Mad, Mad, Mad, Men Swap... What I Sent

Since I know the package I sent was delivered last week, I thought I would share what I send. 

Here is the pack of goodies sent for the swap, you can see a better pic of the zombie below:

 

I always have fun making zombies. This swap required me to do a bit of research since I have never seen the show Mad Men... yes, it is sad but true. I don't watch a lot of TV. So here is the character that I based my Zombie on: 

As always I started with a lump of clay and some wire. Here is what her head looked like before I baked it.

Here is what she looked like partially painted. Since I was costuming her in a belly revealing shirt I sculped her torso.

Here she is painted, with hair and clothing

My swap partner indicated she likes Crown as her alcohol of choice so I made a small bottle of it for this poor zombie girl. 

I also decorated a flask set for her... in zombie style of course:

Exterior

Interior

Close up of Shot Glasses

Here she is, done and costumed

I hope my swap partner likes her!

Cheers,

Debbie

Mad Mad Mad Men Zombie Swap!

 

I am thrilled to be taking part in Yarnigras Swapper Spot's annual Zombie swap. This year's theme is Mad Men zombies with a cocktail/beverage twist. I am having a great time working on this one and can't wait to share it. 

Val over at Yarnigras Swapper Spot has been hosting this swap for a LONG time and I've been lucky enough to participate for many years. She also hosts other swaps throughout the year. Click on her blog's name to visit her site :0)

Thanks for stopping by... 

Debbie

2021...Slow Down a Bit

Image from Pixabay (linked)

This year is already flying by. I guess it isn't a bad thing since 2020 seemed to last about a decade. However, I have things to do, things that need to get done or things that I want to get done so I would like it to stop rushing by so fast!

Here is an update on life in my world...

Image from A for Artistic 

I am taking an online felt animal class from my amazing friend Christine Shively-Benjamin through A for Artistic. It starts on February 1 and I can't wait. I've order a selection of wool blend felt that will be here next week. Should be enough for at least a hundred animals. Click here to learn more about this class or click on the picture above This is not an affiliate link, I just love this class :0) 

Christine has a way with fabric. She is a NIADA artist, creating figurative wonders from felt, fabric, wire and beads. I've seen her create stunning figures with simple shapes and the blanket stitch. I have several of her dolls and also a few of her pincushions and I use them all the time. Her attention to detail takes her work to a level I strive for. 

I started sculpting again. I never quit, I just didn't do as much as I wanted to. Last year was hit and miss. I did a few doll swaps with the crew over at Yarnigras Swapper Spot but otherwise I didn't do a lot of sculpting. 

I spent most of the pandemic social distancing in my camper at ghost towns. you can read about some of my travels on my Travel Blog -TravelJourneyExplore.com I have been working on it slowly and it is starting to have some fun posts on it. I am slowing writing about the many journeys I have been on and hope to have more content on there soon. It is a different platform that I am not as proficient with so bear with me as I learn!! 

I am working on few of characters right now. A mischievous elf, a male zombie (possibly a baker, not sure yet) and a mysterious witchy woman. 

Here they are in their current states:

 

Here is my elf. She was a bit irritated to be photographed on a roll of paper towels 

The Witchy Woman. She was just started

 

Zombie. I sculpted him a while ago and just love his face. He didn't care about the paper towels! 

Lots more going on my world. I have camping trips planned, another trip to the Turks and Caicos planned (hopefully I can go!), a trip to South Dakota and another one to the Oregon coast. You can read about our last trip to Oregon here. I called it camping trip interrupted since we had to leave early due to major wildfires. It was a mad rush to get home.  

Since I work in education, I get my first Covid vaccine within the next week. I can't wait! My youngest son and one of my besties have recently completed their 2nd vaccine and while they felt pretty crappy for about a day, they both agree it is better than risking serious, life long complications or death from Covid. I hope our world starts to recover this year. It is going to take a while. I know art and camping will help me through it...

If you have read this far... THANK YOU and

Thanks for stopping by! 

D

Dr. Seuss in Zombieland... What I Sent

I had so much fun with this swap! Since my swap partner received her zombie I can now show you what I sent: 

I give you a zombified Sneetch

This is the picture my swap partner posted. I was so happy to mail him off I only took pictures of the sneetch. 

Complete with exposed next vertebrae, this guy was so much fun to create. 

Antique Sifter

My partner collects antique kitchen tools. I found this and another sifter in an Antique shop in Reno and knew I had to get them for her. They are in the top picture, tucked behind the sneetch. 

As always, I had fun creating a new zombie. I can't wait to see what the next Zombie theme is :) 

Debbie

Dr. Seuss in Zombie Land - Cat in the Hat Zombified!

Another great swap hosted by Val over at Yarnigrasswapperspot.com You can click on the above picture to visit her blog. 

 I am so impressed with the zombie I received in this swap. He is amazing!

Meet my newest Zombie! The Cat in the Hat. he has a skeletal tail, exposed ribs and seriously creepy eyes. He is amazing. Stacey, thank you. I love him. 

My swap partner, Stacey went all out! I had so much fun with this swap. And I feel so spoiled right now.

These are the best cookies I have ever tasted. I ate one and almost forgot to take a picture of it. Yes, eyeball cookie almost didn't get its picture taken. 

Skeleton pirate AND his faithful pet octopus

As always, I had a wonderful time with this swap. I love all of the fun little goodies my partner packed into this package. Camping stickers, delicious cookies, gummy candies, charms... yes, the list continues! 

Camping Trip Interrupted

Face Rock

Last week, my guy and I, and our good friends, took the campers to Gold Coast, Oregon. The first few days were amazing, then the smoke rolled in. Due to multiple fires in the area we had to cut our time in this beautiful state short. 

Normally we have a plethora of driving choices, but by Wednesday morning, all but 1 of the roads home were blocked by fire. Rather than wait to see if I-5 reopened we decided to take 299 - can I just say YIKES! It is a beautiful, twisty, hilly drive that wouldn't be too bad if we hadn't been pulling our camper. Fortunately, my guy and his buddy both have mad driving skills so we did fine but I am glad that drive is over.

Here are some fun pictures from our trip: 

If you travel near Bandon, Oregon, be sure to check out the West Coast Safari. Their animals were beautiful and well taken care of. The park grounds were cleaned regularly and staff were available to answer questions. I love petting zoos and thoroughly enjoyed these guys.  

This little one was very vocal 

The Oregon coast is stunning. The rock formations are fun to explore, especially during  low tide when you can find tide pools full of ocean life. 

And sunsets are amazing on the beach!

One of the best parts of the drive home on 299 was the Redwood forest. Talk about primordial. These trees are stunning and SO BIG! I have never seen "The Redwoods" before so it was an awe inspiring experience for me. I could almost hear the fairies laughing. The bottom picture includes my friend so you get a better picture of how large these amazing trees are. 

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Below you can see the difference in air quality. The same rock is in both photos. The first photo was taken Sept 6 at about 4:40 pm. The second picture was from our drive home, Wednesday, September 9th taken around 11:30 am. 

My heart breaks for those living near any of the fires that are currently raging across the US. Our area is inundated with heavy smoke. It is so bad that since our schools have increased how often the air is replaced within the schools due to Covid-19, they have not had a full week of in-person instruction yet because the increase in air circulation pumps smoky air into the schools. 

I really hope 2021 is a better year! 

Yarnigras Annual Zombie Swap - Dr. Seuss in Zombie Land

 

I don't know how Val over at Yarnigras Swapper Spot does it. She always comes up with amazing themes for her annual Zombie Swap. This year though, I think she has outdone herself! Dr. Seuss Zombies! I am so in! If you are interested in joining in on the fun, click on the picture above to be taken to Val's site. Sign-ups go through August 20th and the zombie must be shipped by Sept. 26.