Working the holiday

Mr. Gadget and I are back in the Concondo after a nice, hot, busy two-month stay on the west coast.  Although I do enjoy our travels, I'm always happy to get back to the Treehouse and my projects.  This Labor Day weekend I'm laboring on witch dolls. I'm going to have quite a few to deliver to the old hotel for their fall show.

I've been giving thought to slowing down on my craft production next year.  Maybe just do one show instead of two.  Maybe do more writing.  Maybe write my memoirs.  I've been making dolls since the early 1990's--right after I shared a craft table with a friend.  She made a few hundred dollars on her dolls and I sold one lousy appliqued sweatshirt.  Duh. That was a no-brainer.

Now I've come up with a new doll idea.  Every year I make dolls from patterns I've used repeatedly, but I always branch out and design a couple of new ones.  Some sell, some don't, but I enjoy the challenge.

The new pattern idea is a witch--a primitive witch--and I can see some potential for making other characters. A chef maybe.  A Santa probably. Quite possibly most of the characters I've made with my other patterns.  So I may just slow down some, but not too much.  You know how much I like to make stuff.

So, the month ahead will be a busy one for me.  Witch production will continue, and next week I'm having the first of two cataract surgeries.  The second surgery will be two weeks later.  And then on Oct. 3, I'll be taking the train to NYC to meet up with Big City Girl.  We're going to see a puppet show!

Oh, remember the little clay earthquake bird I made and left on a bookshelf at the Calcondo?  It's been replaced by an earthquake ladybug.  She sits on the rock wall just outside of the front door.  I figure it's going to take about a six-point-o to knock this little gal off her perch.