Well, it is sad...

I was sad to hear about Farrah Faucet's death, but it was something more or less expected, after her brave battle and all the long time of illness.
What was a complete shock was Michel Jackson passing away the same day, and in such an unexpected way. I am sad for his children more than anything.

Strange things...

I've been merrily working on some tiny dolls for the ADO challenge, and I'm telling you, I'm afraid I was too close to the elements (play The Twilight-Zone music in the backgrownd):op
After I started working for the one elf of the Water element... it rained, here in California, in the summer! Then when working on the one representing Earth... My mushrooms were conjoined, my flowers have been doing crazy things, like, the bougainvillea took over the hibiscus, and the passion vine climbed all over the roses... is it the Earth element's elf's fault.... or just me being a lazy gardener?? You be the judge! ;o)







Oh! and we lost the electric power. We were in the dark... worst of all: we were in the dark WITHOUT computer ho-ho-ho ;o) jk!
97 happy degrees outside and feeling like pizzas in here. The electricity finally came back somewhere around midnight, as I was thinking to grab a pillow and go to take a nap at the 24 hour open grocery store.
I'm not sure if I should blame the "Fire element" doll as well, since I had just finished the last touches on that one at that time....


Now I'm afraid of even get close to the "Air element" elf hehhehee

I am working on a little story for them as well.... :oD

New ADO video, dolls in Spanish and new look!

I will start by my blog's new look, tho it was the last thing I did... and by accident! I wanted to add and remove some page elements (to the left menu) and puff! I deleted one thing which contained my backround! I panicked and couldn't replace it... waaAA! So anyway, I went back and started from scratch, ended up with a new look. Hope you all like it! It is bright and whimsical isn't it?? :oD

Now the news: I finished the second ADO video; please take a look and let me know what you think. Vote in the video and if you want to see more, just subscribe to my channel in youtube.




I will be participating in the ADO ELEMENTS Challenge with my tiny elves :oD


Also I am thrilled to say I joined a doll group in Spanish called AMA. Many doll artists from Spanish speaking countries are present. So exciting! I will be making a nice slide show for them as well in a few weeks.
(Personas interesadas pregúntenme como entrar al grupo!)

On a personal note I have to say: Life is easier with a dishwasher... Yard work sucks when it's too hot.... Weeds should automatically disappear on eye-contact.... and slugs are hideous little critters! :oP
Ta-ta for now!

Summer, dolls and stuff

Well, summer vacation is here, school is over.... yaay? Kind of yay, maybe lol
Hard to keep kids busy and the craft going, much less listing... how do everyone else does it, I wonder? I need to put my act together. My older one finished his freshman year and my younger one is going to Junior High.
I finished 2 of the tiny elves I started under pressure (the dishwasher drama) and here are some pictures, they are around 3 inches tall.




Now as for the dishwasher drama..... after waiting for 3 weeks for the repair man to bring it back, he came and re installed it and left ...then I noticed that the timing was weird: the quick wash was like 5 hours!? and the longest wash only 15 minutes....?? So I decided to test it and it started to smell like burnt stuff!! oh--my--gosh.... Forward next day, they come, test for a long time, re program the buttons to adjust time, and convince me that it will smell like that because of the new liner inside. Oh well. If my house burns down you know who to blame. >:o/

In other news, after months of insisting, finally my daughter convinced me to get her a Guinea Pig. He's the funniest little thing! :oD

Time sure flies!

These past weeks went up so fast and I was not even having fun! heheh OK, I had some fun, but I mayor and lesser dramas going on.
In no particular order: We went to a wedding, we had to get a math tutor, my husband was very ill with fever for a whole week, and my dishwasher is still broken and I am still waiting for that repair man.
Note, every situation was completely unrelated to each other. The only thing in common is that I was involved in there. Just in case you wondered. :oP

While waiting for the repair man I went on a sculpting frenzy, so here are the faces, the quarter is for reference, they are tiny!


Now I have to make the rest of the little body parts ;o)
OH!! And remember the little elf with no hair I posted not too long ago? She decided she wanted purple/pinkish hair and a hat. What do you think? I particularly think she looks darling with her hat on :o)
Next to her is her albino elf friend. He has been showing a bit of a tantrum... see the lip? hehehe



I almost didn't want to post, so that the ADO video was the posting on top, but I am about to finish the next video, so I may as well blog today. If you join ADO after watching my slide show, let them know it was because of me (Ayala Art) and they will give me a dollar per each new member. Just kidding!! hahahaha They won't give me anything but I will feel happy ;o)
I hope everyone will have a nice, healthy and safe Memorial weekend!

Slide show

I made this slide show for ADO (Art Dolls Only) and it shows the work of many doll makers. I hope you like it, I sure liked working on it!



If you want to see more of the artists, visit the squidoo lens made by CheriV HERE where you can find more links, pictures and great information.

What I've been up to lately

I hope everyone had a great Easter and Spring break!
I have been dealing with a terrible case of a broken dishwasher. I won't go into the gory details, but it started by a recall since the beginning of March, and neither company (the store where we bought it, and the manufacturer having a recall part) has been successful in finish the mess they started. Four technicians later, I have the washer's guts under the counter and the door in pieces in a box... and they told me it was going to be a 15 minutes job... ha! 15 minutes and 2 months more like it.
Anyway, back to the artsy part of my post, here's a picture of the paintings I've been working on.



I had left my canvases for the clay, and I am very much into dolls (I am making a video for ADO, I'll post a link when I upload to YouTube) but I also get the itch for the brushes and paint tubes :oD

I also finished remixing -finally- the Odysseus video book-report my son made. He got an A+ We laugh all over again, it's such a silly thing!
Oh... I love this! Have you heard of Susan Boyle ? Get a kleenex. That's one CD I'm getting.

Cool video and Avatar comments

Well, first the good news and then the comments:
I am thrilled to announce that one of my dolls is on a video made by CheriV, from the group ADO (Art Dolls Only) Enjoy... then read about my avatars...



OK, Here's my question/comment: Like most crafters/artists nowadays, I belong to different groups online and I guess some people have their act together much better than others, as in more uniform with the same icon everywhere...and I have been using any ol' avatar that I can grab at the moment, because usually one size doesn't fit all, so.... In order to go standard I have been changing most of them into only 2 avatars... and my blog picture.
OK, then it's 3.
I think I should change everything to the same avatar.
I was going to use the first one everywhere, but in ning it just doesn't work because of the proportions, so I use the second one. The third one I use in OG, but will update with the eye soon.

Plus my blog pic, that I have been using since 2005.
....geez that's 4 LOL ....Didn't I say that I had a lot of them??
Now I wonder, should I change my blog icon into the eye avatar?

Website's new look, and baby elf WIP

Last night, somewhere close to midnight, after months and months of working off and on in the updating of my website, I finally finished. HERE is the old look I posted months ago.
And HERE is the new look which includes dolls, WIPs, ACEOs, paintings, cool links on tutorials and how-to on all the stuff I love. Unfortunately I lost all my page hits and counter in the process... oh well....
I hope you can visit and enjoy it. As hard as it was for me to settle into one style, it was a lot of fun and I am glad I am done.... for a good while anyway! All the updates will still be here in the blog, but there's one thing missing... items in my store and auctions!! lol
Here's a new baby elf I am playing with. She still needs her hair, but she has not told me yet if she likes purple or yellow better. :o)

Stuffy noses, Spring, and a Raffle

It's been 3 long weeks of sick people here in the house. They took their turns one after another and of course I was the selected, reluctant nurse lol
I still have circles under my eyes, but the good thing is that miraculously I did not get sick.
We are having the most appreciated spring weather around here. I am so happy! some needed rain, cool breeze and sunshine! I was missing the sunlight so much.
And along with Spring came the great news I won a raffle from one of my doll groups. I was SOOO thrilled! I got the sweetest ladybug, made by my friend LaDonna ID clayconnection59 on ebay.
Just look at her, I love it!!

Before February is gone...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Groundhog day, Valentine's day, President's day, Mardi Gras, and why not, Ash Wednesday as well...

Updates, OK, The video I talked so much about some postings ago went great. We got an A+! yaay! I have to shorten it a bit to unload it here, it's too big so "whenever if ever" I will upload and post. It is actually a very funny video, and it is educative as well, since it had ti be based on the Odyssey.

Now as for dolls.... I have been finishing all the half-finished projects, so the poor things can be done.
Remember the one picture with several DOLLY heads? I just finished the smallest of them, and if I may say so myself, she turned out pretty cute. I made her hat with leather and a tiny bell so she can be seen and heard ;o) Just 3.5 inches tall, hat and all.

Tips Tuts and Links

Here are some blog tips in case you have not heard of them before:

*Add the "follow me" option module if you don't have it already, so people can link to you.
*Type commas in the Interests part of your profile, so people can find you by clicking on those same words, if they share same interests.
*Add the "keyword" module to your layout, so readers can find your past postings by subject easier.

Now, a cool link on how to make a neat little TOADSTOOL

And.... a little how-to make a simple light box, to photograph small art indoors:

Can't ride 2 horses at the same time

[Skip this post unless you really have nothing else to do!]
Yup, Can't ride two horses at the same time. I see the logic in that. I have heard also the same saying but with camels, which has to be even harder I think lol
But of course me being me... try 5 horses... 5 camels... 5 different projects at the same time, why not? The Result? Ha! A huge amount of unfinished projects! My rapid response to a crisis? Climb up fast on yet another horse! LOL
Oh my gosh...
Well, I'm blabbering all this because I came to the computer days ago to post a tip, well, originally I came to the computer room looking for my cup of coffee, but that's beside the point.
Then I thought, "better post a tip and a tut in the same posting" as I had mentioned something tut-related to my new friend THELMA (I'll make a post dedicated to her later, as that would be getting into another subject here, and I know me, I get easily distracted by familiar noises and shiny objects...)
So, in order to post the tutorial (on making a light box) I had to dig for hours into my files, and finally I found the pictures so I decided to stick them together into one document (insert familiar noise here: "Mooooom I need heeeeeelp!") so, after running to help, stopping fights, gluing, clipping, spell checking homework (Why do I have to do that if my first language is Spanish???).... finally it was time to fix the tut!!!.... right after cooking diner.
Next thing I know? I forgot that horse Because I had to help my son to do a video for the English class (Now you tell me, why on Earth do they want a book report video? Is this the Spielberg High or something? What happened to pen-and-paper book reports?) :oP
So in order to make the team-work video (which the team wanted a clay animation HA!) we had to argue fuss and fight about the impossibility of finishing on the due date, something that takes Pixar 2 years. Gosh, try to convince a 14 year old of that! LOL
My natural reaction? By now you know: toss everything else up(tut, blog, finish the mohair wig), and climb another horse. I think we are talking about horse number 14 in the same week. There are weeks like that.
Good thing? I'm not having any real-world work to do for now. Bad thing? No one owes me money :oP
After some days of previous deliberation, and not a single sign of life from the team mates, it was decided that instead of clay, it was going to be sock-puppets.

Now, I have nothing against sock puppets, but I am not going to buy good healthy decent socks to trash them on a whim for a video. -That in itself was another big fuss- I thought of something simple, fun and cheap to do which is paper bag puppets.
We were in a hurry because by then we had lost like 10 days of work (Still the team has not shown traces of life) but we hired little sister and my goodness we've been having a blast!
The goofy things look like funky zombies and I'll post the video when I finish editing.
[Definitely Skip this paragraph if you don't want to get tangled into my brain web]
I actually came to the computer to edit, but for some mysterious reason decided to blog first... You see, I moved the paper bags to the counter (where I had my polymer doll parts still waiting to be assembled) to go get the camera and take some quick pictures, so I thought, "I still need to pick the fabric I'm going to use for those dolls...." and took off walking to select fabrics. Completely forgot about the camera! Couldn't decide what color to use, but saw the list of errands I needed to do yesterday So I took off running to the car. My tummy grumbling because I didn't even had my cup of coffee yet.
And did I mention the kitty got fixed? Poor thing, but he's feeling fine except for the cone head (and his empty purse) LOL
[End of skiping part]

Now that I blogged, I'll go edit the video.
And you know where my cup of coffee was? Right by the mohair that I was going to use for my bald doll. ;o)

The other side of the world... to me.

I have to tell you, my faith full three readers, about a new discovery I made.

You know I love ACEOs, and I love blogs.... so to meet a blogger that makes ACEOs is a great thing, but when the artist lives in an exotic far away place, it always deserves a special mention.

Please visit SUTTILAK's blog and look at all the art he has there. Not only the paintings, but the links to his music! Oh gosh I LOVE that video I don't remember the name of the instrument, but it's awesome!! So relaxing.... great job there!

Now I'll go back to my little spot under 20 the covers and coats... I am cold! Is it February already?? Not yet?? OK... I'll wait a bit longer, like the groundhog. :oP

Here's a picture of a hippie looking fairy with her new wings:

Listing a fairy

This is Pink, she is a night fairy and will be listed for adoption on ebay this Saturday Jan 10th! HERE

She comes with a driftwood sit and a pod-basket with tiny pinecones highlighted in gold paint.

Video

My first post in 2009!
I have been working on and off on this little video, for a group of friends who love to sculpt polymer babies. I uploaded in the past some versions of it as I was working on it, (I deleted most of them) and I think this is the last version.



I simply admire the talent of this wonderful ladies, enjoy!

The year in review

Looking back, 2008 was a year to remember. Not only for the political issues, the planet issues and the new medical discoveries... but also more close to home, in my little world, we are ALL still here, and we are still in one piece. 2008 was a year for trips to the emergency room in my family. Many trips for my imaginative and inquisitive son. Thank goodness he still has all his fingers.

Arts and craft related I learned a ton this past year. I met a bunch of wonderful creative people, and I made great new online friends.

I miss painting and I finally now started to get the "itch" back to paint! For a while my muses went away (I blame it on the deep cleaning of the room and desk!) but I think they're coming back. Also, I am happier with my level of doll making now to a point of feeling ready to start listing. As I posted some time ago, I wanted to make 3D figures of my "niñas" I was painting in a small format, and then I just was so fascinated with the ideas, techniques, styles and details, that in the journey I dropped my brushes for a while.
I have to admit mixed feelings about listing, as I love every single one of those lil'things I've made ;o) With each of them I learned and discovered something new about materials and procedures, and also about me. That's very rewarding.



I have been sculpting smaller and smaller pieces. Next thing you know, I'll fit one whole sculpt in a post stamp lol (yeah right) :oP

Thanks so much for stopping by and read my blog. May you have a wonderful blessed new year.
Hugs from the land of the tumbleweeds!

Personalized Adaptable Global Good Wishes

Since we live now in a globally-connected world, and we have so many ways to wish others happiness family closeness and religious observation, I thought appropriate to cluster all the joyous thoughts:

Have a Holly... Jolly... Politically Correct...
Rama-Hana-Kuan-Xmas!

Felíz Navidad!! Bonne Fête!! Merry Christmas!! Fröhliche Weihnachten!! Buon Natale!! Joyeux Noël!! (If anyone wants to add another language, please do so!)
At the end, we all want the same thing: Peace, love, health, friends (and some cake).


A big kiss and a hug to all my creative friends out there!

Doll revisited, redone, rewigged

In my personal experience, in any kind or creative/artistic endeavour.... you mess up. Sometimes the mess up is better than the original plan. But sometimes it's only worthy to be admired through a trash bag. :o)
After sweating over this little cute baby-doll face, I did not want to mess up, but I did. The hair was not right, and I have to admit I am used to more hair than new-born baby hair. The result? A somewhat gummy, hard looking wig on my poor baby.

So I left her sitting there until the technology advanced (yeah right lol) it's more like, until I learned more, to deal with it. :oD
So.... One fine day I went and yanked all the hair. It was scary and painful! I did not dare to take a picture. Poor thing looked like "Certain pop-singer that shaved her hair". I had already decided that I was going to give her fuller hair, which is not new-born look, but it's her look.


What do you all think? I'm liking her a lot better! She still has her ponytails, and her cute "busy bee" dress, but now she's updated and redone.

Fog delay and bugs

This pictures of our last fog delay from Sunny California ;o)
When the fog in the area is so dense, you can't even see your nose, the school starts 2 hours late. So I guess the kids feel pretty sunny about it. I wish I had taken a picture a little before this, when we couldn't even see the tree! SO unreal!
Look at the fog:







Now, I want to give everyone some good advice: BACK UP your computer data! I got a horrible virus that made a mess of all my stuff. We were lucky to find a good program to fix things, because out antivirus did not catch this stuff. It wouldn't let the browser on and threaten to delete all kinds of files. I was afraid to lose all my pictures and docs. Get your CDs ready!