O.K. My 5 best pieces just went in the mail for the IGMA Artisan selection process. It's out of my hands now. Which is just as well, anytime something stays in my hands for too long, the more I tend to over think and over work it. Best to just let it go with a prayer. The sooner I do that, the sooner it works out beautifully (no matter what it is). I included the Screen Goddess as one of the pieces! Thanks for the help, everyone.

So now I'm just preparing for my first show this Sunday in Frederick, MD. It's a small show and a perfect chance to "get my feet wet" with trade shows and selling/displaying. My good friend Linda Bell is helping me with the display, Bless her heart.

On the advice of an amazing dollmaker (and new friend)named Sherry Colvin from Wilmington, N.C. I went and purchased myself a vintage (1951) Singer Featherweight sewing machine. For those of you who sew, you may know that the kickplate on the old singer featherweights has a tiny hole for the needle to go through. The newer machines have a bigger one. (I think it's beacuse they don't put as much precision into the newer machines as they did the old ones and so the needle path isn't as precise so they made the hole bigger...just my thoughts) Anyhoo, you can sew the thinnest of silks and delicate vintage fabrics without them being pulled through the kickplate and getting caught in the bobbin well. Which, it just so happens, ruins your fabric forever and breaks needles, and in general &*%^s up your whole artistic flow thing.

Y'all have to go take a look at Sherry's site... http://www.colvindolls.com/ She is a real inspiration and her figures are great. Her professionalism and presentation are top-notch and a real inspiration to me. She is very talented (and pretty to boot!) Some people just get all the good stuff, thank God they're willing to share and play nice. I'll post a photo of my newest piece. He's an African American gentleman waiting for a shoe shine while he reads his paper. I'm still working on a realistic paper for him to hold. Any suggestions?

Here he is...