Thrush and my New Year's Resolution

I've been working hard but I've been super sick. If you know me, you know I'm slacking and would wonder what's going on. Besides suffering from bad allergies and asthma, I have "thrush". It hurts so much - it literally feels like my throat was burned -- the sting never stops. It's a lot worse than Strep. I've slept only two hours in 48 hours and so I'm starting to get a little goofy.

Why am I sharing this? Because I have so many cool things to add to Shop 66, so many new art projects I'm working on in the Studio, and lots of information to share with all of you but sadly I'm moving at a snail's pace. And now I need to slow down even more, a sloth's pace, so I can take care of myself. (I'm guilty of working too hard.)

So my New Year's resolution is to take better care of myself!!! I need get more rest; I need to improve my nutrition; and, I need to exercise every day. It's not new to me to take better care of myself - it's just something I've not been doing lately.

Please be careful and safe tonight and have a happy New Year's Eve!

See you in 2008!!

:)

More Goodies!!!

A big thank you to all that visited Shop 66 last night!! A thank you also for being patient as I load up more goodies throughout today, tomorrow, etc. Etsy has it's limitations so the ability to upload many things at a set time is difficult and almost impossible. My items are unique and require some time to add to the Shop.

I've received numerous requests on international shipping. Yes, I'll ship to anywhere. My new items include "everywhere else" shipping rates. However, if you are placing a large order, please submit your order but hold on paying. I will send you an invoice through Paypal.

Please convo or email me if you have any questions.

Here's a peek at more items I'll be uploading today:

Are you ready?

Last TGIF 2007!!

It's our last Friday of the year! So TGIF!!!

:-D

Today was a day of discovery and arrival of new things! I felt like I spent a big portion of my day just unwrapping things. I received a Rinkya shipment today. Again, I can't say it enough, Rinkya is just so satisfying for a collector like me. I find things on Yahoo Japan I find no where in the States plus Rinkya helps set up searches for me when I can't seem to find something or I'm not using the proper terminology. Just look at some of my things.

I also had a chance today to sort through my vintage valentines and select many for pinback buttons and magnets I'll be making. Here's one of my favorites:

My favorite new vintage discoveries/findings of the day were boxes of mint vintage wrapping paper and very cool tins and boxes for storage. Here's my favorites:

I just love having unique and unusal storage containers. It compliments all the vintage stuff I collect. Reminder: Set your clock! I'll start uploading my new items Saturday night at 11:00 pm EST.

:)

Announcing Shop 66 New Vintage Goodness!!

COMING DECEMBER 29TH (10:00 PM EST):

Felt Appliques from Japan
Chalkware Banks
Kitschy Pins & Brooches
Dollheads from Japan
Craft Miniatures including Deer, Gnomes, Etc.
Novelty Keychains, Necklaces and Rings

Stationary and Paper

and START YOUR VALENTINE’S DAY SHOPPING JANUARY 2ND (10:00 PM EST):

Heart and Locket Necklaces
Valentine Pinback Buttons and Magnets
50’s and 60’s Valentines Day Cards
Mini Mohair Teddy Bears
Kewpie/Cupid Pins
Kawaii Charms

Cute Trinket Boxes

Heart/Valentine Rings

****NOTE: INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING WILL BE INCLUDED ON ALL NEW ITEMS!!! ****

Visit Shop 66 now!!!

Please contact me if you have any questions and/or item requests! Happy Shopping Friends!!!

:)

Collecting Favorites: Creative Kokeshi Dolls

Happy day after Christmas! It’s a big catch up day for many so I’ve made my blog entry today simple by sharing a favorite collection – Kokeshi Dolls

As far as I can remember, I’ve admired and/or collected Kokeshi dolls. Their simplicity and beauty is what always draws me in. My collection started out very young when I received my first cheap traditional, tourist pair from my Aunt who had lived in Japan and had several boxes and coffee cans of cool Japanese trinkets and toys. When we would visit she would let us sort through her collection and select a few things. I did not start collecting seriously until I was an adult and moved in to a house where my Kokeshi became a collecting focal point in my main room / living room. My collection has not extended into Kokeshi themed art.

Here’s just a little about Kokeshi (from Wikipedia) and some of my favorite dolls:

“Kokeshi, are Japanese dolls, originally from northern Japan. They are handmade from wood, have a simple trunk and an enlarged head with a few thin, painted lines to define the face. The body has a floral design painted in red, black, and sometimes yellow, and covered with a layer of wax. One characteristic of Kokeshi dolls is their lack of arms or legs. The bottom is marked with the signature of the artist.

Traditional Kokeshi (Dento) dolls shapes and patterns became particular to a certain area and are classified under eleven types. Creative Kokeshi (Shingata) allow the artist complete freedom in terms of shape, design and color and were developed after World War II.”

Many people in Japan also believe that not only does the Kokeshi doll represent an ornamental piece, but also a lucky charm, some even suggesting that it will keep away evil spirits from the home and protect from fire because of the mizuki 'water tree' wood often used to make the dolls head.



Happy, happy Wednesday!!! Enjoy shopping, socializing, resting, reflecting….
:)

A Christmas Message

2008 will be great!!

Your friend @ Studio / Shop 66!!!!
:)

Have a Wonderful Holiday!!

I Told You So

I've been working on a series called - I Told You So. It' a merge of my original art with many of my collection of vinyl and plastic dolls and toys. I am a fan of artist vinyl toys these days and so this is just me playing with my own art on vinyl. I'll be posting my favorites on my blog and progress work on flickr.

The background / burned image on this doll is from a collage titled "Punch and Judy Dreams." It was drawn on vintage Punch and Judy play pages that were sewn together. The images were drawn with pencil and pen and colored with oil pastels. I scanned in the original work at high resolution and only manipulated the saturation a tiny bit to keep the original integrity of my work. The doll is a vintage peewee doll with a unique face. I have a collection of similar peewees but they all have a traditional 70's smiley face. This one little peewee has unique big eyes with girly eyelashes and cutesy mouth. The doll was photographed and then layered with the collage.

Have a Super Sunday Evening!!

:)

Happy Hoodie Holidays

For quite a few years now I've been collecting a menagerie of hoodies. Above is snapshot of my collection. Yes, it's all silly and a tad bit immature but they're my staple of wear around the house, studio and when running errands.

I'm sure many of you remember the late 80's through the mid 90's shameful oversized shapeless shoulder padded cardigans, Cosby sweaters, and thrift store old man golf sweaters --hoodies were a welcome change! It was a natural transformation for me - I religiously wore hoodies (or hooded sweatshirts) all through my childhood in the 70's (and sometimes under a down vest). I also cut up and repurposed many a sweatshirt in the early 80's. The best part of the hoodie trend is many great hoodies feature some of my favorite artists and designers work, ie. Tokidoki, Gama Go, Obey Giant, Princess Tina, etc.*

So hoodies are just more art I collect and wear!! I do not think I'll ever stop wearing and collecting hoodies if the art and design trend goes away but I promise I will never go for a leather or suede hoodie or at the other end of the spectrum - the ladies matching track suit.

*Go to www.giantrobot.com for great hoodies and other cool stuff.

Stay Dry! Keep Warm! Wear a Hoodie!

:)

Day Two

Day Two - in bed - all in an effort to be well for Christmas!!! Boring but I'm entertaining myself watching teen and kid movies - Superbad, Simpsons Movie and Ratatouille. And then I watched Johnny Depp in The Libertine....twice (HBO)? I love Johnny Depp.

Anyway, I've been busy planning for my new shop items (vintage and handmade). Great things are coming - I promise! :)

AND today I added UK shipping to my shop listings. Please contact me if you want me to add your country to my shipping charges!

Everyone: Have a great weekend. I'll try to blog but now I'm days behind in Holiday errands!! Wish me luck!! :)

Do you like my new chair cushion? Isn't it cute? It's a Little Odd Forest cutie!!! EVERYTHING is cute in the Little Odd Forest.

Lots of lots -- lots of fun!

Today was a sick in bed day for me so I reorganized my smaller collections, shot some photos and played with them digitally.

So here's one of my favorites creations:

Lots of Lots

One of my favorite things is to find items in lots.

Here's a peak of my secret and not so secret stash.

1. Happy Little Holidays, 2. Collecting Sorting Madness - Vintage Avon Pins, 3. Fun with Lots - Flocked Bears with Bad Outfits, 4. Wood Finger Puppets, 5. Re-ment Wonderful, 6. Angelheads, 7. Baby Dolls, 8. Mod Rings, 9. Christmas Embellishment Finds, 10. Cute Vintage Avon, 11. Lots and lots of Dolly Darlings, 12. Vintage Playing Cards, 13. Vintage Dollheads, 14. Vintage Little Craft Things, 15. Vintage Kewpie Pins, 16. Vintage Cardboard Dolls, 17. Bagged Dollies, 18. Vintage Appliques from Japan, 19. Homemade Kitschy Angels, 20. Wood Angels and Nativity Pieces, 21. Sailor Moons Trapped, 22. 100 Dolls in a Box, 23. Angel Doll Heads, 24. Pixie Elves Unite!, 25. Little Animals, 26. Keychains, 27. Vintage Deer, 28. Josef Dolls Lot - Who will I keep?, 29. Lot of Kewpies, 30. Vintage Avon Glace Pins, 31. Enamel Stick Pins, 32. Doll Head Bottles, 33. Vintage Appliques, 34. Enamel Pins, 35. Love is...vintage patches, 36. Wood Bathers

Enjoy your Thursday evening!!

Happy creating!!

:)

Etsy Favs: Finding New Art

Briqui Bear by Timssally

I've been finding some amazing art on Etsy lately (and snatching some of it up). I love browsing for new art and it's amazing all the different mediums artists can offer to share their art. Anyone can buy an affordable little piece - pinback buttons and magnets, ACEO cards, digital prints, small paintings, etc.

Here's just a few of my findings:

Happy Day by Ulmer

Duplicate by Double Parlour

Story Time by The Vintage Sister

Oh my deer! by BukuBuku

Home Sweet Home by RosieMusic

In conclusion, support your fellow artists!!

:)

Holiday Madness

Yes, it's crazy and exhausting but I still love all this Holiday madness! For one thing, shopping is no problem for me - I just find more cool stuff while on my quest for gifts. I also love to put together gifts for my friends and loved ones because honestly (and this is corny), the best thing I get from Christmas is the pleasure of giving gifts and sharing with others.

I'm proud to say that almost 100% of my shopping this year was handmade, vintage or from local shops. It's always been a value of mine and it's nice to see it's shared by thousands of others.

My worktable is all setup and my studio expansion is almost complete. I just have to put up my two new glass cabinets and I'll be ready to start working!!

Clean space!!!
Look at all the stuff waiting for new cabinets!!

Now it's off to finish packing my boxes and drive to the post office to get my gift off to my loved ones! Check my blog late tonight for Wednesday's Etsy Faves - I have discovered some new shops I adore.

Happy Wednesday!

:)

Collecting Madness Passed On

If you visit my flickr photos (ggmossgirl) you can see I'm an obsessed collector. I admit it. It's madness!

It's not only the artist part of me - to cherish and seek out things designed and created by others - I collect for comfort. I was a baby sister and spent a lot of my first few years alone during the week while my brother and sisters were at school. And I also spent a lot of days sick in bed - with allergies and other stuff (ie. measles). So spending all that time alone and in bed I made my own pretend world with little things I collected. I was always looking for things to add to my little world. (For more about my collecting and my silly analyses of collecting madness - see my feature on Etsy's Plushteam blog: Where of where are all my plushies going?)

And so I never stopped and naturally I passed this madness to my daughter. Sam is now 21 and lives in her own cool house and has her own collection. I know my collection at 21 was cool, but hers is way better. I know I've directly contributed to her collection through gifts and such but she's inherited the same eye and passion for collecting I have. Collecting madness passed on.

Here are some cool photos of her bench of vintage and weird dolls and plush:

(These photos are all natural - I didn't even adjust how they were organized or displayed. Forgive me Sam!)

Until next time!!

SHOPPING DAYS LEFT? DO WE CARE?!? LET'S FORGET!

:)