Thank you by watercolors

This watercolor is for all that follow into my whimsical world. Those that come for just one visit....those that come for several visits....those that come each day....and to those that always leave me inspiration with your kind words. To all I wanted to say "Thank you" for stepping into my world. You are always invited and welcomed!!!

Until next time........Hugs,
Regi

It's Monday Doodle Time!!!

I can not believe that the Chazman kept the same doodle snack bag all week long. Keep in mind that these are just plain old paper bags. Not very thick and they have gone through the abusive "open and shut" of a young child getting his snack out each day.  I think he pouted a bit this weekend because he wasn't going to be able to take the Izzie Lizard to school again this week. I had asked him to decide just what he wanted on his bag for today and he never would answer me. This morning though was a totally different story and he informed me that he had  NOT been pouting....he had been thinking. Ri iiiiiight!!! He said that he really wanted the lazy frog. OMGOSH....had we seen a lazy frog and I had forgotten. Am I really beginning to lost it? AM I.......ummmm What were we talking about? OH YEAH...the lazy frog. HA....haven't completely lost it!!!!

Chaz sits down at the computer and pulls up our photos. It seems that he has a VERY good memory and went directly to the "Lazy frog".

I can't believe that I had forgotten about this lil guy. I have used him in one of my blog post. I told Chaz that it would be a rough drawing since he had pouted taken so long to decide and I only had about five minutes. He said that it would be alright...he just wanted his mommie xoxo doodle bag cause it made him feel like I was there with him. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww....what a sweet child and he is MINE!!!!!  Not one of my better doodles but this one made two hearts smile today.

So...what made you smile this Monday morning? Remember...even what seems to be a small, tiny thing to one can mean a really big thing to another. Make someone smile today!!!!

Until next time..............HUGS,
Regi

Broohilda...the ancient one!!!

The Moon Is High

The Sky is Bright

The Perfect time

for Witches to

take flight

Meet Broohilda, the ancient one of the Southern Ooaks coven. She was hand sculpted using clay and paper fibers. Her face, hair, hands, feet and shoes/socks were sculpted using this paper fiber/clay mixture. Once baked she was detailed using an acrylic wash and paints. Her body is a strong wire armature wrapped in yarn. Her costume is hand sewn using vintage fabrics and lace. Her hat and belt are made from felt. Her cape and bow on her hat are made from a vintage spiderweb lace. Her broom is a cinnamon stick with straw fibers. Her pumpkin head is sculpted from Sculpey clay with glass seed beads for eyes. Her earrings are spiders made from clay. She is one of my taller ooaks as she stands at 19 1/2 inches tall. She is attached to a strong metal doll base that is covered in natural moss.

It seems there are quite a few witches hanging around our old homestead....hope they don't decide to see who can cast the best spell!!!!!

Until next time.....(if I haven't been turned into a frog...hehehe) HUGS,

Regi

Zoe the Young Witch!!

Zoe is new to the Southern Ooaks coven and it's so very plain to see.....that she is going to need some help....that makes the power of three. A spell she tried...that went kinda wrong...to the point she could not hide it. With a twitch of her nose....a point of her wand and the magical words Hocus Pocus....Felix the cat with a very strong humph....bellowed and meowed.....Zoe....this spell really blows. For Zoe had turned a once large, regal cat into something that would surely get lost in her hat.

Sabrina the tiny spellcaster and Batilda the ancient Batty witch are trying really hard not to laugh at young Zoe. Felix is so grumpy and mad that he has planted himself on top of her spell book so no more can she cast until his mouse size is back to a strong beautiful cat. 

Zoe is one of my clay and soft sculpted ooaks in the Witchiepoo series. She has a strong wire armature wrapped in wool yarn. Her face, hands, feet/shoes are hand sculpted out of Living Doll Sculpey clay. They are detailed using acrylic paints. Her eyes are hand painted using acrylic paints and fine MICA powders. Her wand she is holding is sculpted from clay and then hand rubbed with an acrylic wash. There are tiny glass beads, metal beads, a moonstone and gold moon charm hanging on the end. Her hair is Tibetan's lambswool.

Her arms are soft sculpted and made to look like part of her outfit. Her outfit is made from vintage fabrics and felt. She has on cotton lace pantaloons as well as a netting half slip. Her hat is made from felt and ribbon. Her clothes are not removeable. She can stand with the aid of a doll stand. Standing she is 13 inches tall. She has a metal base stool with a black pillow that has a beautiful antique button cover in the middle. Sitting she is 11 1/2  inches tall.  Felix the poor shrunken cat is made from clay and then hand rubbed with an acrylic paint wash. He is sitting on top of Zoe's spell book that is made from clay and rubbed with an acrylic wash.

. Thank you for all of those that have followed the making of this whimsical ooaks. I enjoyed designing her and bringing her into our realm even with a few spells cast here and there...LOL!! 

Until next time......HUGS,

Regi

Spells are being cast.....

It seems that lil Ms. Witchiepoo Zoe has been casting spells AGAIN!!! Don't let those cute little dimples fool ya. She already blundered with her spell casting by turning her big fat cat into the size of a mouse. It seems now that she has done one to me.

I worked on her tiny pantaloons yesterday. Ppppplease......no self respecting witch would go flying on her broom without her pantaloons underneath her skirt.  After those were sewn and put on Zoe (and she did some modeling) I started working on her arms. Since this is a combination of one of my clay and soft body dolls I'm doing her clay hands attached to soft sculpted arms. I got both completed and when I went to attach to her shoulders "POOF" she had two right hands. TWO RIGHT HANDS!! I have been working on her for over a week now and you are going to tell me that I just now noticed this. Besides...I'm a leftie...wouldn't that make ya think that I would have made two left hands. Arrrgggg...in my 35+ years (yes I was a wee baby when I started making dolls "cough..cough") of making dolls I have NEVER made that mistake....with that being said...I am convinced that lil Ms. Witch has put a spell on me.

Her new hand has been sculpted and baked and painted but due to her awful behavior she doesn't have her long beautiful fingernails. I told HER it was because of her horrible spell but really I don't have any more translucent clay. Shhhhhh don't tell Zoe that....I will just let her pout and maybe she will behave herself.

Until next time.....HUGS,
Regi

Wordless WIP Wednesday

It's another Doodle for the Chazman

School has started and it's going to be a very good year. It's hard to believe that summer is gone and I so wish that Mother Nature would realize that too and bring in some cooler weather. It's very much needed, wanted and desired!!!  I don't usually whimp out this early with the heat....seeing how I have lived in it all my life but HEY let's just be realistic here....sugar melts when it gets hot. ROFL....sorry...I just couldn't help myself on that one.

Those that follow my blog know that I draw and doodle on the Chazman's snack bags each day. It's our secret way of me being able to remind him during the day that I love him. Yes, yes...a doodle and little x's and o's. I will do this as long as I can get away with it and if that's up to the time he is in college then so be it!! I normally let him pick a theme and the creatures that live outside our studio window are the choice this week. We could sit all day and watch all God's creatures that play just out of our reach. It seems we have a family of lizards and Chaz loves to watch them. They run up the poles on the patio...chase each other....eat bugs (YUK...that is Chazman's fav thing to be able to witness this feat) and of course sit and watch us. This week we are all about the lizards. Of course, I can't just sit and draw a normal lizard. I wanted one with flare...one that looked as though he not only liked to watch the Chazman but one that might actually speak to him. Meet Izzy...the snack bag lizard and one of the characters that I will be using for a children's story later on.

Doesn't he just exude (is that even a word...well, today it is) attitude. The Chazman liked him so much yesterday that he carefully folded him up...put him in his back pack so he could have him with him again today. My lil man....just makes my heart soar.

Until next time.......HUGS,
Regi

Monday WIP update

Monday mornings are my quietest time of the week. The day to recoup from the hub bub of going here and there the two days before it. The day when hubbikins has gone off to work and the Chazman has left to fill his brain with knowledge. This is my favorite time to work in my studio. It relaxes me....I get to sit and listen to what my muse has been trying so hard to whisper to me all weekend long...LOL!!!!

I'm working on a new witch. I posted some WIP photos of her on Wednesday. Here are a few more of what I have done with her since then. I'm so hoping to get her baked today so I can start putting her together and working on her costuming. I love to make the clothes.....that is when we don't have a battle over what they are to wear. Ohhh yes....they talk to me most the time and let me know that they wouldn't be caught dead in that....or that they would much rather have a red gown than a blue one. Yours talk to you too.....riiiight????

Looks like Zoe needs a manicure....think I will do that before I finish her boots. 

Until next time......Hugs,

Regi

Saw a Promise.....

Seeing a rainbow is something that always makes my heart sing. To me there is almost nothing as beautiful. A reminder of when God washed away all that was bad and started life anew with a promise that He would never again flood the earth. This is how our Saturday morning began!!

Now this maybe be how the day began but it didn't stay that way for long....rain rain rain came pouring down. No worries though...we welcomed it with open arms. It does tend to cool things down a tad bit and with our heat index this summer even a tad bit is a great big welcome. This gave us a reason to go thrift store shopping. All three of us love to go and see what treasures we can find amongst what some may consider just junk. Of course the Chazman found him some treasures....he always seems to. Hubbikins found himself some much needed tshirts to wear to work. You should see what being a welder does to a tshirt. NOT a pretty sight, believe me. Anyone need any dust cloths...LOL!!!!!  I found some beautiful glass bottles....they are going to become collector dolls in the near future. My muse started singing as soon as she saw them.....a witch in her wedding gown.....a bumble bee faery and a ghoulie or ghostie. Found some glass to use for bases too. It seems I have this thing for glass lately but hopefully that's a good thing....riiiiight??

After our treasure hunting, Hubbikins decided we should come back home and take a break and the Chazman agreed. So home we came....the Chazman went to his cave to play with his bag of goodies, the hubbikins went and keep the sofa company while he watched tv through his eyelids. It just amazes me how men can do that....and....OMGOSH....don't even dare try to take the remote away while they are in this state. "HEY...I was watching that" is what will come out of their mouths. I always find this amusing and to make it even more so one day I decided to really get him. I wiggled the remote out from under his hand, very carefully mind you, and then slowly started turning the sound down until I was sure that not only was he watching through his eyelids but his ears had become so insync with his snoring that he didn't even know that I had turned the tv completely off and posted a note on the screen that said "Quite please..the man is watching this."  For some reason he didn't speak to me the rest of the day. But that was a good thing too because I was able to read in peace and quiet. Now that I have totally gotten off on a tangent, let me get back to our day.

As normal with coastal living, it can be raining one minute and clear skies the next. It did rain for awhile (long enough for someone...no names mentioned...to take a nap) but when it finally stopped we decided to go take a walk. On the beach of course. Chaz and I love to walk along the shore and find shells. Chaz loves to find piece of broken sand dollars. He says that they look like monster bones. Do you think he has a muse sitting on his shoulder? We did find a bag full of some wonderful pieces.

Hubbikins likes to sit and watch us and watch all the ships way off in the horizon. While he was sitting he noticed a couple taking photos of something laying on the beach. Of course being the nosey curious folks we are we walked down to see just what had them taking pics. We don't know if some thing killed it or it had just passed on but it was BIG and had the most beautiful blue hues.

Chaz is like his momma and loves nature. We were sad that this lil guy had come to his end but we did get to see one creature that was walking and breathing and was very interested in the Chazman until the Chazman became interested in him...LOL!!!!

There were several visitors on the beach yesterday. The Herring for one....the seagulls singing their song of "Mine...mine...mine" and the tiny little sand pippers that dip their little beaks in the sand to gobble up the tiny muscles and then run as fast as they can before the waves get their feet wet. So many things to see....you could just spend the afternoon sitting and watching and not even realize that the whole afternoon has passed on by. We were just about ready to leave and OMGOSH...a merbaby appeared...I kid ya not.

Ohhhhh oops...it was just the Chazman...hehe. He was watching a school of tiny fish jumping out of the water.
I think he was hoping to see a dolphin chasing it's dinner but no such luck this time.

A day that began with a rainbow ended with cotton candy skies. A most perfect day and one I wanted to share with YOU!!

Until next time.....HUGS,
Regi

Wordless WIP Wednesday

Emerald from the Sea

The sea is always washing gifts ashore. Sea glass that has been tumbled to a beautiful patina.....sand dollars just waiting to be kept in a secret treasure box....shells that look like a shimmering light touched them and shells that hold the whispers of the sea. All of these sea gifts are treasures especially to one young  mermaid. Emerald loves her gifts and keeps them close by. She doesn't come to the surface much as she is very leary of the humans she may encounter there. The other mermaids have told her of the stories of these legged creatures. So she spends her time exploring the sea floor and taking her gifts to a cave under the sea. There she can put the whispering shell to her ear and hear the soft, gently whispering waves that she can only dream about. One day though she will venture to the surface to see if the stories of the humans are true.

Emerald gets her name from her bright emerald green eyes.

Emerald is one of my fully sculpted ooaks. She was sculpted using Super Sculpey Living Doll clay. No molds were used. She has a strong wire armature underneath the clay. Her face was detailed using acrylic paints. Her eyes were painted using acrylic paints and then sealed with a gloss finish with just a touch of green MICA powders. Her hair is fringed yarn and adorned with a tiny seaglass bead. Her tiny scales on her forehead were detailed using MICA powders and tiny real shells. Her whispering shell is one found on one of our afternoon beach walks here at beautiful Gulf Shores.

Emerald's tail is made from the same clay as the body. However, each scale was hand laid to give her a true fish/mermaid tail. Her tail was detailed using fine MICA powders and a glossy finish. On each scale are tiny silver beads. The end of her fin has three real tiny shells gathered from a afternoon walk at the beach. She sits on wooden base that has been adorned with real shells and a real preserved sand dollar. The main shell is an oyster shell. The base was also covered in some of my faux sand mixture. Emerald is attached to the base permanently.

Her fins were made from transparent clay and then adorned with tiny silver beads. Her waist is a beautiful circle of tiny shells that look as if a shimmering light has touched them. 

Emerald loves her treasures. Do you think she even knows that she herself is a beautiful treasure from the sea?

Until next time.....Hugs,

Regi

Wordless Wednesday

Until next time.....HUGS,
Regi