Howdy, howdy, Internet-Land! This week I have some happy news. Well, happy to me, anyways. First of all, I finally finished the repaint of my Gretel head that I bought for my 50cm Obitsu gal. It’s such a pretty sculpt. I had painted her a while back, but wasn’t totally happy with how it turned out. (Will post before & after shots.) I also have her original head, but am still deciding what I want there. For this faceup, I drew out a sketch, and then went to work. The only change from the sketch is her eye color, so will talk about that a little more further down. Here’s how she turned out!

In the sketch, I made her eyes red to follow the look of her hair. When I got the face all done, my daughter decided she needed the blue byakugan eyes (like in the Naruto anime), so we made the change. Her red eyes went to a new friend in the house, my lovely new Island Doll, Ada! I was so excited to win her second-hand in an auction at a wonderful price! The listing photos looked like there was a problem with her head, but I thought I could always re-string her myself if necessary. It turned out that the “C” hook just needed to be pulled up into place in the head notch! She’s PERFECT! She even came with her original wig. Her eyelashes were pointed down just like in her promo pictures, but because they are very thick, you couldn’t see her eyes. I decided to reattach them at a more pleasing angle. Here begins a funny story. I began removing her eyes, so I could work on the lashes, and found the putty to be reeeeeally sticky! Imagine my chagrin when on closer observance, I smelled MINT. It was CHEWING GUM!!! eeeeeesh!!! Fortunately, it was a very easy thing to clean up & disinfect. My hands, the old eyes, and the inside of her head were all cleaned with soap & then Lysol! Too funny! After I re-positioned the eyelashes, I put the red eyes in for a new look. Both her face and body are a lovely well balanced sculpt. I’m very tickled with her. Now I’m contemplating tax returns to order her same sculpt from Island Doll in BLUE resin!

I also had a fun discovery just today! When placing Ada on this doll stand, the slickness of the painted metal allowed her feet to slide around on it. As I was looking at it, I realized it looked like it might be about the same size as those jar-opener grippy pads. It’s a nearly perfect match and keeps her feet perfectly placed! You can find them at almost any store. I got these at The Dollar Tree in a set of three. I also have a new outfit for the Abigail Forest Walk doll. You can find the outfit from my facebook page post on the “Free Stuff” tab. Enjoy & have a fantastic weekend!

Hello, Internet-Land! OK ~ so my new experiment is up & ready … I think …

I added a page where items can be purchased. It’s just at the new tab, “Stuff to Buy.” We’ll see how it goes. But have no fear ~ my fun free stuff will still be a regular occurrence! And to continue the tradition ~ here is a BRAND NEW DOLL & OUTFIT! Yay! Abigail is a new addition to the Forest Walk Collection and is still formatted to 8.5×14 inch paper. Enjoy & have a wonderful weekend!

Greetings, Internet-Land! I hope your week has been going well. I am excited for another whole weekend to enjoy. Today I have been working on a new project, but no spoilers! Don’t you just hate it when people do that? Why mention it at all then, am I right? Well, it’s because I’m an ornery human being! heeheehee! But I do have some new paper doll items for you! I’ve also been sketching out more Forest Walk looks. I’m contemplating making another new doll for this line. Along with my new project, I was wondering about something. I know some people do not really like maneuvering through computer stuff to download free things. Would it benefit anyone to put my freebie items on a CD that can be ordered for minimal cost ~ just to cover the CD itself & shipping? There would be no markup to make profit on the art work, but just enough to cover expenses. At this point in time, I would only mail out to U.S. addresses. You can let me know what you think by emailing me at:  missysimaginings@gmail.com

Now on to the fun freebies for today! The items can be viewed on my “Free Stuff” tab and downloaded from the “Ready To Print” tab. Enjoy & have a wonderful Easter!

Hey, Hey! ~ Internet-Land!

Yes! I was back at work last week, and I survived! It was really tough, though, and my hands were killing me by the end of the week. I was SUPER glad to have my whole weekend of three days to let them rest. I’m hoping this week will continue to get better.

I am also glad to already have fun stuff prepared for you! Where to start??? Last week I worked on new Maggie outfits and even recorded a short video showing the creation of her last dress. You can check it out by scrolling down to my previous blog post. Along with Maggie’s outfits, I drew some new Forest Walk Fairy sets. Now I just have to decide which items to post! It’s hard, because I’m rubbish at keeping surprise secrets. I’ll shop really early for birthdays or Christmas, then give the gifts early because I can’t stand it, then have to shop all over again! Tell you what ~ I’ll post another Maggie outfit here, and a new Forest Walk on facebook, but as your bonus, I’ll also post the new Forest Walk outfit on the “Free Stuff” tab here on the website.

Yesterday, I did have some fun with a new experiment. I put together a birthday gift rain slicker set for one of my little friends. Good thing I finished it & could give it to her on the same day! Wishing you a most awesome week!

Good evening, Internet-Land! So ~ this is my last “surgery leave” post before going back to work! To make it memorable, I have embarked on a new venture ~ videos on You Tube! This process is TOTALLY NEW to me, so bear with me as I start with SIMPLE! This first video is drawing a new dress for Maggie. I will also post the finished dress below. Enjoy!

Happy April Fool’s Day, Internet Land!

But today I have no “fooleys,” I only have fun! Since I will be going back to work on Monday (hands are doing great!), I have been working on all kinds of paper doll outfits for my world-wide-web friends. I have finished two more Maggie outfits, and I have also completed FOUR new Forest Walk outfits (as well as a bonus wing/wig set). For today’s treat, I will post one of these Fairy Paper Doll outfits here and one on my facebook page. The bonus for those who visit my website/bog is this ~ I am also going to add ALL the paper doll outfits from my facebook page to my “Free Stuff” tab here on the website! Ya! So, if you’re not really a “facebook” kinda person, you will still be able to grab all the paper doll fun I’ve posted over the last year. Enjoy & have a great weekend!

http://www.facebook.com/missysimaginings

Whoo-hoo, Internet-Land! My daughters & I are off for a fun day at Enchanted Forest!

http://www.enchantedforest.com/

To add to the fun, here is a new outfit for Maggie. I am also posting a new outfit on my facebook page:   www.facebook.com/missysimaginings

Hope your weekend is awesome!

Good afternoon, Internet-Land!

I’ve been mulling something over in my head, and today I’m going to put it out here in hopes that it may be helpful to someone. A lot of times, you will hear people say, “Go for it!”; “Just do it!”; “Make it happen!” But they never tell you “how” or what that might “look like” in reality. I want to give you an explanation of my process for “making it happen.” Having been a teacher for over twenty years, I’m really big on “visual aids,” so I have some corny little diagrams to help me out. Here we go!

It all starts will thoughts. Things and ideas that jumble around in your head. Sometimes it’s all your own ideas, and sometimes you are inspired by others or the world around you. You sift through these thoughts and form an idea. Sometimes it’s big and sometimes it’s small. But an idea is the seed that can then grow. My idea was to make a few bucks by doing something from home with my dolly creations. The first step in my process was to assess my skills. I wanted to highlight the skills that specifically dealt with this idea. For example ~ I love to creatively bake, but those skills aren’t needed for this concept.

Now that I had an idea of what I could do that would  apply to my idea, I thought of projects that I could complete. This included not just my skill set, but time and materials as well. Then I had to find places where I could show my projects. The first two venues were selling on eBay and showing at local craft fairs. This also included learning some new skills. I had to set up my eBay/PayPal accounts and obtain the dates, locations, & contracts for local sale venues. I needed to learn the costs for shipping. I needed to find table skirtings and lifts for table displays. I readied my venues first, so I wouldn’t have all this “stuff” and nothing  to do with it.

Once I had my venue opportunities established, I needed to go to work making my actual “stock.” I had to get busy sewing doll clothing, making several of my doll cases, and getting my paper doll collections ready for market (putting on CDs & getting print work done). With all that in place, I listed my first set of items on eBay. It was fun to see my first items get “views” and even more exciting to get “watches!” I was so excited to sell my first item. I also went to my first craft fair and sold a couple of my doll cases!

Through eBay and the craft sales, I was able to connect with people. From these new friends, I learned new things and gained new ideas. One of my eBay collectors introduced me to the world of Doll Shows. I hadn’t realized there was such a thing, apart from the highly expensive Doll Conventions. That prompted me to take a trip up to Portland, Oregon to visit one of these shows. There, I gained a contract for a type of show/sale that was specific to my own venue. From that show, I learned of other doll shows around the state. I now host tables at four different shows that operate six times a year, with a new one in the works. My new vendor and collector friends have given me lots of new ideas for products as well as opportunities at new shows.

Through all of this, I continually stay anchored to my original idea. Each new venture builds upon the last. I meet new people at each show and with each eBay sale. It’s then fun to have friends return to my table/site. I love visiting with you, and I try to have a couple new things at each show to keep it fresh! As I move forward, I try to incorporate new avenues of productivity. Last year I was excited to start my own website/blog and facebook page. Here I can connect with yet more people, finding new friends and ideas. I love having free stuff on my sites to inspire fun and creativity. Little by little, layer by layer, my experiences ~ always linking back to my core idea ~ build an ever growing shell of strength. I learn from successes as well as failures, and still reinforce my process!

So, there you have it. This is my “how to;” it’s my “what does that mean?” Every person will have a different idea, a different set of skills, a different set of experiences ~ but this idea of building and linking back to that first concept is something that will hopefully be helpful to anyone’s journey. Wishing you joy and wonder on your adventure! ~ missy

Good morning, Internet-Land! I hope you are well this morning. I really do. I hope today, as you go about your life working, paying bills, doing chores, completing assignments, and scrolling through websites, that you find a jewel of goodness to brighten your day. I know that we all have different faiths and belief systems. That is especially true in this venue of the “world wide web!” My personal belief is in a loving Creator who provides salvation through the gift of His precious Son, Jesus Christ. Though I can not expect all to agree with my faith, I can wish for all a joyful and positive experience when you visit my site. I would wish for you to have a better day and a reason to smile having spent some time here.

I hope you have a dream you are chasing. I hope you are willing to learn and grow in order to make your dream a reality. Sometimes that means we must objectively assess our situation and be willing to make some changes. Don’t let the fear of the unknown prevent you from moving forward. I’ve often heard our pastor say, “God doesn’t bless inactivity ~ He blesses the PROCESS.” That idea got me MOVING. Sometimes I make great strides, and sometimes I only move a little ~ but I keep going. Sometimes, if my “engine” seems to stall, I keep tinkering on the parts! I hope if you’re having a hard day, this will give you encouragement to make it a better day. I hope if you’re having a good day, that you will find a way to make it great. You have abilities; you have worth; you can find a dream; you can do it!

To help brighten your day, I have some new fun for Maggie! You can click on the “Free Stuff” tab in my HOME menu to find the Maggie Doll (as well as other fun free items). Just select photo of choice, then “save as” or “copy & paste” into your favorite folder or application to print. Maggie is formatted for 8.5×11 paper, and the Forest Walk Fairy Doll Collection pages are formatted for 8.5×14 paper. You will also find two more new outfits on my facebook page!

http://www.facebook.com/missysimaginings

I wish for you a fantastic week,  where YOU begin to make your dreams come true!

Howdy, Howdy, Internet-Land! It’s been a good couple weeks as my hands have continued to get better. The left one has taken longer to close, and both get sore pretty fast, but all is well. It’s amazing how the body can mend itself! What a great God we have to design such a marvelous system! I see improvement every day. I’ve been working on a new project to try to get my hands back into shape and ready to sew upholstery again.

I was able to get my fella’s face painted. I’m not sure if I’m totally satisfied, but for now I’m happy with the results. He may get a couple new faces before I’m done. It’s taken quite a while, but I now have his complete outfit finished! He is 65cm (26 inches) tall, and I made all you see ~ the shirt, tie, vest, pants, jacket, shoes, socks, & wig (which is strongly anime style). I want to make some tweaks to my patterns, but overall am happy with the first attempt. Some of the patterns were made with just measurements before the fella actually arrived, so I was pleased that they fit as well as they did. The main changes will be to lower the waist on the pants, lengthen the jacket, and close up the collar on the shirt. The shoes will also have a few adjustments, but it was fun to make them.

Tomorrow is the Wagon Wheel Dollers’ Doll Show at the Polk County Fairgrounds in Rickreall, Oregon (USA). For those of you who are local ~ it would be great to see you there! I will add the link below as well as some updated pics of my hands. Enjoy & have a wonderful weekend!

http://www.co.polk.or.us/fair/doll-show-sale-5

Looking good!