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Monday, January 19, 2015

Tilda Rules in 2015

 
The Phoebe challenge for the year will be a Tilda doll.
 
She will be due at the September meeting. Use any unaltered Tilda pattern you can find on line; make her between 10" and 16" tall; include a stand or chair to pose; props and accessories may be added to tell her story. Tilda is currently a hot item among doll makers around the world, especially in Russia. This one appears to be from Romania.
 
Calendar Of Events 
 
February 1 through 28, Castro Valley Library Exhibit,  We will be returning, by popular demand, for a one month doll exhibit. We will be conducting a "make it and take it" event there on February 21, 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. If you are volunteering, please be there by 10:30 A.M. The theme of our exhibit will be "Black, White and Red (Read) All Over.

February 19, (third Thursday), Phoebe Meeting6:30 P.M., Alameda County Office of Education, 313 W. Winton Ave, Hayward, CA. Bring trims, faces, and glitz for the library "make it and take it" if you have them. There will be a board meeting scheduled the same day at 4 P.M. at the Education Building. Bring your dinner, as there won't be time to go out between meetings. Using the pattern handout from Sally, please bring your creative envelopes with you. And, bring your 5'x7' mat board handed out at the last meeting, decorated with hearts.

February 27 and 28, Scrapbook Expo, Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton. Friday 10 to 6; Saturday 9 to 5. $10 entry and $10 parking in fairground lot. Other street parking usually available.

March 19, Phoebe Meeting, 6:30 P.M., Alameda County Office of Education, 313 W. Winton Ave, Hayward, CA. Altoid tin challenge will be due at this meeting.

September 17, Phoebe Meeting, 6:30 P.M., Alameda County Office of Education, 313 W. Winton Ave, Hayward, CA. The year-long Tilda doll challenge will be due at this meeting.

November 9 and 10, and November 12 and 13. Two Kate Church Workshops, 2-days each. Class space is limited to 8 people per class. Take one or both (they are each different). Contact Daisy at daisybkdoll@comcast.net for information.

June 28, Alameda County Fair Make-It-And-Take-It Event


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Challenges and Exchanges

Sharon has stepped up to be the head of challenges and exchanges. She has been busy planning exciting things for us to make during the coming year.
 
If you have not participated in the past, please take a moment to rethink participation. For one, think about the original art made by your Phoebe friends that you will acquire. Where else would you have this opportunity to obtain items FREE!
 
Second, this is not a competition! Participating in this activity is a way we can feel free to try new things, learn new techniques, and grow as artists. We have all passed along the same road... learning and daring to expand our horizons as we go. You will discover that each technique learned along the way can be applied to projects in other mediums. It is magic! A little of this and a little of that—it all combines to form a really unique and creative end, no mater if you are working on a doll, card, or any other type of art.
 
March Challenge
Sharon handed out the items for the March challenge at the January meeting. These include an Altoid tin, a piece of decorative stamped metal, and some bottle caps.  Other than the tin, you don't have to use the other items in the kit—you can use anything you would like.
 
Rosie, who has had a lot of experience making these, talked to us about the techniques that may be used in their assembly.She also brought along some examples from her collection. Take a look and get inspired. You have a full two months to make this item.




 

 
 
Stephanie Smith's Polymer Workshop
 
Stephanie's workshop proved to be a wonderfully fun and educating day! We learned to make hollow, wrapped, and solid beads. The main event was learning to make the canes for the veneers that added the colorful surface patterns to the beads.

 
Zanaib made some beautiful beads at the workshop.


So did Sharon. Just look at the possibilities!

Show and Tell



Pame brought her finished Frog Prince from Betts' workshop. Fabulous job—he's a very handsome prince.


We were all so happy to see Sally at the meeting and recovering well from her terrible accident. She brought some samples of paper surface decoration she learned at Roxanne's workshop. Painting them brought her great pleasure and helped her pass the time while recuperating.


 
Daisy brought a new black and white doll she made for the Castro Valley Library exhibit next month. And, she did another face. It turned out so wonderful!


Zanaib made a minion doll for the exhibit in the black, white and red colors required for the display. Cute!!!


And, she made another one in red and green.


And, still another very regal doll for the exhibit!
Wow, and she works full time, too!

 
Harlene was one of the several people who completed and brought in her eyeglass case challenge, which was due at the meeting. She attached beautiful butterflies to make a piece of lovely decorative art.


 Suzanne also brought her amazing challenge item. She transformed the eyeglass case into a roadster, complete with bottle cap wheels that turn and a little driver, scarf flying in the air, and his cat riding along behind him. A very clever idea and a lot of engineering!  

 
Donna has been obsessed by dominos. She brought one of the three domino books she recently made for show and tell. The other two were ultimately given as Christmas gifts.


Here is one of two pins she made—the other she gave to her friend Shelley for Christmas.

 
Above and below are three necklaces Donna recently made from dominos.

 
 

 
 

 


Thursday, January 15, 2015

A Wonderful Start to a Brand New Year!

 
 

Calendar Of Events 
 
January 12, 2015Stephanie Smith Clay Bead Workshop, Boy Scouts of America Building, 1001 Davis St., San Leandro, 9 A.M. We will be making clay beads using a cane technique. Contact Stephanie Smith for information at smitharts2002@yahoo.com

January 15 (third Thursday), Phoebe Meeting, 6:30 P.M., Alameda County Office of Education, 313 W. Winton Ave, Hayward, CA. Bring your Christmas exchange gifts you have received, and/or the ones you are yet to exchange. Also bring your dolls for the Castro Valley Library exhibit next month (see below).

February 1 through 28, Castro Valley Library Exhibit,  We will be returning, by popular demand, for a one month doll exhibit. We will be conducting a "make it and take it" event there on February 21, 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. If you are volunteering, please be there by 10:30 A.M. The theme of our exhibit will be "Black, White and Red (Read) All Over.

February 19, (third Thursday), Phoebe Meeting6:30 P.M., Alameda County Office of Education, 313 W. Winton Ave, Hayward, CA. Bring trims, faces, and glitz for the library "make it and take it" if you have them. (There will be a board meeting scheduled the same day, before the meeting. Time and place yet to be determined.)

March 19, Phoebe Meeting, 6:30 P.M., Alameda County Office of Education, 313 W. Winton Ave, Hayward, CA. Altoid tin challenge will be due at this meeting.

September 17, Phoebe Meeting, 6:30 P.M., Alameda County Office of Education, 313 W. Winton Ave, Hayward, CA. The year-long Tilda doll challenge will be due at this meeting.

November 9 and 10, Kate Church Workshop, 2-days, may schedule one more 2-day workshop if enough people are interested (class space is limited to 8 people per class). Contact Daisy at daisybkdoll@comcast.net for information.

June 28, Alameda County Fair Make-It-And-Take-It Event.
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Phoebe Christmas Party and Exchange
 
 
Mother Nature played a cruel trick on Phoebes by bringing a ton of much-needed rain on the date of our Christmas Party. The party was rescheduled to the following weekend and a good number of members were there. Here Geri, Tani and Mary admire the gift Tani received from Geri. Those who were unable to attend brought their exchanges to the January meeting and the exchange continued to completion.

 
 Harlene, Suzanne, Laurie and Sharon chat after the potluck. Thanks to everyone who brought yummy sweet and savory delights to share. It was so good to see Laurie, as her work keeps her from joining us on regular monthly meeting nights.

The plan is to have the Christmas party scheduled for a weekend day next near. Even if it rains, it will be easier to drive in daylight.





Mary was so delighted to open her gift from Anne and find the darling polymer bug with polka dots shown below. 








He is absolutely adorable!!!!! 









Harlene's gift was made by Mary. It is a beautiful blue tassel Mary made from decorator fringe trim. Very lovely!







Tani admires her exquisite gift from Geri. Geri used a disassembled Barbie torso as a mold around which to form a paper mache bodice. She added a skirt of fabric strips and suspended it from a mini clothes wire hanger.






















Here is a close-up that shows the detail of all the wonderful fabric and trim bits, and embellishments Geri applied to the skirt.........
 
Anne is seen closely examining the detail on Marcella's figurative bead necklace.
Very cute, Marcella!



 











Here is a close-up of the necklace Marcella made.







Elizabeth made three of her little monster babies from polymer and gave them to Pame. We have loved her zombie babies in the past, and love these, too. Elizabeth comes up with the most wonderful original ideas, and these babies are perfect examples.







Kelly is a master at modeling faces from polymer. We have loved her little spoon elves and now she has out-done herself with this fabulous spoon lady—her gift to Sharon. Truly a work of art!







Sharon made this yoyo pin cushion, which she gave to Daisy. It sits in a gold goblet and includes a bobbin, fancy hat pins, and even a pair of scissors. Daisy was thrilled!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Daisy created this little cloth angel ornament for Kelly. Daisy is known for her faceless OOAK cloth sculptures that often win a place on the Hoffman Fabrics Tour around the nation. She added a face to this angel and surprised us all! Very cute!

Her work won a place on the current tour at the last challenge at the quilt show in Dallas last October. It is on a one-year tour.
 
 
 
 

 

Tani gave this adorable doll to Donna for the exchange. The body is a flat doll body made with many layers of paper and cardboard, then painted. The head is painted sculpted cloth with beautiful ringlets of yarn hair.







Christmas Window Display

Suzanne sent in these photos of the bookstore display, in case you missed it. Of course, we always have problems with light reflection in the windows, making it difficult to photograph. However, this will give you some of idea of how it looked. Thanks to all who contributed and to Sally's crew who put it up.









  
 

Thursday, January 1, 2015

November 2014 Meeting


Phoebe Show and Tell



As we prepare for the holidays, Phoebes are busy making beautiful things for shows—and gifts for family, friends, and fellow artists. Here are examples of the wonderful items Sharon is creating for her upcoming craft shows in Danville and Pleasanton.

Barbara brought her "traveling doll" Odette, who accompanied her, Betts and Sally on their latest trip to Europe... this time a fun trip and not one to work, teach classes and sell patterns and embellishments.


Here are just a few of the wonderful treasures Odette found on her shopping trip. She also had a selfie taken with many people she met on her trip. Even one with policemen in Belgium holding her. These can be found on Barbara's FaceBook page. So funny!!!!!


Daisy brought a group of dolls she has made using different materials. This is a polymer elf-like man who lives in a gourd.
 

 
This is another polymer sculpted doll by Daisy. This one is a traveling man with a Rhino in his hand


Daisy is well known for her Celtic green men figures, and this exceptional one is needle-sculpted from cloth. It is made from Hoffman Challenge fabric. He started to plant a tree, but had to stop when he saw a bird in the tree.

 
Christine from Sun Gallery brought some items she has made from yarn which she will be selling at the gallery's Christmas gift show, which runs from November 21 through December 21.

 
Harlene displayed a doll which she purchased at a boutique. The doll was made from fabrics purchased at one of our favorite sources, FabMo Fabrics.

 
Marcella shared her precious Rudolf The Reindeer she made using a felt covered cork for the head. Love his fur coat!


Here is one of Sharon's cloth collage wall hangings...
another example of items for her shows.


 
Stephanie has been busy making polymer ornaments to use as Christmas gifts.

 
Zanaib brought her "cupcake" hat she knitted for her granddaughter. Both are simply adorable!