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A few years ago, one autumn day my son, Bryce, and I were walking by a gallery and in the window hung a sculpture that caught his eye. It was half-man, half-bird and had beautiful feathers and a long golden beak. Bryce immediately fell in love with it, but the price tag was more than his budget could afford.

I thought I could create something similar that might please him, so as the holiday approached I gathered Fimo polymer clay, gold paint, some beautiful feathers, and wire for the armature.

We couldn't have it hang, given the restrictions of Bryce's living situation, so our bird-man does not appear to be in flight as the one we saw in the gallery. Also, ours is holding a golden flower (spraypainted silk daisy).

I used a wire doll stand to help him stand and then thought of how to protect him from the rough-and-tumble life of living in close quarters as my son does.

So, before he returned to his home, we took a clear plastic container, set it on its end and glued the doll stand base to the inside (on one of the ends), creating a protective display for Bird-Man. It has stood, thus, in perfect shape in Bryce's room for the last three years. Unlike most things, which he has a tendency to improve upon and embellish with glitter, marker, and collage, Bird-Man has not been altered at all, so I guess he does like it just fine!

Homemade gifts are the best, don't you think? Each year I try to make at least one homemade gift for a loved one. I'll never forget the happy look on Bryce's face when he opened his present. And the joy of being able to give him something he really wanted.

Happy Homemade Holiday!
Janice

Good Morning:

Although I haven't stepped foot out of doors this morning, my view from the front window hints at a chill in the air. We've had a nice steady rain here in Southern California for the last 24 hours. This blustery day calls for hot mint tea and a good book. But alas ~ there will be no time for sipping and reading....

As some of you know, I am on a quest to clean my studio. It's a slow process because I often find things to stir memories. Then, I become side-tracked as I did this morning. While going through some paper on my desk, I came across an envelope that held photos of my dolls. Wow...I haven't sewn a doll in over a year, I think. Oh how I love to hand sew. It truly is comforting and meditative. I don't use a sewing machine because, well, I don't have one. The reason I don't have one is because I am terrified of them. The idea of sewing through my finger plays over and over in my head. They are fast and fluttering and loud. I much prefer to sit in my fluffy and comfortable chair, sewing basket at my feet, and hand-stitch the entire project.

I'd like to share a few of my dolls with you today:

DOLI (African Series)


FARHANI (Doli's Lover)


TIPPY (Circus Series)


FLUTTER (Circus Series)


PID AND POD (Circus Series)


ZEB AND ESSY


NAKED ZEB AND ESSY


HUMPTY DUMPTY SANTA CLAUS


All of the above dolls were long ago sold, except for Zeb and Essy. I am keeping them for a future project!

Looking back over the history of my doll making leaves me happy, proud and a wee bit melancholy. I wonder if I will ever make another doll?

Well, I'm off for the day. As I said previously, there will be no time for hot tea and a good book. Within the next hour, I will dress, run to the grocery and then I'm off to the movies with my husband. I'd like to say that we are going to see "Coraline", but that won't be the case. I shant tell you what we are going to see because it's the epitomy of cheap, scary and tacky (all of which I love). Coraline will be viewed with my daughter later this week!

Until Next Time:
Kim
Garden Painter Art

Good Morning:

I'm in a rush, rush, rush, today. I've finally got my third Etsy shop going, and I am working on finishing up another doll to list. I've been making these "gnarly-dolls" for quite a number of years and they were mostly sold on eBay and made as custom orders. Those dolls were much larger and intensly concocted than what I'll list on Etsy. Click HERE to have a peek at the new shop.

Here's the freshly made, hand-stitched "gnarly-doll" I listed this morning:

Carnival Humpty Dumpty






I will be back within a day or two to add a "non-marketing" entry. In the meantime, thank you ever so much for having a look, as it is truly appreciated.

Until Next Time:
Kim
Garden Painter Art

“Konnichi-waaaaa minna san! It’s meeee Jessica Hoshi! Today we got a super treat for everyone. This is our first ever article with a video, because my friend Talitha-chan is super smart and can do anything with computers. This is an article that was written by a guest author and they said we could put in on our site. We love big kitties because Shannon-sama has a big kitty named Kishi that is a magical cat. So we got this article about three cheetahs at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Their names are Majani, Kubali and Karroo! The first two are brother and sister cheetahs. Majani is a Swahili word that means ‘grasslands,’ and Kubali is also a Swahili word that means ‘to accept.’ Swahili is a language that is spoken in Africa, which is where there are lots of cheetahs, but not so many now cause cheetahs are endangered. I’m gonna get Talitha-chan to put links in our Fun Places list about cheetahs so you can get involved and help out just like us! Arigato minna!”

Meet Majani, Kubali and Karroo

Zero to 60 in 3.4 seconds.

No, it isn’t the latest super car or souped up motorcycle. In fact, these “vehicles” have no metal parts, engines or wheels at all. They have names, though. They are Majani and Kubali, brother and sister cheetahs who reside at the San Diego Zoo and are featured every weekend at the San Diego Wild Animal Park’s Animal Shows.

Three cheetah cubs

Photo copyright © Patricia Tricorache/CCF

Majani and Kubali put on speed exhibitions at the new San Diego Wild Animal Park’s “Cheetah Run Safari” where guests line the track and can get an up close, thrilling view of the animals as they dash past, chasing a small mechanical lure at speeds well in excess of 60 miles per hour. Majani, whose name means “grasslands” in Swahili, is the larger brother of Kubali, whose name means “to accept” in Swahili. Majani also holds the distinction of being the largest and heaviest zoo kept cheetah in the country, weighing in at 144 pounds. The largest and heaviest cheetah recorded in the wild was scarcely one pound heavier at 145 pounds.

Because of her size and weight advantage, Kubali is slightly faster than her brother. This may also be due to the fact that, like many big cats, female cheetahs must develop better and more effective hunting skills since they are responsible for catching and providing food for their cubs.

But what is probably most charming about these two magnificent animals at the San Diego Wild Animal Park is the fact they have befriended two dogs from the local San Diego Humane Society. That’s right. Cats and dogs, living together. Clifford is a labrador and Bear is a labrador/chow who were “assigned” to Majani and Kubali respectively, and act as a calming influence on the big cats when they are performing for the public. Like all cats, cheetahs can be somewhat reclusive in unfamiliar situations, but with their companions around, it seems the brother and sister team have an easier time of it during the Cheetah Run Safari shows.

Just for fun, the park staff lets Clifford and Bear out on the track for trial runs before the stars of the show take to the starter’s blocks. While they are probably quite capable runners, as some dogs are, labradors don’t quite compare to the fastest land animal on the planet.

After their runs, the big cats are fed and spectators have an opportunity to listen as their loud purring is heard throughout Cheetah Outpost. The Cheetah Run Safari is available on weekends to spectators and guests by reservation and requires an additional fee which does not include admission to the San Diego Wild Animal Park or Zoo. The program includes refreshments and a 5×7 photograph of one of the cheetahs from the show.

The third “dog and cat” team at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park is also a dog and cheetah team like Majani and Clifford or Kubali and Bear. They are Karroo and Sven, a cheetah and golden retriever team that appears in the “Wild Ones” show in the San Diego Wild Animal Park’s “Cat Canyon” area.

A cheetah running

Photo copyright © Patricia Tricorache/CCF

Karroo and Sven Olaf are the current caretakers of a historical dog and cheetah tradition at the park’s Cheetah Run and Cat Canyon, signified by a plaque commemorating the original team at Wegeforth Bowl in the park. The original team, consisting of a cheetah named Arusha and a golden retriever named Anna, performed and worked at the park together well into their old ages. Chobe and Jessie followed, and now, the featured dog and cat team of Karroo and Sven continue to thrill and delight audiences at the San Diego Wild Animal Park’s many shows and attractions, including the Zoo’s show at the Hunte Ampitheater.

Cheetahs are a unique species, and are among the most specialized creatures in nature. Their bodies are a wonder of aerodynamics, agility, speed and strength, and there is undoubtedly still much to be learned about the way they hunt and survive in the wild. Cheetahs live considerably longer in captivity than in the wild, and this will hopefully provide more opportunties to help this spectacular big cat overcome some of the challenges that are facing the 12,000 remaining cheetahs in the world, including inbreeding, genetic defects and various viruses and infections that cheetahs are susceptible to.

But in the meantime, there’s no reason that people cannot marvel at the incredible abilities of Majani, Kubali and Karroo at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park. There is no better way to learn to appreciate wild animals, their habitat and humanity’s relationship with nature than to see nature’s strength and dignity in person, and that is precisely the opportunity shows like the Cheetah Run Safari and the Wild Ones provide. Endangered species like the cheetah and many others around the world are everyone’s responsibility, and learning more about both endangered species and species with healthy populations is an excellent way for people to develop a more profound understanding of both the world we live in and the challenges we share in preserving the natural world around us.