DollsArtCats

The old, old magnolia tree in front of out house was in bad shape--it had a great year last year, and then this year just looked sick, and the larger branches were developing cracks, so I decided it was time to take it out. (It was also a convenient way for raccoons to get on our roof). So we had a local company, "For the Trees" come out and remove it and also a lot of stuff in the back. I had no idea they were a huge, professional operation. Picture my surprise this morning when a whole cavalcade of trucks came at 10:30 AM (half an hour early) to discover me with my hair unbrushed and still Before Coffee. At least I was up and dressed. They did a superb job, though there were a few surprises. This is just normal tree chipping. I had a lot of brush and small trees in the back, and they trimmed back a huge maple as well. But when they started on the magnolia, one side cut normally... But the other side cut normally for one second and then there was fluff and feather...

Yes, he is back, he is a megagem, and he's pretty nice! You can see his sales page here .

Isn't he sweet? And he/she also comes in a caramel color! The sales page is here . If you have questions, write via email "admin@resinsoul.com" because the questions under the images on the sales page don't get answered like a Q and A board; I am not sure why-- but Resinsoul answers email quickly and has good English--I have enjoyed buying from them! For the timid, these may also soon be on Denver Doll's Resinsoul page , so check there too in a few days. OK this little pink one is $149.00   ("Spring"), and that is what "Winter" up there will cost, plus a bit more for the horns, other colors and makeup.

I was on the porch, minding my own business cutting apart seed pots with Zinnia sprouts in them, when the cat started growling. I looked out the cat door-- and there by the shed was a ground hog as big, or maybe bigger, than the cat. As J said, "Mr. Skunk is subletting." I walked outside and the 'hog immediately hauled itself into the crawlspace under the shed, so I sat down and waited. Nothing. So I planted the zinnia, and got out the weed wacker, and started to wack (with the camera in my pocket), and looked up to see this hilariously worried face looking at me. The photos are a little blurry because my zoom is tiny and I was braced against the weed wacker and not a tripod, but there the 'hog is. It's a fully grown adult--I have no idea where it's been, but maybe my neighbor disturbed it with his riding mower yesterday. J has been remarkably apathetic about the skunk under the shed, but he is a lot less happy with the groundhog, so I think the plan is ...

As I mentioned in the previous blog post, vermont chick has become my supplier of choice for Iplehouse people, and last week she sent me an NYID Olivia. This Olivia also happens to have a really excellent default faceup, and as usual she is so much prettier in person than even the Iplehouse promo photos would make you think. She also is beautifully cast--for some reason all the NYID girls I have seen have sharp, clean details. Like everyone else, she needs clothes, though she has quite a few shoe choices since she shares her foot size with all the other Iplehouse women, regardless of size. (So nice!) She came with darker eyes, which I also liked--so I am not sure which ones she will keep.  Her eyewells are a lot more of a standard 12mm than the other Iplehouse dolls I have, so all the Glib and Safrin eyes fit quite well, and all the colors I put in her looked great. I was hoping to take more photos of her today but ..it's cold and rainy. Obligatory cat photo: The...

Harace is a chameleon--I'm not really fond of her default makeup, but apparently you can make her look entirely different depending on where you put her eyebrows or how you shape her lips. This jaded Goth girrl Harace is the current auction offering, and just barely above 500.00 at the moment.  I love and hate the auctions--I bought a NYID Bliss and the next week they listed another one with a cute faceup for about 200.00 less than I paid for Bliss, but at the same time it's so fun to see the alternative makeups and styles that the Iplehouse artists come up with. They also have added a Buy It Now button so if you really, really want that particular doll you can swoop down and pick it up; though I am not sure it works if there are already bids put down?  Though at the moment, it seems like vermont chick is my discount Iplehouse supplier--she has downsized all her "big" dolls down to just a few and she now mostly has these little Dollmore and Raccoon Doll cuti...

Akutenshi asked me to check out the Chicago Gem and Jewelry show, and it was way bigger than I expected--we spent most of the time looking at things in the Wholesale section (which I was more interested in than the finished jewelry section), but once we worked our way out into the retail part of it, there was a vendor selling enamel boxes..including a rhinestone-studded platypus. Now tell me how often you see an enamelled box featuring a platypus? I bet... never. :D The vendor gave me his card, and it's here in the middle of the other, unrelated stuff I bought: It's a little hard to read, so here it is typed out: Jay Jayson's Inc Faberge Inspired Collection                                                          Charles Daryanani Vice President 30W250 Butterfield Rd, Suite 301 Warrenville, IL 60555 tel:(630) 393-7458 So ...