six new art dolls

Oh I've been busy ....which is good !...... still no relaxing, still not reading .

here are six dolls

Mixie Pixie gets first choice .... she's been waiting !!!!

update on wednesday morning [ march 2 ] ......... # 3 , # 4 and #5 have sold

Randi asked for # 3 ..... I will try to make another similar Randi , and you can decide if you like her

THANKS !!!!

#6 is in my Etsy shop

new art doll , bunny baby

I made a girl bunny doll yesterday and I just finished a boy bunny doll [ no photo yet ]

I will try to get these two new dolls in my shop by this weekend

It's been so long since I blogged ! I don't think I've ever gone this long without writing .

I'm still mad ..... frustrated too

I always think my middle name should be Overwhelm . Sandy Overwhelm Mastroni

but maybe I should add 'greedy' ?

There's SO much I want to do ..... I want to READ [ like I used to do ] .... I want to paint more involved paintings [ like I used to do ]

I want to make cool curtains ..... paint a wall , clean the house

But I really miss reading the most

and the days fly by .

I PLAN to do a give away soon .... so please come back again . Not sure when I will do this , but SOON

I miss you . OH > and I've been having a problem keeping up on everyone's blogs , because my computer is slow to load a blog . Why is this happening ? I have to keep hitting refresh and it still doesn't load , so I get mad and just leave . does this happen to you ? I have an APPLE which I still LOVE , it's only slow with loading up blogs .

This Saturday there is book sale two streets over from me . Like I need more books .

but I'm always looking for that book that makes my heart beat fast , maybe another classic

or one to rip pages out to draw on .

well ... it's late

have a happy Friday ! and a good weekend !

illustrated game on Etsy

today I was looking through my PILES of drawings [ under the bed ].... { in drawers ]

anyway > I found this illustration I did a while back . I drew the lady on mat board and then made different hair styles for her . They attach with velcro

At the time I drew it , well , I thought .... it's okay . But then today I thought > this is sort of funny

so ........ I put it in my Etsy shop

I want to do more things like this . I'm going to do different HATS next !!!!

the first hat I make will be the magic eight ball hat .... ha ha

the next hat will be a hat full of circus jugglers

and the NEXT will be ..... I don't know yet

any ideas ?

Granny's Visitors, original acrylic in my NEW shop

Click to enlarge !

This painting is going in my NEW shop > TheBlackBirdGallery

don't even ask me where this idea came from ... I have no idea .... ha ha ha

I usually just start painting and whatever happens , happens.

I think these visitors are friendly .... Granny seems to think so .

Would you like to know how I painted this ? ......... I painted a piece of mdf board BLACK .

then I build up from there , layers and layers of colors . A glaze technique. I put a color down and then a coat of varnish . It takes a long time , but it's fun .

have a happy Sunday !

Saturday night art doll

I hear it raining outside and some chunks of ice are falling off the roof ... but the driveway and front of the house .... still ice

here's a doll that's in my shop ...... she's sort of weird ? ..... but she is very nice .

for Etsy , art doll rabbit...... JUST SOLD

well .... I decided to vacuum this morning and I was going along , almost enjoying it but then the vacuum sucked up something and I smelled that horrible smell .... another fan belt ruined .

are they called fan belts ? or is that just for a car . anyway .... I had to stop vacuuming and what could I do but make a doll [ oh sh.........sugar ! ] and nuts

this little rabbit doll is now in my etsy shop

I put a few things on sale in my new shop [ theblackbirdgallery ]... to celebrate

A Well Respected Man in my NEW etsy shop

click to enlarge > to see it BIG

well , first of all I want to thank you for ALL the funny comments in my last post . I FINALLY got to the post office today . It was a sheet of ice to the car , the roads are fine.... it's our house and driveway [ thick with ice ]

There's NO sun , ever , no sun at the front of our house .

The other day I bought a NEW MR. SHOVEL !!!!! and lots of ice melt

I have new NEWS ...... I opened up another Etsy shop . This new shop will have my paintings and illustrations . The other shop will have my dolls and pillows and the wood cut outs .

Do you think it's a good idea to have TWO shops ?

PLEASE visit me there > it's weird and lonely to have a brand new shop with not many looks or hearts

The shop is called ..... The Blackbird Gallery

so this guy > one of my 2 a.m. drawings . As I was drawing him the old KINKS song kept going through my head

A well respected man

I don't know if it even fits him .... but that was what I was singing

I hope everyone is doing fine with all the snow and ice . make soup !!!!!

Bye for now !!!!!

today is Thursday ....Shovel-day

Hi

I hope you will read my last post...{ from last night at 2 a.m. }. Now I will show you why I was scared . [ this is for Dixie who is laughing right now , ha ha ]

But Dixie ... I was scared because we are never prepared . LOOK at that BROOM

I took two photos of Mister Red Broom because I can't believe this is our only broom and that's what we used to clean our cars .

and then .... I fell down . Oh .......I got wedged in between the car and a huge mountain of snow .

I couldn't get up . I've fallen and I can't get up. You should have heard me calling for Jesus.

ha ah ha ha

then there's the cheap boots . I stuff them with Stop and Shop bags

and my huge old paint splattered sweat pants that kept falling down ,[ not because I'm skinny ... the elastic is shot ]

and my husband talking about Florida . Are you ready to move NOW ? he says

and he has icicles coming out of his nose [ snot-icles ]

so we shoveled all morning ...the front and the driveway , not even the back stairs .

Oh > another photo here is of my mailbox . My mailbox clown ... made by my artist friend Clem Ruggiero

and see that white house ? It's the house I grew up in ..... it's right across the street

That is the porch I stood on , in my stupid prom dress , in my dopey wedding gown

well

I feel MUCH better now . at least we shoveled . now I hear snow is coming this weekend and then a big one next Wednesday ? [ maybe ]

I really really should , one of these days , buy important things , ya know ? ..... instead of buying fabric and ....stuff to make doll hair from .

the other day I went to Staples and bought $20.00 worth of magic markers

I should have bought a broom and a new shovel and new pants and real boots .

I have to work on my priorities

too much snow ....I'm scared

It's snowing and snowing and snowing and snowing and snowing .................................................it's almost 2 a.m. here and my husband went to bed and I'm scared

I don't remember this much snow ever ...not in a very long time anyway

Maybe it looks worse looking out the window

there's a little tree on my front yard , I planted it a year ago . I can only see the top branch .

I can't see our cars . wow

okay

even my own art is scaring me , my dolls are scaring me .... ha ha oh boy

I'm okay .

Fear not , for I am with you

Be not afraid for I am thy God

I will comfort you

I will help you

I will uphold you by my victorious right hand.

I think that's right > from Isaiah

okay that helps . thanks God . How do people live without faith in God ?

I don't know how we can shovel all this snow ..... there's no place to put it

How is it where you are ?????

There's so much snow out there

more .... dolls

more dolls in my shop .... these two and more !

I'm cold

but I would rather be cold than hot

which do you hate more ... july ? or january ?

which do you like more .... july ? or january ?

more snow tomorrow ..... yay and ya ya

art doll , a new one on Etsy, this is Mina

well .... we're getting more snow . I don't mind , I'll make soup and I'll stay home making dolls , but I will have to shovel ... that's okay .

Here is a new doll . she's little . Her name is Mina

and I have more dolls that I will list soon

but for now ....... Here'sssss Mina !

in my shop............... JUST sold

nuts

My mother never swore . But she used to say .... " Nuts " and " Sugar " all the time

Sugar had a big SH sound

so Ma ..... NUTS to this

This post is for my mom in heaven and two blog friends

visit them both > you will love them

Vintage Sue > her blog [ she's funny and does great fun decorating and 'junkin' ]

Lynne Hoppe > her art blog [ so talented and my new Tolstoy buddy ]

so > this is what is making me nuts

LIFE before [ without ] Etsy

read books

visit friends

clean and decorate my house [ putz around ] ........ garden too

draw for hours

go for walks

wear normal clothes

go to real stores . besides consignment shops

LIFE with Etsy

do Etsy

think Etsy

write Etsy emails

take a thousand photos for Etsy

make little extra thank you gifts for Etsy customers

worry about Etsy

do Flickr for Etsy

do Facebook for Etsy

do Twitter for Etsy

etcetera ......... or my new word is ..... etsy-etera

etsyetera

ha ah ha ha ..........

I am SO SO grateful to have an Etsy shop ......... but it's making me nuts

I have to go back to the things that made me happy before etsy .

does Etsy make you nuts ? are you spending SO much time on the computer ?

Did your mother say NUTS and SUGAR instead of swearing ?

I think I miss reading the most ........ I love Tolstoy

If you have never read his work , take an Etsy break and read anything by him

have a good day

OH >>>>>>>> I just listed new dolls in my ETSY shop

Carnival Pig in the snow

spent the day with a shovel instead of a paint brush ! Did you get lots of snow too ????

Carnival Pig wanted to go outside . I forgot to take a photo of Jerry watching and laughing from the window !

click to enlarge .... if you need to see snow close up [ ha ha ] .... if you live in Florida !!!!

Have a lovely day !

dolls and stuff

Etsy is a mystery to me . The day after Christmas I listed a bunch of new dolls and they ALL sold ! I was stunned , and ....... very happy , ha ha .

I didn't think people bought stuff the day after Christmas

SO .... I made more dolls

Some of these are in my shop now. Some I will list this week .

How do you like the old wicker baby carriage ? It wasn't too much money , I had to buy it !

for the dolls you know.

and a few years ago I bought the house .... I found both at Stratford Antique Center [Connecticut ]

A certain NICE person gave me a gift certificate for this antique center , I can't wait to go back there !!! [ thank you nice person Lisa ]

well ... I just wanted to post a few photos and say hello and Happy New Year

to see more > visit my Etsy shop or Flickr

don't forget to enlarge the photo and then click again to see even closer

bye for now !

Händel: For unto us a child is born

Art Carney - 'Twas The Night Before Christmas (1954)

three winners

winners of giveaway

Denise [ nanabeast ] ..... Diane Hoeptner ..... and Lydia Aleshin

Thanks you SO SO SO SO much . I always say the same stuff but ... here I go again .....

Your comments make me smile and laugh and see things in a new way

Thank you

and

Merry Christmas .........

scroll down to see David and Bing sing

David Bowie & Bing Crosby - Little Drummer Boy (Video, TOTP)

giveaway snowman heart .... and my happy news

so .... this morning I went in my backyard and cut some branches . I love trees, tree limbs , twigs , branches ....... ah ....... they are beautiful.

I stuck them in a jar that I painted . I covered this glass jar with brown paper [ mod podge ] , and then I painted a weird lady on each side .

I made two new dolls . SOON to be in my Etsy shop , but email if you want one .

AND > on these tree branches I hung three of my handmade , hand painted snowman hearts .

soon to be in my shop .

MY HAPPY NEWS IS >

These snowmen are going to be in the Better Homes and Gardens 2011 Christmas magazine .

a long time away ..... but they want the snowmen hearts and the how to directions NOW

so I've been working on this

I would like to give someone a snowman heart .

Please leave your name , and I love your comments too !

What do you think of my crazy window ? On the side I stuck vintage curtain tie back things , and vintage bureau scarves and doilies and rhinestone pins

I have other news but I'll wait ... there's too much I wrote here already

Don't forget > enlarge the photos and click again so you can see real close up , so you can see the dust and how I never seem to get to cleaning my house

leave your name > Jerry and I will do a drawing soon , I don't know when ...... I'll check with him later . He's out somewhere . I don't know where he is

Thanks for visiting

and Merry Christmas !

paint and .... eat

do you know what kills me ? ..... about me I mean .......... all I want to do is paint and eat

sleep a little , then paint and eat

I have all this great news to share . GOOD stuff . Stuff I should be posting.... not to brag , but to share my news and to promote my work , but I don't feel like it

Isn't that crazy

well .......... anyway ............. I painted this lady , cut her out on my scroll saw

I walked around the house propping her up everywhere

In my kitchen ... on the ledge ..... next to another painting I did a few years ago

that lady is called " Do you Believe in Magic " . She has a guy in her hat juggling

and then on my dining room window sill

I will tell you my good news soon ..... when I'm in the mood , ha ha

right now I'm thirsty and tired . Time to sleep soon

I have the radio on ...to OLD time radio ....... I love it ...... OLD radio shows from so many years ago

good night everyone

this mysterious lady is in my Etsy shop........ [ sold ]