DollsArtCats

These came today from CandyWorld on Etsy ! They went out on the 8th, so it was a little over two weeks to arrive--not bad for a little packet from Poland that had to go through customs! They are fairly low dome and very bright--I haven't decided who gets them yet (the "temporary" sculpey ones I made were actually good enough I have been leaving them in.) Magda has a whole bunch of new eyes in now, you should take a look--her prices are reasonable, too. Yesterday we went on a nature hike at Herrick Lake--normally we just walk around the lake, but there are long trails that go back into the forest. We chose poorly though, and went on one that borders the local golf course-- so it wasn't all that scenic, even if it was good exercise. We came back to the lake and I took a few photos as the sun was setting: You can see the first hint of gold in the trees. It's starting to feel like fall. There was a giant moth in the shop, too, probably looking for...

Just pix today--I cleaned windows and read a Charlaine Harris book (Midnight, Texas), and went in the evening with J to Herrick Lake. Aside from that, not much got done :D

Today I worked on redoing someone else's book cover for a small publisher. I actually enjoy doing these finish/repair projects a lot, even though they pay less, because a) I feel like I can only improve what was there before if the publisher was desperate enough to entrust it to me, b) Usually whatever there has a good core idea in it that I can just polish up, and then it's like archaeology, carefully taking a brush and uncovering the good parts and neatening up any untidy parts and c) I'm not starting out with a blank file, which is Not Fun. All that white. Also, sometimes there is a funny story why it wasn't finished. Other times I don't ask :D The photo is one I have been hoarding for ages to use for something, it's a Lego Old Testament set, or also "what I was hoping would be the end result of the polliwog project".

We have 3 frogs! Also 2 pollifrogs. Putting the plants in was incredibly helpful, I think--we lost two of the polliwogs but I think the rest are becoming frogs. And random peonies! They never last long enough, sadly,

He's not really my frog, but he lives either in or around the pond. I have startled him once or twice into jumping into the pond (I won't see anything, but I will walk up to the pond with fish food or dechlorinator or one of the hundred other things-in-bottles that have to be measured into the pond, and I will hear a splash and see something frog-kicking it's way down to the bottom of the rock pile.) We spent most of the weekend outside, me planting plants and J working in the shed, and that is how I happened to walk by the pond and saw the frog sunning himself on one of the rocks on the side. He stayed long enough to get his picture taken. I don't know what he's eating, but I hope he stays..and maybe invites a couple of friends over as well.