photoshoot

Hello folks! Here is a sneak peek of a texture technique that I will be sharing in my book.








Darlene D'Agostino (my editor) and Joe Coca (photographer) setting up a shot.













That's me, grinning like fool. It is so wonderful to see everything coming together!












This is a bezel encasing a pearlecent moonsnail. Its super tiny, less than an inch long. I will also be sharing this fun technique.

Ok! Today we worked hard to finish up photographing the technique section of the book. There was a lot to cover. I'm not being stingey here! The projects will have step outs to show exactly how everything is made, but don't get scared into thinking its all complicated and overly time consuming. I have lots of tricks to make the projects go fast. I hate dawdling and like instant gratification (thus my dislike of seed beading) which is why I love the immediacy of polymer clay and pmc (most of the book features pmc, followed by a good helping of polymer and then resin). So it should be useful. I've also been working on a section about finding and harnessing inspiration and how to develop your own symbols. This section will be full of drawings, paintings and pics, demonstrating a few methods to kick start your creativity. Sound fun?

Well, I am so wiped out, all I can do is curl up and read my books. It is quite a luxury to spend an evening just reading! I read a couple chapters every day, any more and I'm filled with guilt. I just finished Diana Wynn Jones 'House of Many Ways' a kind of sequel to 'Howl's Moving Castle' - both of which are very good. I started Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book' a week or so ago and its really quite dark and mesmerizing. I should be doing some line drawings or working on text, but my brain is soft and fuzzy and needs the escape of my current obsession, the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris, which are as addictive as sweet tea ( I think that's how my bro put it). I feel like if my eyes are open they should be staring at a project! Anyway, this book making business is quite exhausting. I have to say, I am very glad Andrew and I worked so hard to organize everything for the pics, otherwise I'd be crying. It is a lot of work! I'm slightly horrified that this is just the first section and there are many more to go. I feel like I did when I was a young and ambitious freelance artist, working all hours of the night and always saying 'You need it when? No problem.' Those were the days. Well, its easier now, I know how to budget my time, which was my biggest problem back then. The trick is to start as early as possible, because its never enough time. Well, its meetings tomorrow to talk about the cover and design of the book. I may get a chance to drive to a doll shop outside of town that carries ball jointed dolls. I've never seen any in person and would love to take a peek. We shall see!