rock collection

This picture isn't all of the rocks, by any means... my mom says I used to pick up rocks wherever I went and I kept all I could get away with keeping. I had many boxes of rocks hidden away.

 In seventh grade, I did a science project with my rocks. The grandfather of my across-the-street neighbors was a rock hound, and I had the privilege of spending time with him, learning about the rocks he had gathered and identifying the ones I had. He even gave me samples! I still have the petrified fish, some agate pieces, and a couple of geodes he gave me, and even a few tiny industrial diamonds as well as the beautiful specimen of pahoehoe!

Before Camanche Reservoir was there, a different neighbor took us gold panning and I still have a teesy tube with flakes of gold. Not worth much, I'm afraid!

I'm still at the rock collecting. Usually though I buy them where I go, since you cannot now legally collect rocks in national parks. I'm always fascinated with those pretty dyed pebbles, even though I know they are not naturally those colors.

My daughter in law added to my collection with a beautiful piece of jasper.

I have a display on the top of the bookcase, and a case of them as well... and some scattered around here somewhere, either in boxes or on display. That's another collection that doesn't get downsized.

Hmm.

This was from Bryce Canyon gift shop. You can't see the glorious
orange color very well.

a river rock with someone
in the hole.

this one is a beautiful green.

This isn't as pretty as most geodes, but
it just split without cutting
from Mr. Isbill

collections...

I am a Hoarder. I do not collect garbage, my house is not knee deep in stuff (well there is That Room...) I've been sorting and tossing and tossing..... until I can't toss any more, then I see what else I can get rid of.... but there are The Collections.

Of course I can't toss my dollhouse dolls, although my mom decided I didn't need my old metal dollhouse any more. It was a Marx Tin doll house, I found a picture of one for sale on ebay, which I don't want to buy, since I don't want to spend $146 on an old metal dollhouse... but nostalgic of course. I still have some of the old furniture, including a dresser and a couple of beds... I remember I had a stove and refrigerator, and that the refrigerator door was broken... taped together like some of my other toys...

My dollhouse family was a bit odd. I had some porcelain dolls, but not your usual mother-father and children. Nooo.... there was The Cowboy, The Uncle, and three little girls and a little boy. I think the Cowboy and The Uncle were running some sort of orphanage; but nobody ever got adopted. For awhile I had some of those bent-legged babies, don't have any idea where they went. I don't think Uncle and The Cowboy were Up to anything, I was just Making Do with what I had... I have no idea where these little dolls came from, or why my doll house never had a Proper Family. But we did all right. They certainly kept me company. They were small enough to fit into a pocket.

For some reason, I never let the kids play with them, although they must have been sturdy enough, they survived MY playing. Then my father made a wonderful doll house for us, along with help from my daughter and my sons. It now sits in The Middle Bedroom with my dollhouse toys and my daughter's. She didn't have a Proper family either, she wanted bears. I did make a clothespin doll to be Goldilocks when she visited. We made furniture as well as acquiring a few things, like a tiny cast iron stove. I had a wooden cabinet that I let her play with, and we found a lovely table to use.

And so I'll reminisce...and hope someday some grandchild will enjoy playing with The Uncle, The Cowboy and the children, or Goldilocks and the Three (or more) bears....

turns out this guy is a groom. I never had the bride, I guess he got left at the altar. He never seemed bitter about it. :)

the children look a bit grimy. I think a good scrubbing and some paint should fix them right up.
Or maybe I will leave the dirt from my childhood fingers. 

June 3: I talked to my mom, who had absolutely no memory of these dolls. I showed my daughter the pictures, and she says I let her play with them every once in awhile. I know she used the furniture in her doll house and her bears.

June 18: Finally hit upon the Proper Search Words. These are Penny dolls-- originally sold in the 1930's for a penny. Some were called Bisque Cutie Dolls. I even saw The Cowboy, although he was just in a picture and no information. Didn't find The Uncle, although there were some similar ones that were tiny. Fun to find out what my childhood toys are worth these days.

what's new....

I'm working hard to get some sort of studio room going. I'm making progress but sometimes it seems so slow. My goal originally was to have it done by the end of the week. However. This week, I have an appointment with someone to alter her wedding dress; I am taking my mom to the doctor which requires an overnight stay with her; my daughter is moving and I will be going to stay with her this next weekend so I have to Be Prepared; I have a huge pile of laundry to do; I am getting quite overwhelmed. I still have a few pieces to make for K. for her American Girl doll. So. A little Argh.

So it's going to have to be postponed. Somehow wish I could just make the stuff in that room go *poof* and be all sorted and taken to donate or sell; I have a few things at a consignment shop but not much hope that they will sell. They offered way less than I expected... don't know what to do exactly. Sell them on Ebay? I wonder if I know anyone who would like to help me figure that out... then there's the where do I put my inventory and we are back to that room needs HELP... so just gotta laugh.

Found a Betsy McCall that isn't in very good shape; she's about $40. Get her? Don't? I want her even though she has a damaged foot and hand. Don't want to pay $125 for a mint condition one. Do I NEED it? Of course not. Do I WANT it? Of course. I could learn how to fix a leg. I don't think it would be noticeable with her shoes and socks on. I think I am nutty.

I want chocolate. LOL

The first try with a Gelli plate

I got my Gelli plate awhile ago, but hadn't gotten around to trying it out. Today I ran across the

Biocolor paints, and decided that would work. What I discovered is Yes and No.

The first one I tried looked like mud. I was disappointed, for sure, but hey you can't be perfect on the first try. The only thing I have done so far is watch several videos. I love the abstracts you can do-- I already have stencils from my art journaling with inks so it just seemed like a natural progression. Then I remembered the thermofax screens that just came in the mail, and thought maybe it would work to spark it up.











Yes it did! I love it, and will make it into a card.


Then I got bold with purple and teal. I used the comb tool that came with the biocolor. Lovely.













Then I tried some masks. Apparently Biocolor is too flowing to use with masks, they just stuck on the paper and tore when I tried to get them off. Also, there were no distinct edges.

I think Biocolor is great, I love its plasticity. I think it will be good for backgrounds on the Gelli plate, and doing other biocolor-ish things... but not good for stencils and masks.

So off to the store for some paint. What I have is pretty dried out. The Artsy Adventure continues.