls For cleaning an entire face with alcohol.
Q-Tips For removing the factory paint.
Toothpicks For getting into tiny crevices and more.
Paint Brushes To paint your doll with.
Paint Palettes To hold the paint.
Paper Towels Paper towels or napkins for wiping your brush.
Doll of your choice Whichever doll you decide to work on.
Basic Pastels For blushing.
OttLite Lighting is very important.
Haircutting Combs For styling your dolls hair.
Bobby Pins For hair.
Drinking Straws For doll curlers.


Golden Sealers

Golden Sealers are about $7 to $10 for the 4 oz size. I buy all of my Golden Paints from www.italianartstore.com except my Polyurethane Topcoat Matte – I paid about $18 for the 8 oz size of Polyurethane Topcoat Matte directly and only through www.goldenpaint.com (call 800-959-6543).

Liquitex Varnishes will run about $5 - $10 for an 8 to 16 oz bottle.


Golden Polyurethane Topcoat Matte
Golden Polymer Varnish with UVLS (Satin)
Liquitex Medium Viscosity Acrylic Matte Permanent Varnish Flexible Surface
Liquitex Medium Viscosity Acrylic Gloss Medium & Varnish Flexible Surface

When using additives and Mediums it is best to use the correct product lines together. I would not add Golden Retarder to my Folk Art Paint. I would use Folk Art’s product. However I do have my Golden Acrylic Flow Release in the water that I use for everything. It is a very small amount and has never been a problem.

Golden Additives and Mediums
Golden Additives and Mediums are about $8 to $9 for the 8 oz size

• Golden Acrylic Flow Release
1 part to 6 parts water.
• Golden Retarder
1 part to 6 parts paint.
• Golden Fluid Matte Medium (used with Fluid Acrylics to make them more matte)
1 part to 3 parts paint.

Golden Matte Fluid Acrylics
This paint is very matte.
Prices on Golden Paint range from $6 to $12 for the 4 oz size.

BASE COLORS – The colors I always use. I can paint an entire doll with just these colors.
• Titanium White
• Titan Buff
• Burnt Sienna
• Burnt Umber
• Raw Umber
• Carbon Black

EXTRA COLORS – Eyes and Lips
• Anthraquinone Blue
• Dioxazine Purple
• Green Gold
• Jenkins Green
• Phthalo Blue
• Prussian Blue Hue
• Raw Sienna
• Turquois (Phthalo)
• Yellow Ochre
• Pyrrole Red
• Napthol Red Medium
• Quinacridone Crimson

Golden Fluid Acrylics
This paint leaves a shine.
• Cobalt Teal
• Violet Oxide
• Quinacridone Violet
• Quinacridone Red
• Prussian Blue Hue
• And so many more!

Folk Art and Apple Barrel
These paints are generally matte.

• These paints found at Walmart can be used to create an entire doll for a much better price. While I use these colors as well as Liquitex at times, I prefer Golden and use it more than any other color.

Paint Brushes

• Scharff 3000 3/0 Fine Line $6
• Scharff 400 6/0 Spotter $11
• Loew-Cornell 7650 18/0 Spotter $3

Where to buy your supplies:

• Italian Art Store (www.italianartstore.com)
An excellent source for Golden Paint Supplies
• Golden Paint (www.goldenpaint.com)
For any information you need or to buy Polyurethane Topcoat Matte
• Scharff Brushes, Inc. (www.artbrush.com)
Professional brushes
• Jerry’s Artaroma (www.jerrysartarama.com)
Loew-Cornell Brushes and Liquitex Varnishes
• Sally’s Beauty Supply or any beauty supply store.
Bobby pins, hair combs, perm end wraps, acetone, etc…
• Joann’s Craft Store (www.joanns.com)
A variety of lighting with a magnifying glass - $100 to $300.
• Wal-Mart
Rubbing Alcohol, Q-tips, cotton balls, paint palettes, craft paints.
• Cherished Friends (www.cherishedfriends.com)
A major supplier for fashion dolls – fast, friendly and helpful.
• Michaels Art Supply (www.michaels.com) or any local art supply store.
Generally an excellent source for paints, brushes, palettes and sealers.
• www.ebay.com
Best place to market your art!

Free Repainting Lesson... Getting started!

If you have never repainted before you will need a few items to get started. I use several different paints but many professional artists use craft paint from Walmart or their local craft store. You will need a palette or a paper/plastic plate, a cup of water, paper towels without print, toothpicks, acetone, Q-Tips and some decent brushes. Brushes are not something you can go cheap on. I buy mine online but you can get them at any Michael’s or local art store. Look for a complete list of supplies in this newsletter.

Your set-up will look something like this. Something you will definitely need is good lighting. I have a big window and a magnifying glass with a light. I bought it at my local Salvation Army Store. It was a lucky find. But you can buy them online or in craft stores such as Joann’s.


STEP ONE:
I used regular acetone to remove the face. It is quick and easy. All the while I am thinking about getting my mannequin Antoinettes and I can’t wait! No face to remove. Thank you Robert Tonner!

When you are removing your factory face paint remember to be careful to not let the product run into the hair, drip on the body, or run down the face. It could ruin your doll so be careful! YOU CANNOT USE ACETONE ON THE DOLL BODY!

STEP TWO:
I start with painting the whites in the eyes. It is the first step for me always. I paint the white a little outside the lines of the dolls sculpt. Antoinette has really big eyelids and I want to widen her eyes and reduce the look of her eyelids.

Here is the link...

http://www.janesdollhaven.com/index.html

Making lists to get you through your day.

So it is Tuesday morning and I am still a little bit on a high from all of the work I achieved yesterday. You know when you have one of those days where you do everything on your list! It is a great feeling at the end of the day.

Tomorrow I have a couple of non-work things planned. Little things for just me so making a list and getting those things done today will leave me feeling guilt free tomorrow. Planning things for yourself is so important. It is vital really. I love what I do but I also love spending free time with people I care about.

Here is a doll I completed yesterday. She is on eBay right now. Her name is Twila and she is a 16" Tonner Mannequin Antoinette. I love Halloween!!!

Oh yes - and I also got a link yesterday to some "at home" pictures of my dolls! I love seeing these and hope you enjoy them too!

Twilight dolls Jacob, Alice, and Bella! I believe there is more than one Bella but she will say on her site which one is mine.

Good Monday morning!

Just sitting here with a nice cup of coffee reading an article about stomach problems. Of course it states that I should skip the coffee. Hum.... I do love my coffee. If you find yourself taking any kind of antacids this article might help you. It is hard for me to give up my coffee... maybe herbal tea?

http://www.healyourlife.com/author-caroline-sutherland/2010/10/lifeshelp/get-healthy/are-you-hoarding-antacids?utm_id=HYLNews

I have been up since 8am. Yep - that is right. After taking the dogs out and giving all of the animals a nice proper good morning hello I grabbed that coffee I probably shouldn't have (it is Starbuck's Sumtra - one of my favorites) and started reading my emails. Then it was onto Facebook. After that I played around with my blog templates and messed up the layout... discovered I couldn't get it back the way I liked it and decided it really didn't matter that much. Now - I need to go wake Roxy and and have some breakfast. Looks like I will be skipping the wheat, per that article, and having something delicate. No dairy! Fruit? Who knows.

Maybe I will eventually get to work!

Have a happy and prosperous Monday! LL

kandee the make-up artist: When Bad Days Attack!

kandee the make-up artist: When Bad Days Attack!: "Have you ever had a bad day? Are you having one today? Let me share with you some sparkles of joy to turn your bad day right round' baby, ri..."

So much to be grateful for.

Well, sadly I seem to have been too preoccupied with Facebook to update my blog. So much has happened since June. The time for Halloween Horror Nights is already here again. I will write more on that later and give my full evaluation of the experience once I have gone several times.

My life has changed so much this year. It is funny how quickly things can turn around. I always remind myself that if things can turn for the worst then they can certainly turn for the better. Right now I believe I am on the turn for the better. I have had my share of disappointments, setbacks, and really bad choices. Over the last two years I have felt so completely overwhelmed to the point I wondered how I was ever going to make it. I always did... I know I have experienced some depression which left me feeling crippled creatively. As an artist I couldn't sleepwalk my way through my work. It just doesn't work that way. As a parent I felt such tremendous guilt and failure. How could I let my daughter down like I have?

Still, I kept my head above water. Sometimes I would get a little help. Sometimes I would just fight through it. I know there are many of you out there who understand what it feels like to have such heavy burdens coupled with people who look to you for all of the answers.

At the beginning of this year I decided to take my life back and in many ways I have. Again, I have experienced setbacks, many that were my own doing, but I have improved so much since last year and I continue to strive to be a better me. To really take care of myself, my family, my home, my livelihood. And most of all to really and truly be grateful for all of my many blessings.

It occurred to me the other day that I really am a very lucky person and I do have so very much to be grateful for. I don't know how it escaped me before. Focusing on all of the positive aspects of my life can only bring more positivity. Just last week I broke down in a fit of tears over finances and yet, this week I have managed to pull through it just fine. Last week it seemed completely hopeless. This week I am full of hope.

If you are reading this and you have felt hopelessness please see this video to help you through that dark day. It is by this adorable makeup artist named Kandee Johnson. Enjoy and keep smiling!

Laurie Leigh