Blythe dolls — Page 43

Just What I Needed

February 5, 2023 at 8:58 am by Claudia

What a week it has been. Actually, three weeks.

Our dear friend Adrian is now on the heart transplant list. For some reason (we had a bad connection so we lost this bit of info) the insertion of the machine to help his heart pump is not considered the best idea for him now. We had a long talk with him the other day from his hospital room. I hope we can speak to him today, as well.

I’m still shocked about the show I was involved with not moving to Broadway. The cast had received notices that contracts were coming and that it was a done deal. There is so much disappointment among cast members – and me. I’m in a conflicted position on this one because I know the reason why it didn’t move forward and it involved someone I know and love, so I understand both sides of the story. But, on a personal level, I lost out on income I was counting on. So I understand, but I feel a little anger, as well.

So yesterday, I attended a zoom meeting hosted by an online Blythe friend. Her guests were the two women, mother and daughter, behind the account Play From Your Heart. They make the most whimsical hats and accessories for Blythes and I’ve long been an admirer. They live in Germany. Hearing their backstory was inspiring. They were speaking to us from their studio, surrounded by their magical creations, and I was so grateful to be there. So grateful. I needed some magic and whimsy. And I got it. I thanked them for that, briefly mentioning it had been a tough couple of weeks, and the opportunity to play, to visit with people who are creative and charming, and also to be with like-minded Blythe lovers – well it was just what the doctor ordered. I almost didn’t go, but I ended up logging on at the last minute.

Wren attended because she is wearing one of their creations. The beret.

I want to buy a couple of their wonderful hats for Blythe dolls but will have to save up for those. The reason Wren (and Lily) get to share this little hat is because it’s smaller and less expensive. I love it.

Anyway, I desperately need an escape these days and the girls and their world provides that for me.

I’ve considered selling Wren and Lily because we could use the money. But every time I look at them, I see those beautiful faces, the worried look on Wren’s face that reminds me so much of me as a little girl, and I can’t. Yesterday, as I was telling Don about the zoom meeting, I was holding Wren. He took her in his hands and said how much he loved her face and eyes. Then he held Lily. And then he whispered, “Don’t tell the other girls, but these two are my favorites.” I told him I had been considering selling them. “You need to put that idea out of your head,” he said.

So that’s that. At least, for now.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Sketching

February 1, 2023 at 9:52 am by Claudia

I don’t mind saying that the Sparks/Hill household is a little down at the moment. A round of well below freezing temperatures is in store starting tomorrow and that doesn’t help. We’ll be listening to the sound of drips from the kitchen faucet again. I really can’t complain about that as we’ve had warmer than average temperatures this winter.

Let’s see, a positive…it’s sunny today. There’s still a little snow on the roof of the shed and on my windshield – that will be gone later today when I drive to the post office to turn in our PO BOX key. I completely forgot about it yesterday.

A quick little sketch from the other day.

These are nothing to write home about, but they’re fun and they provide a very much needed creative outlet. Of course, my biggest supporter, Don Sparks, raved about it and insisted on taking a picture of the page. God bless him. He’s the best guy in the world. He said it reminded him of a New Yorker cartoon/sketch and I suppose he’s right.

The idea is to do a quick sketch, maybe 10 minutes max. I use the same pen I use in my planner – it’s an excellent Pentel Arts Hybrid Technica .05. I first ran across one of these at a local art supply shop. It has a very fine point and I love a fine point, especially when writing in my planner. But I suspect it’s used as sketching tool more than a planner tool. During the middle of lockdown, I purchased a big box of pens so I wouldn’t run out, but there are only a few left. So, the other day, when we were in a neighboring town, I bought another one and advised a woman who was checking them out to buy one. She was looking for a sketching pen for her friend who is in a nursing home. At the age of 93, he wants to sketch. Bravo! I also bought some Tombow markers, another tool that I use frequently. I’m not ready to haul out the easel, but I am ready to do some sketching. There’s a whole category of sketching called Urban Sketching and I run into those accounts on Instagram. The detail is extraordinary! The skyline, a street, a building, detail on a building – all of that is included in this category. I am really just a doodler, if that.

Not quite finished yet with The Dictionary of Lost Words, but I’ll finish it this morning.

We have a free trial of HBO Max going at the moment. I have to tell you, a series called The Last of Us, is – to my mind – a must-see. It’s based on a video game, which would normally make me yawn and say “No.” But we didn’t know that when we started watching it. We just knew that a lot of people were raving about it. It’s about the world after a fungal disease takes over and kills most of the population. It’s beautifully done, but last night’s episode, with Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett, may be one of the finest things I’ve ever seen. Episode 3. Extraordinary. I can’t stop thinking about it.

They’re releasing new episodes on a weekly basis and we watched the first three episodes on Monday and Tuesday.

When I’m down, one of these cuties usually lifts my spirits. Yesterday, it was Madeleine.

Keeping me company on the sofa.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Monday Restart

January 30, 2023 at 9:29 am by Claudia

We were pulling in our driveway after the memorial service and the late afternoon sun was lighting up our house. So I got out and took this photo.

Love when that happens.

We are taking it easy, trying to find some balance in what has become an out-of-whack life. Don has talked some more with Adrian and the feeling is if the surgery is successful, he’ll have much more freedom than he’s had for the past year or two. He’s been basically anchored to his home and the beach (they live in Ventura, CA) but even walks on the beach have often had to be curtailed because he was out of breath. We’re not sure yet when the surgery will be. In times like these, we wish we were still out in California, if only to be there with Adrian and his wife, Margaret, while all this is going on. We love it here, but we sometimes miss California in the winter – and now.

Have you seen the movie Belfast? Don and I watched it the other night and it’s simply wonderful. It’s written and directed by Kenneth Branagh and is about a family living in Belfast in the 60s. The cast is wonderful. The little boy at the center of the story is brilliant (and his last name is Hill, hmmm….my Irish ancestors came from Northern Ireland…perhaps a distant relative??) And Judi Dench and Ciaran Hinds are, as always, excellent. I recommend it highly. It’s incredibly heartwarming.

I’m trying to fill my days here with something creative. I’ve taken to doing a little pen and ink sketch a couple of times a week – I have a little Moleskin notebook that I’m using. My thought was to sketch things at various rehearsals, and I did a sketch during rehearsals for Noir (the project I just finished.) Obviously, that can always be an option, but since we’re not headed to Broadway with A Man of No Importance, there’ll be no more sketches like that for the foreseeable future. But I’ve done one of the sofa in the den and the table next to my chair. They’re impressions, really. Don says they remind him of New Yorker sketches.

By the way, Darko tells me that the two performances on Friday for theater owners went very well. Fingers crossed.

And I’m starting something I did once before long ago – way back in my San Diego days. I’m filling a notebook with Morning Pages, as talked about in The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. They are pages written first thing in the morning; stream-of-consciousness style. You write every thought that comes in your head, with no editing. Three pages, every morning. And they’re private. The goal is to clear your head for the day ahead. If you’re like me, your brain is teeming with thoughts every second and the moment I get up, my brain goes into overdrive. It’s also a form of meditation. I write them with one of my fountain pens, which makes the process even more pleasurable for me. You don’t need to reread them.

Hopefully, I’ll get back to painting soon, as well. But I’m not motivated enough yet.

Last week, on my Blythe IG account, we had a prompt for “A Doll a Day January”, which is being done by one of the Blythers. I’ve been doing it off and on all month long. This one was The Beatles. Here’s what I came up with.

Holly and Harper are examining our original 45 of I Want to Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There. They aren’t sure about these guys. We’ll have to school them in all things Beatles.

Posing these girls so they would stay erect while sitting, as well as getting the 45 to stay in place took quite a while and more than one curse word was heard.

Reminder for those of you who send me mail at our PO Box. We are not renewing it as the cost has increased way too much compared to how often we use it. So if you want to send me something, contact me. It expires tomorrow.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Just What I Needed

Sketching

Monday Restart

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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