Nina Mason Dolls

Sir William Wallace--the Scotty

2011-03-11T16:02:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures of the figure I did for Bohogirl--my version of Sir William Wallace as a Scotty dog.

Duncan MacPherson

2010-12-10T16:09:00.002-05:00

Here are some photos of the dog I just finished on commission, using the client's family tartan: the ancient MacPherson. The client hasn't seen him yet ... Duncan gets delivered tomorrow ....

Dogs in Kilts.

2010-12-04T08:53:00.013-05:00

Well, dang. It's been a long time since I posted on the old blog! But I'm still here, still working ... although, between writing the books and looking after the puppy, I haven't had much time to work on my art. But (and this is a good but) ... I'm back at it and taking things in a slightly new direction. I'm doing dogs! Well, at the moment I'm doing Westies--inspired by my Robert and a conversation I had with the wonderful lady who grooms him (hi, Gilda).

Just before Thanksgiving, I did one (Capt. Hamish MacTavish) for the annual fundraising banquet of the Westie Club of Greater Atlanta. (He's the one in the busby hat--the big black bearskin hat like the Palace Guards in England wear.) After the banquet, we drove up to Asheville, stopping to take a little walk and do a little poking around. I stopped in a couple of places and got to talking (rare for me, since I'm a terrible introvert) ... but I sent them some photos as follow-up yesterday and guess what? At least one of them wants to carry my dogs--most notably Jackie at Boho Girl Designs, who makes exquisite beaded jewelry. Jackie has a Scottie named Sir William Wallace (Wally for short) ... so how could I not be charmed? I will probably make a Scottie and a Westie (or two) for her to carry on consignment. Her shop, by the way, if you're driving out that way, is located in The Main Street Shops, 44 Chevy Drive, HWY 515, Blairsvilee, Ga. 30582. Or ... you can visit her website at www.bohogirldesigns.com.

Anyhoo ... here are some pictures of my Westie Highlanders ... all hand-sculpted and one-of-a-kind. I will do commissions in your own clan tartan. The cost runs between $400 and $500, plus the cost of acquiring the tartan.

Captain Hamish MacTavish (sold)

Colonel Malcolm (reserved)

Duncan Forbes of Culloden ($500)

Mother's Day

2010-05-10T11:06:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was so beautiful, I felt like going for a drive. So we packed up the puppy and headed south toward Covington, the quaint little town where they film the television series Vampire Diaries. It being Sunday in the Bible belt, nothing was open save a few restaurants and an ice-cream parlor. We indulged, of course. Here's a picture of us in the park on the square, overlooking the Mystic Grille--where all the kids hang out on the show. In reality, it's a CPA's office window-dressed as a set. I was still pretty excited to see it there.

Nina

Guess who's a new mommy?

2010-05-01T14:01:00.002-04:00

Here's a couple pictures of my new adopted son, Sir Robert Raeburn of Highland Glen. He's a West Highland White Terrier. His daddy's a champion named Caymus of Highland Glen. Our Robby's about fourteen weeks and has been with us for about three weeks now. These pictures were taken on a picnic/hike about two weeks ago at Amicalola Falls. Isn't he sweet?

Guess who's a grandma?

2010-05-01T13:58:00.003-04:00

I'm a grandmother, as of April 26! Here are pictures of my new little grandson, Reid Henry Slayton. Isn't he adorable? The big people in the photos are my daughter, Marisa, and her husband, Jake. Aren't they a beautiful family?

Coming up for air ...

2010-02-01T08:41:00.002-05:00

Well, I have finally finished my first novel, HEART OF THE BEAST, to my agent's satisfaction and it is now ready to go out to publishers for review. Below is the "sales copy" I created to describe the book for those purposes. It's supposed to hook you so you'll want to read the book ... Does it do the trick?

Robert Hamilton: Smoldering, sensitive, inscrutable … and reclusive. He’s imprisoned by a haunting past: every girl he’s ever loved has been brutally murdered. And he just got a sign that it’s about to happen again.

Katrina Bentley: Bright, striking, frank … and distrustful. An English literature major at London University, she prefers books to flesh-and-blood men.

He’s writing a novel about a centuries-old vampire while she’s writing her thesis on the evolution of vampires in literature. When the two lost souls meet, they’re guarded, taciturn, and surly toward each other … but only at first. With each chance encounter, sparks fly, passions flare, and tension builds. With each chance encounter, she opens more of her heart while he struggles to conceal his dark truth. When he realizes he’s let things go too far—and that he’s put her in mortal danger—he breaks his own heart to protect her. But can he stop the past from repeating itself?

Sexy, smart, and suspenseful, HEART OF THE BEAST tells the story of The Vampire, then and now, and of a love powerful enough to reach across the abyss of time ... and death.

I'm still working on BLOODLUST, the sequel novel, but it's far enough along that my agent wants to try to sell then together. Fingers crossed!

In the world of dolls, I've got to get Alexander Hamilton ready for the national DAR contest. I made him a new silk banyan and waistcoat several weeks ago ... but still need to write a paragraph describing the entry and how it relates to the contest theme, and take some good pictures.

As ever, I've been refining my Robert Hamilton figure ... he got real tartan socks, leather shoes (that do not come off) and a little skian dugh knife to stick in the top of his hose. Robert wears his kilt quite a bit in the second book, being back in Scotland and all.

I've also made some dolls of fairies from the second book. I'll have to post pictures of them one of these days.

Nina

Anne Boleyn, etc.

2009-12-14T19:04:00.003-05:00

Finally finished the commission of Anne Boleyn. The customer wanted her in this particular costume ... which proved challenging in several ways ... but she came out well in the end, I think. What do you think?

Deleted Scenes

2009-11-21T08:34:00.007-05:00

I thought I might just post a few of the deleted scenes from Heart of the Beast. These were cut by my agent primarily because she felt they disrupted the plot action too much. I wrote them to address the larger theme of the book, which explored the human capacity for good and evil. The following was one of my favorite scenes in the book. Sigh. Oh well. Maybe I can use it in a future novel. Anyway, enjoy! (FYI: Robert is the vampire's name.)

"The warbling wail of the warning sirens came first. Soon, a chorus of droning, sputtering engines joined in, the sound of approaching planes, descending like a swarm of ravenous locusts. Then percussion punctuated the cacophony: whistling bombs, booming blasts, and the sharp cracks of shattering glass, bricks, and mortar. The ground violently quaked. Finally, there arose the sounds of human suffering in the street below. Whimpers, screams, sobs, and moans.

“Every few minutes, new waves of planes buzzed overhead like an agitated hive of bees. The gunfire popped and spit intermittently. Some shots were near and sharp, others distant and muffled. The bombs fell in batches, flashing brilliantly when they hit before shrinking to pinpoints of dazzling phosphorescent white. Now and then, leaping tongues of searing yellow would burst out of the white to declare that yet another structure had ignited in flames.

“With each batch of bombs, the window before me rattled menacingly and the floorboards violently shook under my feet. I could smell the acrid smoke and hear the crackle of the nearest blazes. The whole city, it appeared, was burning. What was left of it, anyway. The night sky glowed a brilliant orange red as flames leapt hundreds of feet into the air. Plumes of ghoulish smoke rose into a sickly pink cloud that hovered menacingly overhead and stretched as far as the eye could see. In the distance, I could just make out the shadowy silhouette of the great dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral illuminated by a halo of fire. Everywhere else, I saw only the shifting shadows of death, destruction, and despair.

“When the sirens finally stopped, I looked back through the window to the street below. In the warm, flickering glow of the fires, I could make out throngs of frightened humans now pouring out of the shelters, stumbling over the rubble of fallen buildings, making their way back to their homes—hoping and praying that their homes were still there for them to go back to. Most would not be. The city had been decimated by the unrelenting blasts. More than one million homes had already been destroyed. I was quite certain that it was only a matter of time before one of the bombs hit our residence, destroying the house and probably me, Fanny, and Edmund along with it. ‘The worst is over,’ I told my friends. ‘For now.’ I looked despondently from the window to the faces of my friends. I saw in their expressions the same relief I felt inside, knowing that we had survived another evening of the Blitz.

“For forty consecutive nights, the Germans had been bombarding London and her civilian inhabitants. The death toll had already reached forty thousand. And it was still climbing. I knew all too well that tonight’s attack would leave thousands more dead or homeless. At least I and the Mansfields were not among them. Not yet anyway.

“It all started at around four o’clock in the afternoon on September 7, 1940. The appearance of hundreds of German bombers and fighter planes in the skies over London heralded a tactical shift in Adolf Hitler’s attempt to bring Great Britain to its knees. For two months prior, in preparation for a planned invasion of the British Isles, the Luftwaffe targeted British airfields and radar stations for destruction. When the invasion plan was abandoned, Hitler hatched a scheme to destroy London, hoping the attacks would both demoralize Britain’s people and assuage her military prowess.

“This bombing spree went on day and night for fifty-seven consecutive days. Londoners sought shelter wherever they could find it—many fleeing to the Underground stations that sheltered as many as 170,000 people during the night. Thousands of children were put on trains and sent into the countryside for protection.

“When the bombing started, we were living in Soho. With the war on, we lacked the financial resources to remain in the countryside. But because the house had no cellar, we had to make a potentially life-or-death choice: wait out the attacks in our dwelling unprotected or go to a public shelter and wait amidst a crush of human flesh and blood.

“We had much to consider, discuss, and debate. Were vampires impervious to bombs and fire? What would an incendiary blast do to our skin if our clothes caught fire? Would we suffer agonizing pain? (I was sure we would. I have burnt myself on cigarette embers and it was extremely painful.) If we caught fire, would we scar? Would we incinerate? There was no handbook, no survival manual, for vampires who found themselves trapped in a war zone. Collectively, we came to a decision. We would not, could not, go into the bomb shelters with the humans. The mass of flesh, the smell of blood, could not be borne. We would not risk the lives of innocent men, women, and children to save our own.”

Robert looked at her face. She was staring at him raptly with an expression of shocked disbelief. He cast his eyes down at the floor before continuing.

“During my years as a vampire, I have pondered many times the nature of good and evil in the world. At one point in my life, I was so consumed by these contemplations that I enrolled in philosophy courses at Christ’s College in Cambridge.”

When he saw her finger go up, he stopped talking.

“Just how many degrees do you have?”

“Somewhere near a dozen,” he replied with a frown.

The vampire nervously cleared his throat before he said, “I have come to see good and evil not as absolutes, but as two opposing forces on a spectrum that encompasses every conceivable moral act of which human beings were capable. Every degree of goodness. Every shade of evil.”

She eyed him quizzically.

“And what do you consider the apex of goodness?”

“It is extremely difficult to define as a constellation of positive moral characteristics,” he replied dryly. “It is far easier to choose from human history a person who exemplifies those qualities. Thus, at the pinnacle of the scale, I would place Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is the only man I know of who completely eschewed the ego—the fear-based part of us that fuels our evil tendencies. By doing so, Jesus attained oneness with God, a perfect Christ state, while still in human form.”

“And the pinnacle of evil?”

“Adolf Hitler,” he replied gruffly. He paused a moment before adding, “The hateful depths of Hitler’s heart were utterly inconceivable to me. But it was even harder for me to fathom that Hitler was only the mastermind—that he was not perpetrating this and worse unspeakable evils on his own. Others were willingly carrying out his orders.”

He thought about what Albert Einstein had said: “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” Then he turned his woeful eyes to Kat, who was still watching him with rapt attention.
“Are you familiar with the Milgram experiment?”

She shook her head.

“It was a series of social psychology trials designed to measure how willing humans were to carry out orders that inflict pain and conflict with their consciences,” he explained. “Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram began the tests in July 1961, three months after the start of the trial of Nazi War criminal Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem. Milgram devised the experiments to answer this question: ‘Could it be that Eichmann and his million accomplices in the Holocaust were just following orders? Could we call them all accomplices?’ Milgram summarized the experiment in a 1974 article, observing that when conscience is pitted against authority, authority wins out more often than not.”

“How did he set up the experiment?”

Robert took a deep steadying breath before explaining that, during the study, the “teacher”—the subject of the experiment—was directed by a man in a white lab coat to ask a “learner” a series of questions. When the “learner” gave the wrong answer, the “teacher” was told to administer an electrical shock. With each wrong answer, the voltage increased. Both the “teacher” and the “learner” were led to believe that they were participating in an experiment on memory and learning.

Although the “learner” was an actor who didn’t receive actual shocks, the “teacher” believed the shocks were real. After a number of voltage increases, the “learner” banged on the wall that separated him from the subject. After several times banging on the wall, screaming, and complaining about his heart condition, all responses by the “learner” would cease.

“At that point, many people indicated their desire to stop the experiment and check on the learner. Some test subjects paused at one-hundred-and-thirty-five volts and began to question the purpose of the experiment. But most continued after being assured that they would not be held responsible. If at any time the subject indicated his desire to halt the experiment, he was given a succession of verbal prods by the experimenter, in this order: 1) Please continue; 2) the experiment requires that you continue; 3) it is absolutely essential that you continue; 4) you have no other choice, you must go on.

“If the subject still wished to stop after all four successive verbal prods, the experiment was halted. Otherwise, it was stopped only after the subject gave the maximum 450-volt shock three times in a row.

“In the first set of experiments, 65 percent of participants administered the experiment’s final deadly shock, though many were very uncomfortable doing so. Only one participant steadfastly refused to administer shocks before the 300-volt level.

“The experiment has been replicated at different times, in different countries, and different settings. The results remained remarkably—and frighteningly—the same: When directed by authority, 61 to 66 percent inflicted the fatal voltage.”

Robert remained very still, staring at the floor while trying to clear his head. Finally, he turned to her and asked, “Are you familiar with the poet Tony Harrison?”

She nodded.

“Do you know his poem titled Shrapnel?”

“I don’t think so.”

“As a child, the poet was sheltering in a cellar in Beeston the night the Germans ordered an all-out air assault on Leeds. More bombs were dropped that night on Beeston than any other part of the city. Yet, miraculously, Beeston sustained the least amount of damage. Most of the bombs landed in an uninhabited park across the street from the targeted row houses. In his poem, Harrison speculates that the bombardier deliberately defied orders in an act of compassion toward the people below.”

Over the hard lump in his throat, he recited for her an excerpt from the poem:

“And but for him, I thought, I could have died.
So now I celebrate my narrow squeak,
the unseen foe who spared our street in Leeds,
and I survived to go on to learn Greek
and find more truth in tragedy than creeds.
I stroke my shrapnel and I celebrate,
surviving without God until today,
where on my desk my shrapnel paperweight
stops this flapping poem being blown away.
A flicker of faith in man grew from that raid
where this shrapnel that I'm stroking now comes
from,
when a German had strict orders but obeyed
some better, deeper instinct not to bomb
the houses down below and be humane.”

Taking a breath ...

2009-11-20T17:46:00.003-05:00

I've finally finished round one of rewriting on Heart of the Beast, my first novel, with my fabulous new agent. She'll be reading it over the Thanksgiving holiday and I'm waiting with bated breath (tired cliche) for her feedback.

Speaking of Thanksgiving ... I will be cooking the feast this year as my dear sister and family are off to Charlottesville, Va., and Washington, D.C. for the break.

How does this sound?

Turkey (of course, being a traditionalist -- and no deep-fat fryers!)
Cranberry apple relish
Apple and sausage stuffing baked in acorn squash bowls
mashed potatoes with gravy
my husband's sweet potato casserole (it's not the orange mush with the marshmallows on top; he uses the Ruth Chris recipe--it's to die for)
pumpkin pie (home made, not store bought)

What is everybody else planning to make? Any favorites? I usually do a wild rice stuffing in the bird with dried fruit and nuts ... but thought I'd try something different this year. Still debating on whether or not to do a green vegetable. Seems like there will be enough squash, though, to take care of the veg requirements.

Nina

It's progress, not perfection ...

2009-11-01T18:36:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been awhile, hasn't it? The big news is that I finally got an agent for my first novel! The book still needs some work before it's ready for the marketplace, but I'm not afraid of work (unless it's boring and tedious ... but novel writing is neither, so I'm very excited).

Since I last posted, I've made a couple of vampire fairies--characters who appear in my second novel, which I'm working on in between rewrites of the first. Caledonia and Scotia are their names.

I'm also deeply involved in a commissioned figure of Anne Boleyn. She has been challenging, to say the least, but I'm finally making headway. She has a bit of the feel of a Renaissance Italian Madonna to her. I like that about her. I only hope the client does, too. I'm having a little trouble finding a good faux fur (the client wanted faux, although I prefer the richness of the real thing).

Halloween here was uneventful. I'm busy devouring the left-over Mounds and Milky Ways ... which my waistline sure as heck doesn't need!

Here's a shout-out to Kimberley in Paris and Michael in Fife. Michael, are you busy with the by-election, or have you stopped speaking to me? I miss hearing from you!

Life is good.

Nina

Miscellany

2009-09-13T10:30:00.002-04:00

Still working on the first book, but making progress. Been working on making the whole book darker and more literary; my vampire hero more tortured, complex, and empathetic; and his love interest more empathetic and multi-dimensional.

In dollmaking, I've decided to enter the Alexander Hamilton figure I've reworking in the DAR American Heritage contest. Hamilton got a pretty extensive body make-over after he appeared in ADQ. He's more proportional now ... but his old clothes no longer fit ... so I'm making him a new wardrobe. I had an old silk blouse that got a stain on the front the dry-cleaner couldn't get out, so I decided to recycle it as a waist-coat and bayan for Hamilton. I'm working on the waistcoat now. I'm also thinking of making him a black satin frockcoat, lined with the oriental silk, so he has some wardrobe options ... one for going out when he's playing the lawyer and statesman; one for staying home when he's playing the essayist and lover (not that he didn't go out to play the lover at times ... but he'll have to do that in his coat for the sake of propriety). Ha!

Not much else to report. We reclusive middle-aged artists lead a pretty dull life on the whole. But I had enough drama in the early years to last me a lifetime. Now I prefer quiet and solitude.

Nina

Rewriting

2009-08-31T15:39:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago, I checked out a book from the local public library about novel writing. In it, a famous writer was quoted as saying: novel writing isn't writing ... it's rewriting.

Well, I've been remiss on the blog of late because I've been immersed in rewriting my manuscript for my first novel. I don't have an agent yet ... but I've got someone who's been very encouraging after rejecting it twice (not because it isn't good, presumably, but because it isn't yet right for her). Anyhoo, it's getting a total overhaul and a new title: The Heart of the Beast.

But that doesn't mean I haven't been sneaking into the studio and playing with my dolls! But I've mostly been reworking existing dolls ... not making anything new. My Robert Hamilton is gradually getting an entire Scottish wardrobe. Including hats. Robert looks good in hats (and kilts). So far, he's got a regimental uniform circa 1790 and a Jacobite-era belted plaid and waistcoat. Hatwise, I made him a Jacobite beret, a glengarry and a big fur busby. I have too much fun, don't I? Right now I'm reworking my Alexander Hamilton that was featured in Art Doll Quarterly. I can't help it! I keep improving my techniques and feel the need to keep improving my favorite figures! Hamilton (A. not R.) got a body resculpt, resculpted legs, repainted face, and all new hands/arms. He's also getting kilted. Hey, he was Scottish! Don't know if he ever wore a kilt ... but who's to say?

Dan's out of town this week dealing with his aging mom, so I'm chauffering Miss Emma to school and back. Gotta go pick her up in a minute from Girl Scout's ... so I thought I'd pop in and say "hey" while I had a minute.

Nina

Vampire Bill Compton's Coffin

2009-08-01T06:09:00.003-04:00

Here's a picture of Vampire Bill in the pine coffin Dan made for him. It can stand or lie down and the lid fits snuggly with a lip. Pretty cool, eh?

Tina at Trueblood-News.com asked if Dan would consider making more as trinket or jewelry boxes for people. He said he would, for about $75 a pop. He's also thinking now about making fancier coffin jewelry boxes.

Nina

Why Vampires Never Die

2009-07-31T13:37:00.003-04:00

The following op-ed piece by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan was published yesterday in the New York Times.

TONIGHT, you or someone you love will likely be visited by a vampire — on cable television or the big screen, or in the bookstore. Our own novel describes a modern-day epidemic that spreads across New York City.

It all started nearly 200 years ago. It was the “Year Without a Summer” of 1816, when ash from volcanic eruptions lowered temperatures around the globe, giving rise to widespread famine. A few friends gathered at the Villa Diodati on Lake Geneva and decided to engage in a small competition to see who could come up with the most terrifying tale — and the two great monsters of the modern age were born.

One was created by Mary Godwin, soon to become Mary Shelley, whose Dr. Frankenstein gave life to a desolate creature. The other monster was less created than fused. John William Polidori stitched together folklore, personal resentment and erotic anxieties into “The Vampyre,” a story that is the basis for vampires as they are understood today.

With “The Vampyre,” Polidori gave birth to the two main branches of vampiric fiction: the vampire as romantic hero, and the vampire as undead monster. This ambivalence may reflect Polidori’s own, as it is widely accepted that Lord Ruthven, the titular creature, was based upon Lord Byron — literary superstar of the era and another resident of the lakeside villa that fateful summer. Polidori tended to Byron day and night, both as his doctor and most devoted groupie. But Polidori resented him as well: Byron was dashing and brilliant, while the poor doctor had a rather drab talent and unremarkable physique.

But this was just a new twist to a very old idea. The myth, established well before the invention of the word “vampire,” seems to cross every culture, language and era. The Indian Baital, the Ch’ing Shih in China, and the Romanian Strigoi are but a few of its names. The creature seems to be as old as Babylonia and Sumer. Or even older.

The vampire may originate from a repressed memory we had as primates. Perhaps at some point we were — out of necessity — cannibalistic. As soon as we became sedentary, agricultural tribes with social boundaries, one seminal myth might have featured our ancestors as primitive beasts who slept in the cold loam of the earth and fed off the salty blood of the living.

Monsters, like angels, are invoked by our individual and collective needs. Today, much as during that gloomy summer in 1816, we feel the need to seek their cold embrace.

Herein lies an important clue: in contrast to timeless creatures like the dragon, the vampire does not seek to obliterate us, but instead offers a peculiar brand of blood alchemy. For as his contagion bestows its nocturnal gift, the vampire transforms our vile, mortal selves into the gold of eternal youth, and instills in us something that every social construct seeks to quash: primal lust. If youth is desire married with unending possibility, then vampire lust creates within us a delicious void, one we long to fulfill.

In other words, whereas other monsters emphasize what is mortal in us, the vampire emphasizes the eternal in us. Through the panacea of its blood it turns the lead of our toxic flesh into golden matter.

In a society that moves as fast as ours, where every week a new “blockbuster” must be enthroned at the box office, or where idols are fabricated by consensus every new television season, the promise of something everlasting, something truly eternal, holds a special allure. As a seductive figure, the vampire is as flexible and polyvalent as ever. Witness its slow mutation from the pansexual, decadent Anne Rice creatures to the current permutations — promising anything from chaste eternal love to wild nocturnal escapades — and there you will find the true essence of immortality: adaptability.

Vampires find their niche and mutate at an accelerated rate now — in the past one would see, for decades, the same variety of fiend, repeated in multiple storylines. Now, vampires simultaneously occur in all forms and tap into our every need: soap opera storylines, sexual liberation, noir detective fiction, etc. The myth seems to be twittering promiscuously to serve all avenues of life, from cereal boxes to romantic fiction. The fast pace of technology accelerates its viral dispersion in our culture.

But if Polidori remains the roots in the genealogy of our creature, the most widely known vampire was birthed by Bram Stoker in 1897.

Part of the reason for the great success of his “Dracula” is generally acknowledged to be its appearance at a time of great technological revolution. The narrative is full of new gadgets (telegraphs, typing machines), various forms of communication (diaries, ship logs), and cutting-edge science (blood transfusions) — a mash-up of ancient myth in conflict with the world of the present.

Today as well, we stand at the rich uncertain dawn of a new level of scientific innovation. The wireless technology we carry in our pockets today was the stuff of the science fiction in our youth. Our technological arrogance mirrors more and more the Wellsian dystopia of dissatisfaction, while allowing us to feel safe and connected at all times. We can call, see or hear almost anything and anyone no matter where we are. For most people then, the only remote place remains within. “Know thyself” we do not.

Despite our obsessive harnessing of information, we are still ultimately vulnerable to our fates and our nightmares. We enthrone the deadly virus in the very same way that “Dracula” allowed the British public to believe in monsters: through science. Science becomes the modern man’s superstition. It allows him to experience fear and awe again, and to believe in the things he cannot see.

And through awe, we once again regain spiritual humility. The current vampire pandemic serves to remind us that we have no true jurisdiction over our bodies, our climate or our very souls. Monsters will always provide the possibility of mystery in our mundane “reality show” lives, hinting at a larger spiritual world; for if there are demons in our midst, there surely must be angels lurking nearby as well. In the vampire we find Eros and Thanatos fused together in archetypal embrace, spiraling through the ages, undying.

Forever.

Guillermo del Toro, the director of “Pan’s Labyrinth,” and Chuck Hogan are the authors of “The Strain,” a novel.

In other news, this week’s Entertainment Weekly delivers the ultimate guide to vampires. You’ll find interviews with the authors behind Twilight and True Blood, our list of the 20 greatest bloodsuckers ever, and Anne Rice’s pick for the best new vampire — as well as a talk with her about how she revolutionized the vampire legend decades ago with Interview with a Vampire.

James Moray of Abercairney

2009-07-30T20:09:00.004-04:00

Okay. Here's photos of work in progress of the "Eve of the '45" Highlander figure. He's based on a portrait of James Moray of Abercairney, who, according to the portrait description in my tartan book, was a clan chief. I've been unable to find out what became of him after the Battle of Culloden, so, if you know, please help out. Jimmy is proud as hell. Seriously, look at his face and his stance. He's not quite finished. His basket hilt Highlander sword is coming tomorrow. After it arrives, he needs a shoulder strap and hilt. Dan thinks the strap on him is too glitzy, but I like it. What do ya'll think (that would be the red, gold and black ribbon across his shoulder). Stay tuned for more ...

A Taste of Tartan

2009-07-29T09:20:00.005-04:00

The other day, I was out antiquing with my sister when I came across a lovely little book on tartan. It was inexpensive, so I bought it without taking the time to flip through it. When I got to the car, I pulled it out of the sack and was delighted to discover that it wasn't just pictures of swatches, but the actual history of tartan, complete with historic images and illustrations. Well, that inspired me to start on a new figure based on one of the images in the book of a clan chief on the eve of The '45. He's wearing a period coat and shirt over a traditional belted plaid, which combines my passions for 18th century and Scottish costume. Jimmy, as I call him, is a full sculpt, meaning he's completely sculpted from clay, rather than part clay and part cloth. Well, except for his upper arms, which need to bend so I can get him into his clothes. In the painting, he's outfitted with a sword and dirk and there's a very nasty looking shield in the background with a spike extending out of the center. Yesterday (and boy was I excited) I found the perfect sword for him online: a Scottish basket hilt letter opener! Yowza!

Okay, so. My love affair with Scotland and tartan continues. I'm thinking of doing a whole series of Highland figures in traditional dress from varying time periods. Ambitious, yes. Guess we'll see if I can pull it off.

In the meantime, here's a little bit of history from my second novel, Bloodlust. This bit is stuck in between the Inverness Highland Games, where Robert (our vampire hero) is giving a political speech and tossing a caber and an interview he gives with a seductive reporter from the local newspaper.

Tartan plaid, far more than a repeating pattern of dyed wool woof and warp, has long been a symbol of Scottish pride and independence. That’s why it was the uniform of choice for the Jacobite uprising in 1745. And that’s why the English banned the wearing of all tartan and other forms of Highland dress in Scotland the year after the rebellion. The ban, a poison arrow aimed right at the heart of Highlander heritage, extended to the wearing of kilts (tartan skirts), trewes (tight tartan trousers), or philabegs (baggy tartan shorts); the playing of the bagpipes; the speaking of Scottish Gaelic; the bearing of all arms; and the gathering of clansmen. The penalty for a first offense was six months in prison. A second offense initially carried a sentence of seven years hard labor on a colonial plantation, but was later changed to a forced term of service in the British army in America, which chiefly defended the colony against the French, the strongest of Scotland’s allies.

The demoralizing measure was crafted to crush Scotland’s ancient clan culture as a means of squelching any lingering pro-Jacobite sentiments in the Highlands. Suspected sympathizers were forced to take an oath, which demonstrated England’s shrewd understanding of the character of the Scottish people:

“I ... do swear, and as I shall have to answer to God at the great day of judgment, I have not nor shall have in my possession, any gun, sword, pistol or arm whatever: and never use any tartan, plaid or any part of the Highland garb, and if I do so, may I be cursed in my undertakings, family, and property--may I never see my wife and children, father, mother, and relations--may I be killed in battle as a coward, and lie without Christian burial in a strange land, far from the graves of my forefathers and kindred-- may all this come across me if I break my oath.”

The ban elicited outrage and resentment among Highlanders, who vowed “it would take more than an act of Parliament to stop the Highlander wearing his traditional clothes.” But stop them it did. The ban, which lasted thirty-six years, was strictly enforced. In the span of two generations, the wearing and the weaving of tartan plaid virtually ceased with many ancient patterns and traditions forever lost along the way.

But what the measure took with one hand, it inadvertently gave with the other. The ban imbued the forbidden cloth with an air of danger and intrigue. The romanticism surrounding tartan was further enhanced by its continued use in the Highland regiments, the only group of Scotsmen exempted from the ban. The fighting prowess of the Scots, their continued wish to wear the kilt and tartan, and the standardization of many setts in a military form all contributed over time to a mood of public support for lifting the ban. So did the fading public memory of Culloden and wider acceptance in

Scotland

of the new British king.

Thus, in June 1782 in Parliament, the Marquis of Graham, who helped form the Highland Society of London, moved “that the clause of the nineteenth year of George II, which prohibits the wearing of the Scotch Highland dress, be repealed.

There was but one dissenting voice: Sir Philip Jennings Clerke, who wanted to have Highland dress confined to

Scotland

for the protection of the ladies. In making his plea, he relayed to the members of the House a story he had been told by a Hampshire innkeeper, who had recently quartered four officers of a Scottish regiment. The innkeeper complained that his wife and daughters were so taken with the men’s kilts and bare legs that he’d spent the duration of their visit keeping an eye on his women.

Scottish Independence

2009-07-24T16:15:00.003-04:00

Of all things, I've been immersed for the past few weeks in research on the issues and arguments surrounding Scottish independence for my second novel, Bloodlust. In it, my 200-year-old Scottish vampire, Robert Hamilton, is running for a Scottish seat in the Parliament at Westminster. The book spends a lot of time on Scottish history, culture, folklore, and scenery. I hope to actually get to Scotland next summer, but in the meantime, the Internet has provided a ton of useful resources!

Anyway, I'm telling you all this because there was a story on NPR yesterday about the fight for Scottish Independence that encapsulates things pretty darn well. If you're interested, check it out. You just might learn something! Calls for Scottish Independence Still Strong

Why We Love Vampires

2009-07-20T21:10:00.002-04:00

Have you seen this? http://www.newsweek.com/id/207128

And yet I can't tell you how many agents have blown me off because the so-called vampire trend is over -- even though the undercurrent theme of my novels is our enduring fascination with the vampire character in literature.

Wake up and smell the blood, people. I'm just saying.

N.

Acute Agitation

2009-07-20T12:12:00.002-04:00

I'm sitting here feeling agitated and distracted. Having trouble getting my head around the second-draft edits of Bloodlust, which still needs another 10,000 words. It's turning out to reveal a good deal of Scottish history, as Robert runs for a Scottish seat in the U.K. Parliament and gets embroiled in thoughts and discussions about the age-old fight for Scottish sovereignty. Hey, it's a thinking woman's book, remember? My characters actually think in between the hot sex scenes, unlike a lot of books these days.

Speaking of which ...

When it comes to sex scenes, do you prefer the hotter the better or fade to black? I've been pretty disappointed with the love scenes in the Sookie Stackhouse novels, considering the author gets into some pretty dark stuff. But sex scenes are difficult to write well and there's nothing more painful than a badly written one. Mine are descriptive without descending into pornography. I guess I write the kind of sex scenes I'd like to read in other people's novels. But maybe some readers are more squeamish than me. Thoughts?

N.

Buzz, Buzz

2009-07-18T18:21:00.003-04:00

There's a bit of a buzz building about my Bill Compton figure over at The Vault (www.trueblood-online.com). Check it out, if you give a hoot.

If you hang around long enough to read my blog (not just look at the pretty pictures of vampire Bill) you'll see that I'm a writer in addition to being an artist. I just shot the hostess of The Vault a note confessing that I stole a line from an interview with Stephen Moyer for my second novel's manuscript. Something about Margaret Thatcher playing ping-pong. I think it's fair game (some of my best friends are intellectual property rights attorneys), but I wouldn't usurp it without giving credit where credit is due (coz that's the kind of person I am). So, if my novel ever sees the light of publishing day, I will be including a little acknowledgment to S.M. for the great line.

Rock on, S.M. All the best.

N.

Vampire Bill Compton

2009-07-18T14:13:00.005-04:00

I didn't realize I was going to attract the attention of Stephen Moyer fans with my little post yesterday about making a Bill Compton doll. But since it looks like I have, and since I've nearly finished him today, I thought I'd post a few preliminary pictures. Notice that he's wearing Civil War era attire. The boots are sculpted and painted, as are his face, torso and hands. His pants are the high-waisted style of the period, supported by braces that cross in the back and attach with little leather bits (from vintage kid gloves) and brass buttons. The pants themselves are a charcoal/navy cashmere with a tiny texture running through the fabric. His shirt is a three-button style, open to show his manly chest. I didn't give him a waistcoat because I didn't want to cover his braces. Although I am tempted, because I'd like to give him a pocket watch. I did give him a full-length duster because, well, let's face it, dusters are sexy.

For those who don't know how I make my figures, here's a quick and dirty explanation: I start with a piece of wire bent in half, add a cross wire for arms and bend out and reinforce the hips. Then I make a basic head and shoulder shape with foil. Next I sculpt the head, shoulders and upper body (in this case) out of Creative Paper Clay. The face on a portrait doll like this is reworked several times until I am satisfied with the likeness (never perfect, alas). I use a combo of sculpting, sanding, and carving for the faces. Then paint using a combo of acrylics, powdered pastels, and glazes. Hands and feet are sculpted as separate parts and attached to the wires with superglue. The rest of the body is formed from wrapped strips of cotton batting that are cut and glued to form an under layer. For the upper layer, I use anatomical drawings to cut out little muscles that get sewn and stuffed all over (so they look like real people under those clothes). If you're wondering, yes, my men have all their parts (so they look right in their trousers--and because it just wouldn't be right to make a man without the proper equipment).

When all that's done, they get dressed. I create my own patterns for each doll, using period examples from reference books in my costume library. There's a lot of tweaking at every stage, but that's the big picture for you.

Hope you like Bill. Being batting over wire, he is gently poseable. I'm pretty pleased with how he came out (you never know). Dan's making him a little coffin in his woodshop right now.

Leave me a comment or shoot me an email if you like him. Kindness and positive feedback are always appreciated.

Nina

Art Doll Quarterly

2009-07-17T08:08:00.001-04:00

The new issue of Art Doll Quarterly with a six-page feature spread on me and my work arrived in the mail yesterday. If you're a fan or just like art dolls, check it out.

In other news, I finished the first draft of Bloodlust and now begin the arduous task of second-draft editing, which is not as much fun as creating the novel itself.

As far as dolls go, I started working on a Vampire Bill figure based on Stephen Moyer, who plays him in the HBO series True Blood. So far so good. Face took several tries, but that's not unusual. Still not an exact likeness, but there's a resemblance now. I asked Dan last night if he'd build me a little coffin for Bill to sleep in.

I'm going to dress him in Civil War-era civilian attire. I'm thinking boots, pants, a shirt, waistcoat, and duster. Something kind of sexy. Because Vampire Bill is smoldering sexy (as is Stephen Moyer).

Yummy.

Now back to Bloodlust and Bill.

Nina

Bloodlust

2009-07-09T17:18:00.003-04:00

Guess what? I got so antsy waiting to hear from an agent on my first novel that I decided to start writing another one. It's a sequel to Shadow & Light titled Bloodlust. I started it about three weeks ago and I'm almost through with the first draft. Needless to say, it's been pouring out of me. Although not today, I'm afraid.

In other news, the feature on me in Art Doll Quarterly should be out very soon and I just registered for the ODACA luncheon in Atlanta this Sunday.

I don't feel much like writing after pounding my head mercilessly on the keyboard today for hours.

Ugh.

Nina

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

2009-06-18T13:42:00.004-04:00

My mother wrote the other day to complain that I hadn't been blogging enough lately. Hi, Mom. I apologize if that's true. I actually have several things to blog about: Emma's dance recital, the pumpkin spell box I did for Spooky Time Jingles (sold the first day!), the torturous waiting for agents to get back to me on my novel, the new contract that will keep food in the frig for the next year, and the fall issue of Art Doll Quarterly, which goes to press today. Last night, I received the layouts of the six-page feature they're doing on me and my dolls. Alas, I did not get the cover (boo-hoo). Apparently, they went with something more seasonal than my founding fathers. Perhaps they should have considered that Constitution Day is September 17. But how were they to know? It's not like it gets that much press. Which is really too bad, when you think how much ink is devoted to inane drivel like the escapades of Bradjolina and Paris Hilton. Don't get me started.

I've been steadily reworking the novel. The first chapter has always been the weakest and even though I'd eliminated most of the grimace factor, as I like to call it, I still wasn't happy. I decided to try a whole new approach to the opening of the novel and I'm much happier with it. Now, of course, I'm torn. Do I tell the agents sitting on the old version that I've made improvements or let it ride?

Meanwhile, I've also been reworking my character dolls. Robert got longer mane. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a man in a kilt and, if he's got a ponytail, all the better. I also redid Kat and put her in a wedding dress. She's my first bride doll, believe it or not. I'll post some pictures later, I promise. Right now, I'm at the hair salon waiting for my pedicure appointment. Could be called away at any moment ....

More later,

Nina

Early American Life

2009-06-01T09:56:00.002-04:00

Sue Miller from Early American Life magazine has published a little blurb about the Colonial Artisans Faire in Williamsburg. She mentions my dolls and there's a photo of our Emma in colonial garb. To check it out, click here!

Robert Burns

2009-05-25T09:31:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, on the way home from our trip, we stopped in a lovely antique store in Greenville, N.C. Much to my amazement, I discovered there what appears to be a cast iron and painted statue of Robert Burns. I tried to look it up on the Internet last night when I got home, both to discover what it is and if I paid too much for it. It's a very interesting looking piece. I'll try to post some photos later so everyone can see him and maybe somebody can tell me something about what I have. Even if my Burns remains a mystery, he will occupy an honored place in the house--first in the foyer where he can greet (or frighten guests) with his intense look, and later, on the upstairs bar. We're talking of creating an old tudor style pub upstairs in the bonus room.

The Burns statue is about 20 inches tall with the base, which appears to be pot metal painted gold. Burns himself has his arms crossed over his chest and a cloak over one shoulder. He holds a bundle of flowers in one hand and a book in the other. He is painted, as I said and wears a green frock coat, black cloak and tartan socks. The picture at left looks very much like my Burns, only mine's painted over the metal.

Anyone know anything about him? While I'm researching, I'll be contemplating the horror of making a haggis. Wonder if I could alter the recipe slightly and actually make it appetizing. Tall order, I know.

Nina

Montpelier

2009-05-22T08:57:00.003-04:00

We had a lovely visit to Montpelier yesterday, although we arrived rather late in the day. In the morning, we were all set for a day of historical discovery and exploration when the car wouldn't start. We had the same problem in Williamsburg the day before and had to find somebody to jump the battery. We borrowed my sister's car for the trip, since it's bigger than mine. So, sixty miles and several hours later, we had a new battery installed at a Nissan dealer in Harrisonburg. The car is an Infiniti SUV, but the nearest Infiniti dealer was in Richmond, which was even farther away.

But we did eventually reach Montpelier, our planned destination. The house is looking wonderful. Still a ways to go on the restoration, but much farther along than it was two years ago when we visited. At that time, the walls were down to lathe. Now the plaster's been done, most of the rooms are finished, doorways are painted and everything looks great. It's exciting to see this work in progress and we're thrilled that our nation is going to the trouble to restore this extraordinary historical monument. The grounds also are beautiful, but we didn't have much time to explore. We did, however, walk through the formal walled garden just beyond what would have been the slave's village. I've provided a couple of pictures of the garden I found on the Internet. Dan shot a few, too, so I'll replace these with our own when we get them downloaded.

It still gives me chills to stand on the same floorboards that Madison, Jefferson and others trod while hatching the blueprint for our country! Although it pains me that they, and their friends, Aaron Burr and James Monroe, plotted to bring down my beloved Hamilton. Sigh.

Nina

C'Ville

2009-05-21T10:04:00.002-04:00

Here we are in Charlottesville, Virginia. Drove in yesterday via a detour to the Berkeley Plantation. It was a little off the beaten path, so we ended up getting in later than expected and missing our lecture at the Jefferson Library on Ben Franklin. Oh well. Berkeley was worth it. It is a brick Georgian plantation on the James River. Built by Benjamin Harrison, the father of the signer of the Declaration of Independence (his sig is just below Jefferson's). His younger son, William Henry, became the ninth president, but died a month after his inauguration. The 23rd president, Benjamin Harrison, also was one of their clan. General McClellan and the Army of the Potomoac encamped at Berkeley during the civil war and Lincoln visited him there twice to prod him into action. If you know your history, you know that McClellan never did respond and Lincoln, disgusted, finally relieved him of his command.

They say that the first ten presidents all were entertained at Berkeley. Such history! We love it!!

Nina

Following History's Trail

2009-05-20T08:14:00.003-04:00

We'll be leaving Williamsburg this morning for Charlottesville. I've reserved seats for us at a lecture this afternoon on Ben Franklin at the Jefferson Library. We hope to have enough time to tour Monticello beforehand, although we have toured Monticello before. This is our fourth visit to Williamsburg and we still haven't seen everything. I hope that next time, I'll be able to see the costume collections. If you're interested in horses and carriages, I highly recommend the Bits and Bridles walking tour. It's free with the Liberty Pass, but you have to make a reservation. A docent takes you down to the stables and carriage house and tells you all about the equestrian program. It was cool.

We also took the Gardens of Gentility tour yesterday. The docent talked about how the gardens revealed the different levels of wealth and status of the occupants of the property.

All in all, it was a very good visit, even if we did get rained out on Sunday at our show. Nobody sold, so everyone's coming home with me. Of course, Madison and Jefferson will get a chance to visit their homes. I suppose if I take them on the tours with me, the docents will think I'm a nut. Not that that will stop me -- or that they won't think I'm a nut anyway. LOL.

Nina

Speaking of George Washington ...

2009-05-17T14:15:00.002-04:00

Well, I finally got my George Washington figure repaired and back to Colonial Williamsburg and guess what? He arrived safe and sound, but got broken again as soon as he got to the museum shop. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. But oh well. Here are some pictures.

Also, I discovered that I took a wrong turn on Dan's family tree. He isn't related to George Washington, but I did trace one line back to a Revolutionary War soldier (Tobias Honea or Honey) and another line all the way back to 12th Century Scotland, where they lived in various castles that are now ruins and historic landmarks. We're heading to the kilt shop in Williamsburg as soon as Dan gets out of the shower. Not that we'll be buying a kilt. But I want to check out the kilts and accessories for future reference. Still, you never know.

Today, Williamsburg is wet! We're toing to see dancers at the Palace tonight and dining at the King's Arms tavern. Doesn't that sound like fun? I love Williamsburg, even if they keep breaking my GW!

Nina

James Madison, father of the constitution

2009-05-12T15:35:00.002-04:00

James Madison, our fourth president, is credited with drafting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He also wrote, along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, several of the essays known collectively as The Federalist Papers. We went to Montpelier, Madison's home in Virginia, a couple of years ago during the restoration. At that time, they were down to the lathe. But it was still pretty interesting to hear about the process and stand in the room where Madison looked out across the hills and fields when he wrote. Anyway, we'll be going back next week to see how things are progressing. I'm doing a Colonial Artisans Faire at Endview Plantation near Williamsburg and we'll be staying over in Virginia for some historic sightseeing and wine tasting. In the meantime, I thought you might like to see my Madison figure. He was a little bugger, but I finally got him done.

Nina

My Own Men in Kilts

2009-05-07T20:47:00.003-04:00

Finally got some pictures of Robert Hamilton, the figure of my vampire character in his kilt, and my own gorgeous hubby looking splendid in his own kilt at the Renaissance Festival last weekend. (Try to look past that fat girl in the fairy costume! The gorgeous fairy in blue is my sister, Liz.)

For the past few days, I've been working on his family genealogy. His parents had very little to pass along, so I've been doing lots of work searching and constructing a tree at ancestry.com. Turns out he's related to George Washington! His family has been here as long as mine and his roots go back to England, Ireland, and Scotland. He's of the Rayburn clan (his father's mother was a Rayburn). I traced them all the way back to a relative who immigrated from England to the Irish-Scotch settlement in Virginia in the mid-1700s. I think that gives him the right to wear the Rayburn clan kilt. Does anybody disagree? That's not the kilt he's wearing in the photo. I'll have to special order him one from Scotland when I can afford it. Then I'll have to come up with places he can wear it (besides the home office).

Anyway, take a look at my two gorgeous men in kilts -- Dan and Robert. I'm quite proud of them.

Nina

Robert James Hamilton

2009-04-21T14:59:00.003-04:00

For the past several days I've been killing two birds with one stone -- creating a figure of my Scottish vampire and making my own man in a kilt. Robert Hamilton is looking pretty fierce, but he's been extremely challenging. I used some new sculpting techniques to create his body. For the past several dolls, I've been using cotton batting to wrap the armature wire, then adding muscles that are sewn on and, when appropriate, stuffed to create musculature. For Robert, I did all of that, then gesso'd and painted the batting, hoping it would look like skin. It looked like skin with a bad case of cellulite, so, I decided to try and add clay over the layers, first as slip, and then thicker as needed. The end result is that Robert's lower body is completely sculpted. Yes, he's "correct" and "regimental" under the kilt. I'll try to get some pictures posted. I'm afraid I won't be posting any "under the kilt" shots. But, if you're interested in seeing the artistry ... well, I might be willing to privately email them.

Besides the kilt, Robert is wearing ghillie brogues that I sculpted, a ghillie or jacobite shirt, and a highlander vest. I made him a sporran out of kid leather with a silver thistle button and a bit of rabbit fur, and he's wearing a celtic drinking horn over one shoulder.

A reminder, also, that I'll be at the Atlanta Doll Collector's Show on Saturday, May 2 at the Perimeter Marriott, if anyone's in and around town. Stop by and say hello to me and some of the dolls you've only heard about!

Ha ha.

Nina

Men in Kilts

2009-04-18T13:06:00.009-04:00

This is where my novel-writing and study of costume intersect: kilts. Since my vampire protagonist is Scottish, I put him in full Highland dress for his wedding. And since I'm a stickler for detail when it comes to, well, pretty much everything--but especially costume--I had to do a little research on tartans, kilts, and accessories like ghillie brogues, flashes, sporrans and the like. In other words, I want my description to hold up to even the most discerning Scot. Anyway, I thought I'd share with ya'll some of the yummy fruits of my labors. I do love a man in a kilt! If you have to ask why, well, scroll down. But, if you're easily offended, please don't! Some of the gents are going "regimental." Which is, of course, the mark of a True Scot and part of the appeal of the kilt. First chance I get, I'm buying my hubby a kilt. Prince Charles or Argyle? Hmmm.

Sweet Home Alabama

2009-04-11T14:58:00.002-04:00

Just got home from a trip to Birmingham, Alabama. We went down on Wednesday to see Wicked for Emma's sake because she didn't get to see it when the musical was here in Atlanta. It was our first trip to Alabama. Birmingham seems a little run down. We stayed in a cool place downtown called The Highland Hotel.

I'm heading down to the studio shortly to see what I can get up to with dolls. I'm feeling a tad uninspired today. But maybe that will change once I get downstairs.

Nina

Back in the Studio

2009-04-05T19:00:00.003-04:00

I've spent most of the weekend back in the doll studio, reworking some of the dolls that have been sitting around, not good enough for shows but not bad enough to chuck on the rubbish heap. As I mentioned before, I'll be doing the Atlanta Doll Collector's Show on May 2 at the Marriott at the Perimeter. Should be interesting. My first show with doll collectors. My second show ever. I'm doing the next Colonial Artisans Faire at Endview Plantation just outside Williamsburg on May 16 and 17. But those are the only shows I have planned this year.

Art Doll Quarterly is photographing my dolls for the August feature tomorrow. They promised to send me low rez images after the photos are done, so I'll post some if it's not a violation of their policies.

Mr. Darcy is looking pretty good now and Anna Higgenbottom and Catherine Wickersham got facial makeovers which make them much more attractive. They have such complicated clothing and underpinnings, I felt they needed better faces. I'll try to get some pictures up in the next week or so ... but I'm heading to Birmingham, Ala., next week for a few days. It's spring break for Emma and she really wanted to see "Wicked." It's still playing in Birmingham, which is only a couple of hours away. We've been talking about going for some time now, but have never been.

More later,

Nina

Living with Vampires

2009-04-02T17:02:00.003-04:00

Still neglecting the blog, sorry. The novel got shot down by most of the agents, so I went back to the drawing board and wrote a second draft. Just finished that round today and sent out some more queries. The book got a lot better and a lot longer, so now I'm going to try to push it as a literary novel. Writing a novel is very consuming. I've been spending about 12 hours a day, 7 days a week on it, never leaving my computer and always thinking about the book, even when I do.

Now that I've gotten it this far, I'm hoping that I can turn back to dollmaking for a few weeks before my next show on May 2 at the Perimeter in Atlanta.

BTW, I got a nice email from Nicol Sayre the other day, in response to a fan email I sent her in 2007! Talk about busy! But it was nice to hear back from her, even if it took almost two years.

Nina

The Dreaded Blog Neglect

2009-03-07T07:30:00.002-05:00

Sorry I've been a little lax about posting. It's not that I haven't been working. I'm currently working on the second draft of the novel, which seems to involve a painstaking process of writing and editing word by word, paragraph by paragraph. Needless to say, the thesaurus has become my new best friend!

But I've also been working on dolls ... a little. I finally finished James Madison. What a little bugger he turned out to be. With Madison, I started using a new material for the bodies -- cotton batting instead of poly batting. It gives them a lot more density and allows me to actually cut and stuff muscles to give them a more human shape. I'll try to take some pictures this weekend of Madison and the George Washington I've been repairing for Colonial Williamsburg. Some of my readers might recall that he was returned to me after someone in the gift shop dropped him. At first glance, it looked like he'd broken off the stand and left part of his hand on the cannon. But when I got a closer look, I discovered that his neck had been broken. So, I basically ended up doing a whole new Washington over the old Washington. I wonder if the folks at Williamsburg will even notice. I used some of my new stuffing techniques on George and he's really quite splendid. I'll try to get pictures of George posted, too.

For Spooky Time this month, I'm thinking of putting up some Georgian rabbits I made last year. I also did some small collage boxes with a spring theme that I'm thinking about putting up as well.

In other news, the daffodils outside my window are finally blooming. Mine always bloom late because, like a dope, I planted them in the shade. Only got one bloom last year with the crazy drought here in Georgia. Thought about digging them up, but didn't get around to it. Now it looks like there will be blooms on just about every plant.

More later,

Nina

New Pictures of Edward & Bella

2009-02-23T10:42:00.003-05:00

Bella and Edward are no longer for sale. I have changed them again and these pictures are not accurate.

Thinking Woman's Romance Novel

2009-02-23T09:25:00.002-05:00

Believe it or not, I finished the book and now I'm shopping for an agent. I know. It seems crazy. I only started writing it like four weeks ago. I have been, quite literally, possessed. You know how all us dollmakers say that the personality of our creations come through? Well, try writing a novel. My protagonist, a 200-year-old vampire named Robert Hamilton, visited me every morning at 4 a.m. Robert turned out to be a very strong force with an interesting story to tell. Unlike Edward Cullen in Twilight, Robert flashes back to moments in history (and he gets to have hot sex with his human girlfriend -- this book ain't for teenagers ... well, not specifically). Plus you get all these narrative treatises on the nature of good and evil in the world. It's got romance, sex, revenge, action, history, philosophy and even a little spirituality! What more could you ask for? Ha!

The next step after drafting the book is shopping for an agent. No publisher will look at an unrepresented manuscript these days. And the first step in shopping for an agent is writing a brief "query." I did my homework, wrote my query and sent it out on Friday night to the first ten agents on my list. All the advice I've read said it will take two to four weeks to hear back from an agent, if you hear back at all. Guess what? I've already heard from two who want to read the book. How cool is that? I'll keep you guys posted. Just for giggles, here's the query I wrote to describe the book:

How can you have a soul mate it you don't have a soul?

In 1809, after a vengeful count makes him a vampire, Robert Hamilton—a dashing young nobleman with everything to live for—locks himself in the tower of his Scottish castle and stages his own death. Left with nothing but self-revulsion, Robert is tormented by the paralyzing grief and isolation of a self-imposed emotional exile for two centuries before a deeper part of himself is irresistibly drawn to a young woman he unwittingly offends one night at a society ball. Robert flees to protect them both but returns when he receives a message in a dream from his long-dead first love. Can Kat Bentley be the reincarnation of Caitlin McAllister? How can she be his soul mate if he doesn't have a soul?

Set in modern and historic London, Shadow & Light tells the story of the troubled, tender, and torrid romance that develops between the vampire and the "anti-socialite," Kat Bentley, a bright, bold college student who openly despises her blue-blood family's elitist values. A thinking woman's romance novel, Shadow & Light offers more than relationship obstacles, sex, and revenge. Through alternating first-person points of view, the novel explores shifting social mores, the shades of good and evil in every human heart, and the power of fearless love to redeem even the most forsaken of souls. The main plot, loosely based on Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, is intertwined with literary and archetypal references, philosophical theories, and historical flashbacks in which Robert encounters actual figures and events that throw greater light on his character and the deeper themes of the book. All were painstakingly researched for accuracy.

Shadow & Light

2009-02-08T18:53:00.003-05:00

Sorry I haven't been posting recently, but I've been completely immersed in writing a novel! I deliberately stick to the art of dollmaking on this blog, but I'm actually, first and foremost, a writer. So it's not as freaky as it sounds.

I'm about 13 chapters in. It's a love story, with a vampire, but it also explore the spectrum of good and evil.

More later,

Nina

The Good Vampire Archetype

2009-01-24T12:42:00.008-05:00

I offer this post in response to a comment left last night on my post titled "A Thinking Woman's Guide to Twilight." The earlier post discusses the archetypal themes running through the Twilight series of books by Stephanie Meyer. The comment was left by my 16-year-old niece, Andrea, who astutely cited other archetypes in the books, most notably the vampire archetype, the “damsel in distress” (rescue fantasy?), and star-crossed lovers. She asked if I agreed with her assessment.

She wrote, in part: “I think vampires themselves are something that intrigues humans. Ever since the beginning of man, there have been stories about vampires, as you of course know. Whether it's the power or sexuality of them, we humans are fascinated by them. I think it is because as far as monster’s go, they are the most human. Also, there is a part of us that wants to be that perfect and masterful.”

I agree with all your observations, Andrea. But let's start with the vampire archetype, which I believe holds a more powerful attraction for humans than sexual seduction or immortality (although, admittedly, those are pretty powerful allures).

(Warning: the following contains spoilers for the Twilight series!)

On a dark and stormy night in 1816, Lord Byron invited a handful of friends to his Swiss villa. Among the guests were Percy Shelley and his wife, Mary, and a Dr. Polidori. Lord Byron had the idea that, just for fun, each should write a supernatural tale. Out of this evening’s entertainment was born one famous work, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and one forgotten work, Dr. Polidori’s The Vampyre.

The main characters in each were moral opposites. Dr. Frankenstein is a well-meaning yet misguided scientist whose thirst for knowledge gets out of hand and creates a monster. Polidori’s vampire, on the other hand, is a monster who hides behind the image of a well-meaning man. Like Count Dracula, who came later, Lord Ruthven appears to be a refined, magnetic and mesmerizing gentleman. Yet he is in truth a predatory vampire who feeds on the living.

Lord Ruthven may be the earliest example of the vampire archetype in literature, but the myths and legends from which the archetype sprung go back centuries.

The first recorded description of vampires appears in the Babylonian epic Gilgamesh, published in 2000 B.C. Gilgamesh tells of the Ekimmu, or Departed Spirit--the soul of a dead person who eternally wanders the earth to prey on the living. The Ekimmu, who enjoy a peculiar psychic connection with their victims, can walk through solid doors and walls, take up residence in a house, and feed on its inhabitants.

Although there are cultural variations in the various legends, there is always one defining trait of a vampire: he drinks blood, consuming another’s life to sustain his own. Blood symbolizes life, life energy and the soul. Thus, vampires consume the life energy or soul of their victims. Yet he does so seductively, while his victim swoons in an intimate embrace and offers her neck—the source of her jugular vein—for his “kiss.”

Deeply sourced in religion, the vampire myth reverses the symbolism of the Eucharist. In literature, as well as in Jung’s collective unconscious, the Vampire archetype is undeniably a villain -- the polar opposite of the Redeemer hero. This is beautifully illustrated in the climactic scene in Dracula. The count rips open a vein above his own heart and forces Mina to drink blood from his breast. As she does, he says triumphantly: “Now you shall be flesh of my flesh, and blood of my blood.” The struggle between Eucharist and Vampire represents the age-old struggle between good and evil, Most powerfully, both archetypes speak of the surrender of the soul.

As our society has become more secularized and sexualized, so has the vampire archetype. But he did not grow a conscience until Anne Rice’s Louis Pointe du Lac bares his immortal struggle against the evils of his preternatural curse in Interview with the Vampire.

“The method Rice chose to tell her tale--with Louis' first-person confession to a skeptical boy--transformed the vampire from a hideous predator into a highly sympathetic, seductive, and all-too-human figure,” writes Patrick O’Kelley for Amazon.com.

We see the archetype of “the good vampire” appear again in Francis Ford Coppola’s film Bram Stoker’s Dracula, in the character of Angel in Buffy and the Vampire Slayer and in Edward Cullen in Twilight.

Suddenly, the vampire archetype isn’t inherently evil. No longer the polar opposite of the Eucharist, he now embodies the internal struggle of good vs. evil – a struggle we all face to overcome the primal monstrousness of our own natures. This newfound struggle makes the vampire a sympathetic character, elevating the archetype from one-dimensional villain to multi-dimensional hero. Like the archetypal heroes in so many fairy tales, the vampire seeks deliverance from his curse – the evil side of his nature that was forced upon him involuntarily – through no fault of his own. The same is true of us, only we seek deliverance from our inborn evil tendencies rather than curses and enchantments.

In Twilight, author Stephanie Meyer offers literary references as archetypal clues (not surprising, since she was an English major). When Bella and Edward meet, Bella is reading a well-worn copy of Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte's symbolic vampire story. Ironically, Edward detests the book, claiming that the self-possessed characters of Cathy and Heathcliff are without any redeeming qualities (Edward does not consciously relate to the characters but subconsciously considers himself a monster without a soul who is beyond redemption). Bella defends the ill-fated pair, claiming that their love for each other is what redeems them. This strongly hints at the key to their mutual transformations in the Twilight series.

New Moon, the second book, opens with Bella and Edward watching Romeo and Juliet – another clue to the archetypal plot of the star-crossed lovers whose attachment is so strong, they would rather die than live without one another. This clue also foreshadows the book's ending: Edward, erroneously believing Bella to be dead, seeks to destroy himself rather than live without her. “I can’t live in a world where you don’t exist,” he says more than once.

In the fourth and (allegedly) final book, Alice leaves a clue for Bella in Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare’s play about a young man who risks a pound of flesh to court his true love. It is not insignificant that Bella burns the book in secret, symbolically freeing Edward from the debt he feels he owes for her love.

What does the vampire myth have in common with all these tales? The unexplainable psychic power of possession. Love, after all, is vampiric. As D.H. Lawrence wrote: “It is easy to see why each man kills the thing he loves. To know a living thing is to kill it. To try to know a living being is to try to suck the life out of that being. The temptation of the vampire fiend is this knowledge. The desirous consciousness, the spirit, is a vampire.

Andrea, I don't think it's the desire to be powerful and masterful that attracts us to good vampires like Edward Cullen. I think it's the desire to possess and be possessed by a love that transforms ordinary human experience into something extraordinary.

And that's where the trouble begins ....

Aunt Nina

Pictures of My Edward & Bella Figures

2009-01-23T13:27:00.009-05:00

Okay, so they weren't done when I posted the first group of pictures the other day. But now they are. Stand, apple and all. I did a little fine-tuning yesterday on their eyes and faces, gave Edward a new hand so he could offer the apple to Bella and put a red ribbon in Bella's hair. I'm actually going to replace the ribbon she's wearing now with a silk one that I ordered from someone on Ebay.

I posed them together on one stand, interacting with each other. Bella's wearing funky jeans with a little heart patch made from my favorite old pair of torn up Levi's. I gave her a scrunchy tie-dye top over a little white t-shirt and a matching velvet hair ribbon. Edward is in a white button-down, more refined jeans. I made him a cashmere sport coat, but in the end decided I liked him better without it. He's got black sculpted loafers on. She's wearing (symbolic) red ballet flats.

In his outstretched hand, Edward offers her the apple of "forbidden fruit" -- like on the cover of the book. The red ribbon symbolizes the intense love bond that ties them together.

You can't see all the details in Edward's costume with Bella standing in front of him, but they're there. His body is sculpted under his clothes. His jeans have belt loops and back pockets; his jacket has buttons and pocket flaps; his shirt even has a little pocket on the front.

Well, what do you think? Did I waste the past few weeks of my life on crap or not? In any event, I think they look better than the Tonner dolls of them. But that's all I'm ready to admit.

Nina

Bella & Edward are ready for their close ups ...

2009-01-23T11:50:00.004-05:00

Okay, so they weren't done when I posted the first set of pictures. Yesterday, I reworked and fine-tuned them. Now they're done.

Nina

Dinner's on Hold

2009-01-21T20:59:00.002-05:00

Okay, sorry. I'm not trying to turn this into a Twilight fan blog. Definitely NOT. But my hubby's on the phone with an old friend and I'm killing time waiting for dinner. Love him. Love them. But look at what a little hotty he is ... sigh. Like I said, married -- not dead.

Poor Rob Pattinson

2009-01-21T20:27:00.007-05:00

I know that, at 50, I should not allow myself to be sucked into the blogosphere or childish obsessions about celebrities. But it's hard to resist. I have tried really hard to resist crossing the line between Edward Cullen and Robert Pattinson, the actor who plays him in Twilight. Looking for pictures of Rob as reference for my Edward (it's hard to separate actors and book characters when you've seen the movie before you've read the books -- but I still have my own idea about things vs. the stylist for the film, so that will manifest itself in my work).

Aargh. I do not approve of our pathetic American culture's obession with celebrity and sports figures!! While we treat artists, writers and teachers as second class citizens while paying millions to entertainers. Something IS DEFINITELY WRONG WITH THAT.

But, trying to avoid crossing the line while working on my Edward, it was hard not to become more aware (and impressed, ever so slightly) with Rob. I LOVE that he leaves the house in a ski cap and greasy hair. I love that he composes music and plays guitar and piano. I love that he thumbs his nose at Hollywood crap and has dandruff.

When I was a teenage girl, I invited Pete Deul to visit me. He never answered and then committed suicide. So, my celebrity expectations are fairly low!! Ha!!

Life is weird. And full of surprises.

Hey, I'm married (happily) but I'm not dead.

Used to be a rock journalist, believe it or not. If you want to read some of my work, Google me under my maiden name: Nina Ellerman. Years ago, I was the "alternative rock" writer for BAM magazine in California.

Life is interesting, isn't it?

Sigh ...

Bits & Pieces

2009-01-21T08:04:00.003-05:00

Just a few details to get out of the way.

First, a big shout out and thanks to Dixie Redmond. Your "swap" item arrived yesterday and it is supercalafrageliciousexpealadotious!! I love the painting, Dix. She's beautiful!! Thank you so much!!!

Second, I will be participating in the Atlanta Doll Collector's Show on May 2. I'll post a link to more information about that soon!

Third, I submitted my dolls and articles to Art Doll Quarterly. Some of my historic portrait dolls will be featured in the issue that hits newsstands in August. They're running a full-blown feature on me and my dolls!! Keep your fingers crossed that one of my creations makes the cover!! I will be!!!

Oh, and, less importantly ... I took the Twilight Quiz and I'm Bella Swan. Lame, I know, but fun. Here's what it says about the results: "You are Bella Swan, the apple of Edward's eye. You are very private, clumsy, sweet, and funny. You have a wonderful ability to accept people (or mythical creatures) for what they are. You have an amazing capacity to love, even though you can be too hard on yourself"

Except for being "clumsy" and "the apple of Edward's eye," I think it's pretty descriptive of me, actually (and so does my own personal Edward, who sees me for who I am and loves me, not in spite of it, but because of it).

My figure of Edward (I was referring to my dear hubby above) is at the tailor's -- having a sport coat made. I may be able to post pictures of my Edward and Bella as early as today. I'm still waiting for some hair to arrive for Edward, tho. He has some hair, just not enough.

Nina

P.S. I decided to tidy up the art studio a little this morning before getting back to work on Edward's sportscoat and voila! I found an old doll wig I'd discarded with the right color hair for Edward! He's looking good, ladies. Smokey and dangerous (yet sensitive).

A Thinking Woman's Guide to Twilight

2009-01-19T06:05:00.019-05:00

I've been thinking alot lately about the universal appeal of Twilight. And I think I've come up with an answer: archetypes.

In my estimation, there are two strong archetypal story lines running through the series based on a teenage girl who falls in love with a vampire: Beauty & the Beast and The Ugly Duckling.

Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bête) was first published in France in La jeune américaine, et les contes marins in 1740. The best-known written version, an abridgement of the original by Mme Villeneuve, was published in 1756. The first English translation appeared in 1757.

We all know the basic story (that's the point of archetypal plots), but for the sake of comparison, let's review the major points: A bankrupt merchant sends his daughter, Beauty (Belle in French; Bella in Italian) to live with a creature who is part man, part animal. Unbeknownst to Beauty and her father, the beast is actually a prince who's been enchanted by a vengeful fairy. To break the spell, he must be loved for who he truly is. He lives in a self-imposed exile. Through their association during Beauty's imprisonment, she begins to see his inner virtues and grows to love him. Spell broken, they live happily ever after.

In the Twilight series, Bella lives alone with her father like Beauty in the story. Unlike the Beast, Edward is physically beautiful, but he sees himself as a monster -- a soulless killer. Unlike his "parents" and his "siblings," Edward has never taken a mate. He has exiled himself from love, refusing all offers from willing and beautiful vampires (first Rosalie, then Tanya). This is because Edward unconsciously needs more than the love of a vampire to redeem him. A fellow vampire would never perceive him as the monster he perceives himself to be. He must be loved by someone who is capable of seeing him as a monster, but sees him (and loves him) as someone virtuous instead.

He is instinctively and inexplicably drawn to Bella. He doesn't know it yet, but he is attracted to Bella because she holds the key to his transformation. But Bella's love alone isn't enough to bring the change about. As long as she is human, he is a threat to her -- a potentially lethal monster. Edward's transformation depends on Bella -- the thing he loves most -- becoming a vampire monster -- the thing he despises most about himself. But believing his desire for this to be "selfish" (and, therefore, monstrous), he resists the thing that will save them both until the very end. When he finally sees that sweet, beautiful Bella takes to immortality like a "natural" and that she is still beautiful and virtuous, even as a vampire, he awakens to the truth about himself as well.

A key passage appears on page 479 of Breaking Dawn, when Bella and Edward see the storybook cottage Alice and Esmee have fixed up for them: "Edward had always thought that he belonged to the world of horror stories. Of course, I'd known he was dead wrong. It was obvious that he belonged here. In a fairy tale. And now I was in the story with him."

But Beauty & the Beast only tells the story of Edward's transformation. The Twilight series would not be as powerful or universally appealing without the second archetypal plot, which positions Edward as the animus who holds the key to Bella's transformation.

The Ugly Duckling, published by Hans Christian Anderson in 1843, tells the story of a cygnet ostracized by his fellow barnyard fowl because of his perceived homeliness. To his delight (and to the surprise of others), he matures into a graceful swan--the most beautiful of all birds.

The Ugly Duckling demonstrates the archetype of the "outsider" searching for his or her place in society. Bella is not ostracized by her fellow humans, but feels nevertheless out of place in their world. Bella can not understand why the excruciating beautiful (and intense) Edward is drawn to her of all people -- and loves her irrevocably. Bella Swan (literally, Beautiful Swan) sees herself as plain, gangly and uncoordinated. Bella feels more at home in the world of vampires, but also vulnerable in that world because of her humanity. Like Edward's, Bella's transformation from duckling to swan is complete only when she becomes a vampire herself and sees herself as the beautiful and graceful creature she was "born to be."

Archetypes like these are powerful. They appeal universally to something primal within us and have been present in folklore and literature for thousands of years.

Archetypes are components of the collective unconscious and serve to organize, direct and inform human thought and behavior. Archetypes are, according to Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, innate universal psychic dispositions that form the substrate from which the basic themes of human life emerge.

Using archetypal plots and characters, as Stephanie Meyer does in her Twilight books, enables large groups of people to unconsciously recognize and rapidly process the point of the story. In the case of Twilight (and the other books), the point of view of the storyteller is essential to establish both archetypal plots: only from Bella's perspective can we see her self-perception as the ugly duckling and the virtues of the hero, Edward. Something innate and subconscious within us recognizes the archetypes operating (even when we don't) and immediately understands and embraces the characters and their motivations.

So, the next time somebody asks "What is it about Twilight that touches so many people -- especially women of all ages?" (and this goes for Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, the stars of the movie, who clearly don't have a clue how to answer the question) you'll know what to tell them: archetypes!

No, it isn't just because Edward is so hot and dangerous and that all women are secretly attracted to bad boys and forbidden love (give us a little more credit -- even the middle-aged ones who ask poor Rob to sign their "team Edward" thongs -- geez, don't get me started on that). Edward is appealing because he sees the exquisite beauty in Bella (to which she is blind) and thus enables her transformation into the beautiful swan she was born to be. And isn't THAT what we all really want in a mate? Isn't THAT what makes Edward so desirable?

Okay, lesson over. BTW, my Edward and Bella are finally progressing. Pictures as soon as they're decent! But today is my 50th birthday (yikes, can you say "midlife crisis"?), so I don't know that they'll get much attention in the next 24 hours.

Nina

Edward Cullen, vampire

2009-01-14T19:21:00.003-05:00

Last night, Edward got a complete make-over. I'm talking heavy-duty sandpaper, exacto knife to the face, hair ripped off his head. He has been so challenging! Part of the problem is that I want him to look like the guy in the movie: Robert Pattinson. But I couldn't get him there, no matter how long I labored over photographs and clay. Aargh.

Today he looks better with fresh paint and new hair. Close enough, I think, to Edward in the movie. I really doubt I'm going to do any better. Trouble is, now Bella looks like a cartoon. So, guess what? She's at the plastic surgeon's now.

Will these two ever be finished? Who knows?? But Edward is out of the basement, lounging around the living room (he's staring at me as I write this -- promised to blog about him -- and you don't argue with a vampire!) in Hamilton's banyan and a pair of jeans. He looks rather fetching, yet VERY intense. Must be the topaz eyes.

Dinner's ready. Gotta go.

Nina

Edward and Bella

2009-01-12T18:01:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I'm just a romantic teenage girl deep down. With a fatal attraction to bad boys. So, it should come as no surprise that I've recently become, well, obsessed with Twilight. My nieces are big fans -- they've seen the movie like a dozen times. My niece, Andrea, who got Ann Boleyn (for her sweet 16th) and Princess Elizabeth (for Christmas) loaned my Emma the book. Then Emma and I went to see the movie. Then I stole the book. Now I'm starting Eclipse, the third book, tonight.

Okay, I have to admit that I love romantic vampire characters. Read all of Anne Rice's books years ago ... even took a college course titled "Vampires in Literature." Anyhoo -- to make a long story shorter ... I've been working for the past several days (in between chapters) on figures of Bella and Edward -- the romantic leads of the books (for those who don't know).

Surprisingly, doing modern clothes has been more challenging than you might think for someone who does 18th century gowns on a regular basis. But modern clothes show more of the body shape -- so I actually had to give them more body shape than I normally do. This morning, I got up at dawn, downloaded some studies from Grey's Anatomy, and cut out little muscles for Edward's torso. Edward has a pair of jeans I made for him from my favorite old Levi's which were literally falling apart (but I couldn't bear to throw them out -- and now I'm glad I didn't!). Bella has a little lawn print dress with pink leggins and a pink shrug. I gave her "symbolic" red ballet flats. Get it, ballet studio, blood red. Can't dance. Anyway, if you've read the books you'll understand.

It's been interesting. They've still progressing. Pictures soon, now that Bella's got clothes on!

More later,

Nina

Will the real James Madison please stand up!

2008-12-28T12:31:00.004-05:00

Since Christmas, I've been working on a figure of James Madison. Actually, I started Madison a couple of months ago, but he wasn't progressing well, so I put him on the shelf until he agreed to cooperate.

I know less about Madison than the other Founding Fathers I've sculpted. Off the top of my head, I know that he was sickly as a child and extremely fastidious as an adult. He planned (with Alexander Hamilton) the constitutional convention and presided over the proceedings, which were conducted in strict secrecy. Madison took copious notes on the debates and did not publish them for 50 years hence, as planned from the start.

Madison was the most diminutive of the founders. Depending on the source quoted, he was between 5'2" and 5'4". Imagine him walking around the grounds of Monticello with Jefferson, his friend and neighbor, with Jefferson standing 6'3" and Madison at 5'2". Even his celebrated wife, Dolley, was notably taller than her husband at 5'6" (actually, that was quite tall for a woman of that period).

Madison wrote some of the Federalist essays with Hamilton and John Jay. Jay, who later became the first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, only wrote three essays (if I'm not mistaken) due to illness and Madison wrote about 10 of them. Hamilton wrote the rest.

Madison's political views changed over time and he later sided with Jefferson against Hamilton. Seems everybody turned against poor Hamilton.

The War of 1812 was fought with the British during Madison's presidency. When the British set fire to the White House, Madison's clever wife saved several important documents and the portrait of George Washington that I believe hangs in the White House to this day.

Need to read more about Madison! I've got a couple of books on the stack. And speaking of books, I got a great bunch of new books on historic costuming for Christmas from my dear hubby! Lots of research to do!!

Nina

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Goodnight!

2008-12-24T14:04:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been a great year and 2009 promises to be just as good (or even better)! Thanks for visiting my blog and offering me virtual friendship. Wishing you and yours peace and joy for the holidays and all through the new year!

Nina

Very Good News Indeed!

2008-12-19T07:53:00.002-05:00

Some of my readers might recall that I submitted some photographs of the Hamiltons to Art Doll Quarterly a few weeks or months back. Well, last night, while at my neighborhood ornament exchange party, I received an email from the managing editor. She says she's just gotten around to sorting through submissions and would like to include my dolls in the magazine with an article written by me! Isn't that exciting? This morning I am experiencing mild trepidation, however, since I know I have read and/or heard horror stories about artistis submitting their dolls for photography and never getting them back! I would be heartbroken if such a thing happened. Does anybody have any advice on this subject?

Nina

Christmas in Williamsburg

2008-12-13T08:52:00.004-05:00

These are some of the photos we took of decorations while we were in Williamsburg last weekend for the Colonial Artisans Faire. It was very cold, but very lovely! I wish I had the patience to do decorations like these!

Nina

Santa Claus is Coming to Town ...

2008-12-12T14:53:00.002-05:00

Finished just in the Nick of Time (get it?). This 18th-Century Santa Claus will be debuting tonight on Spooky Time Jingles! He's my first contribution to the Christmas Collection! Santa, miraculously, was done since I returned from Williamsburg. He wears black velveteen breeches, a white Irish linen shirt and a waistcoat in a reproduction period cotton print (that looks like holly to me). I decided to give him a banyan style cap, after trying several more traditional caps. Dan made the bench for him, which I painted with barn red milk paint. His Naughty/Nice list has real names from the Revolutionary War (Patriots, good/British, bad). No offense to my British readers! I'm a definite Anglophile!!

Nina

Meet Catherine Grace Wickersham

2008-12-12T07:39:00.003-05:00

Catherine Grace is the stump doll I started several weeks ago. She is similar in style to Anna Higgenbottom, only with painted rather than glass eyes. Catherine grace has no legs. Her cloth body is shaped like a cone, inspired by an antique example of a Queen Anne doll torso I saw on an auction site. Being slightly mad, I decided to hand quilt Catherine's petticoat using a period pattern in one of my costume books. The petticoat is silk charmeuse. She wears a separate stomacher under her little jacket. Both were hand sewn from period patterns redrafted in miniature. She also has a shift, stays (in the French style, rendered in pink silk), and a hoop petticoat, also made from period examples.

Meet Anna Louise Higgenbottom

2008-12-10T17:01:00.003-05:00

Since you asked (Miss Rachael), Anna is the doll I blogged about a few weeks ago -- the one I that was inspired by that beautiful Queen Anne I posted a ways back -- but I didn't get her photographed until the night before the show. She's a big cloth dollie with glass eyes -- made to look like a well-loved antique. Underneath her frock, she wears a shift, a periwinkle silk corset and an embroidered pocket. Lots of people at the show thought she looked creepy. I think she's lovely. What do you think?

Nina

Williamsburg Colonial Artisans Faire

2008-12-09T18:30:00.004-05:00

As promised, here are some pictures of the dolls and the Masons at the Colonial Crafts & Artisans Faire this weekend in Colonial Williamsburg.

Back from Williamsburg!

2008-12-09T17:04:00.003-05:00

We're back from the show! We had a great time and met lots of great people -- but didn't sell anything. I'm not surprised or disappointed, though.

At the end of the show, we agreed to trade Thomas Jefferson for a beautiful handmade Windsor chair by Brian Cunfer of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The chair style we chose is pictured above. Isn't it beautiful? It'll take about a year for Brian to make our chair, so TJ will be hanging with us for the rest of the year.

I'll post pictures of Williamsburg and us at the show tonight or tomorrow (I won the vote for best costume and get a free booth at the Endview Plantation Show in Newport News, Virginia on May 16 & 17!).

More soon,

Nina

We're off to Williamsburg!

2008-12-04T12:28:00.001-05:00

Leaving this afternoon. Packing like mad. Here's a link to the show, if anyone's interested.

His Excellency George Washington

2008-12-03T19:42:00.003-05:00

New photographs of George, before he heads off to Williamsburg tomorrow.

John and Abigail Adams

2008-12-02T18:23:00.004-05:00

Here are John and Abigail Adams, ready for Williamsburg!

Dixie's Angel

2008-12-02T18:00:00.004-05:00

My contribution to the CWT Ornament Exchange ... for dear, dear Dixie who lives
in The Middle of Nowhere (but I'll bet it's purty thar).

Hope you like her, Dix. If not, send her back!

Meet (the recalcitrant and rebellious) Th. Jefferson

2008-12-02T13:38:00.006-05:00

Here are some photos of Mr. Jefferson,
as he prepares to depart for Virginia's colonial capital.
He was most troublesome, but I think he turned out well.
What do you think?
A few details: TomJeff is sculpted of paper clay that's been sanded and painted with acrylics. His body is armature wire and foil under layers of batting that have been needle sculpted to form the essential shape under his clothes. His clothes were all fashioned from period patterns. The shirt is a medium weight Irish linen. The breeches are a bronze silk. The waistcoat is a duck-egg blue (green?) lined in off-white satin. Everything was sewn by hand (although I did a few seams on the breeches with the machine). His shoes are painted. The straps are kid leather and the buckles are something I found in a bead store. The buttons on his waistcoat and breeches are all glass disc beads. The ones on his shirt are carved mother of pearl. His hair is sculpted, but his queue is yarn that's been wrapped with ribbon.

The chair and desk were "found" objects. The chair is a Boyd's Bear chair, I believe -- black over red paint. The desk is actually an American Girl colonial dressing table. The letter he's signing is an actual Jefferson letter I printed from the Internet. His inkwell is American Girl; his candle holder is tin and beeswax, found at a little antique store outside Athens, Ga. On the lower shelf is a stack of books I made from a picture of actual Jefferson books sold to the Library of Congress and a period reproduction wine bottle I found on Ebay.

As they say, "It's all in the details."

Count Down to Williamsburg . . .

2008-12-02T06:58:00.004-05:00

We're leaving for the show in two days! Yikes!! All the dollies and their props are just about ready to make the trip. I've got one or two tags to finish today and a little more nipping and tucking -- and we must photograph them all before the show.

On Sunday, I attempted a bum roll to go under my polonaise gown. At first, it was huge. It looked like I was wearing an inner tube under my dress! So I tore it apart and recut it. It still looks huge in the back, but I don't know if I have the time (or inclination) to redo it a third time. I told Dan that I'll be known as the dollmaker with the huge bum. LOL.

With any luck, I'll have some pictures to post (finally) of the show dollies before I go! (Footnote: Jefferson came out quite well in the end.)

Nina

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T09:34:00.009-05:00

General Thanksgiving

By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America
A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houfes of Congress have, by their joint committee, requefted me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to eftablifh a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and affign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of thefe States to the fervice of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our fincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the fignal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpofitions of His providence in the courfe and conclufion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have fince enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to eftablish Conftitutions of government for our fafety and happinefs, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are bleffed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffufing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleafed to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in moft humbly offering our prayers and fupplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and befeech Him to pardon our national and other tranfgreffions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private ftations, to perform our feveral and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a bleffing to all the people by conftantly being a Government of wife, juft, and conftitutional laws, difcreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all fovereigns and nations (especially fuch as have shewn kindnefs unto us); and to blefs them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increafe of fcience among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind fuch a degree of temporal profperity as he alone knows to be beft.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand feven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

Well, it wouldn't really be my blog if we didn't at least briefly review the history of the holiday, now would it? The above proclamation, issued by George Washington during his first year as president, sets aside Thursday, Nov. 26, as "A Day of Publick Thanksgiving and Prayer."

While there were Thanksgiving observances in America both before and after Washington's proclamation, this represents the first to be so designated by the new national government.

The legendary feast of the pilgrims took place in the fall of 1621, in celebration of the first harvest of the Colonists of the Plymouth Plantation. Native American chiefs and 90 of their people joined in the three-day fete.

The first recorded Thanksgiving observance was held on June 29, 1671 at Charlestown, Mass., by proclamation of the town's governing council.

During the 1700s, it was common practice for individual colonies to observe days of thanksgiving throughout each year. A Thanksgiving Day 200 years ago was a day set aside for prayer and fasting, not a day marked by plentiful food and drink as is today's custom. Later in the 18th century, each of the states periodically would designate a day of thanksgiving in honor of a military victory, an adoption of a state constitution or an exceptionally bountiful crop.

Such a Thanksgiving Day celebration was held in December of 1777 by the colonies nationwide, commemorating the surrender of British General Burgoyne at Saratoga.

Later, on October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for the observance of the fourth Tuesday of November as a national holiday.

In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday to the third Thursday of November (to extend the Christmas shopping season and boost the economy). After a storm of protest, Roosevelt changed the holiday again in 1941 to the fourth Thursday in November, where it stands today.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jefferson Embraces a New Spirit of Cooperation

2008-11-25T08:20:00.005-05:00

Apparently, just the threat of rough treatment has convinced Jefferson to embrace a new spirit of cooperation. Remember how he fled into the woods of Richmond when the British marched on the Governor's Palace? Or, knowing Jefferson's penchant for finery, it was more likely the promise of a pair of new silk breeches and a shirt of fine Irish linen, all meticulously hand-crafted from adapted period patterns. Either way, he's agreed to be more cooperative for the moment. But more rebellious behavior could be on the horizon. This morning, I caught him reading the Huffington Post with a disturbing look in his eye! Never trust a revolutionary!!

Nina

Bitch Slappin' Jefferson

2008-11-23T21:16:00.002-05:00

Aargh! What is it about Thomas Jefferson that drives me absolutely mad? I went down into the basement studio this morning with the intention of doing a little finishing work and decoupaging some tags -- but I ended up spending all day tweaking Thomas Jefferson! His eyes weren't right ... and that lead to changing his facial features, his hairline, tearing his body apart, reshaping his legs ... argh! But how can I take him to Williamsburg if he's less than satisfactory??

I'd like to just slap him around and show him who's boss. But I doubt it would do any good. Oh well.

Nina

This Week in the Studio

2008-11-22T18:08:00.002-05:00

This week I've been working on a few things all at the same time. I finally finished and tagged Catherine Grace Wickersham and today I finished putting the antique lace on Anna Louise Higgenbottom's blue linen riding coat. She also got a new wig.

As far as new projects go, I started on a Christmas box with the head and shoulders of an 1830's lady with an angelic face. Today, I finally finished her! Around the box, I decoupaged black and white antique-looking holly branches, which I hand-tinted with india inks and outlined with glitter glue. Inside, I created an angel from an 1830s fashion plate. The final step (today) was to paint everything with a thin layer of gold paint that looks like gilding and add her wings. Very pretty. She started out being for the ornament exchange at Coffee With Tea (Hi, Dixie), but I might change my mind and put her on Spooky Time (if I can come up with another fabulous ornament in time for Dixie).

The other new (ish) project this week was making a baby for an old cradle I found at an antique store ages ago. The cradle and the doll I made for it have been sitting in the guest room untouched for ages. What compelled me to suddenly work on the baby and cradle when I have so much else on my plate? The truth is it was Rachael K's cradle! It was quite similar to mine but so much more charming! I bought the one I have meaning to repaint it someday, but I didn't know what the heck to do. So I left it. But when I saw her fabulous antique example with green and red paint and gold stencils ... well ... I was inspired! It just so happens that hubby was working on a cabinet for my studio, which he finished with tavern green and barn red milk paint -- so I borrowed a small batch! Today I added gold stencils and sewed a mattress and pillow out of some black and white ticking I bought last week for kitchen pillows. See, it was meant to be!

As for the baby who occupies the cradle, I strugged for several days to create a clay over cloth face that wasn't freaky looking. I finally got her sort of cute, then decided to dress her in period-correct baby garments. So, I did a little research and ordered some fabrics. She got a cap out of white lawn and vintage lace, a shirt out of Irish linen and vintage lace, and a petticoat with a wide waistband that fits under the arms and ties in the back. Today, I made her a white flannel dressing gown. She holds a reproduction rattle/nanny whistle out of sterling silver and mother or pearl. Cradle and baby, nearly finished, are sitting under the Christmas tree while Emma and I listen to the Chipmunk's Christmas album. Brings back memories!

More later and pictures soon!

Nina

Meet Miss Penelope Pettigrew

2008-11-11T17:50:00.007-05:00

Here are some pictures of Miss Penelope Pettigrew,
a solo practitioner of Wicca circa 1833.
Miss Pettigrew will be premiering tomorrow on Spooky Time Jingles.
She is dressed in a cotton frock and poke bonnet (removeable) of the period. She holds a wand and stands on a box decorated with ancient Wiccan symbols. The box contains a pentagram, an incantation for activating her magic wand, and her familiar, Toad Hall. Miss Pettigrew is an armatured figure. Her face, hands, feet and toad are sculpted by hand and painted. She stands about 16 inches tall with her box.

Fall Foliage Getaway

2008-11-10T09:26:00.004-05:00

Overlooking the gorge at Tullulah Falls.

Isabelle's Restaurant.

A view of the pastures surrounding Stovall House.

Me and Emma on the porch swing at Stovall House.

The Stovall House, built in 1837.

We decided to take a little road trip this weekend to see the resplendent fall foliage that has recently sprung into full color in Georgia. The color was late in coming this year due to the drought and it is simply gorgeous here right now. Sunny but crisp. Vivid shades of gold, red and plum everywhere you look.

We drove up into North Georgia, first through Cleveland where we stopped to visit one of my favorite primitive stores -- Hearts and Flowers primitives. It's located by the side of the road in an old log cabin across a rickety bridge over a babbling brook.

After scoring a trio of reproduction revolutionary war (or is it civil war?) drums, we made our way to Nanchooche Village and did a little antiquing. We then headed for our evening destination -- the Stovall House B&B in Sautee. The Stovall House was built in 1837 and sits on 28 acres of rolling pastures. It also boasts a pretty decent restaurant. I broke my diet and had the rack of lamb! Yummy!!

Early the next morning we headed west to see what we could see. We ended up at Tullulah Falls, which has a very nice interpretative center and some very nicely managed trails and overlooks. We opted not to take the 602 steps down to the suspension bridge which crosses the gorge. I'm afraid I'm in no shape to climb back up 602 steps! I also suspect my fear of heights would have precluded me crossing the bridge, had we reached it.

After our little hike, we lunched at Isabelle's, which we spied from the gorge. The restaurant is in an 1880s farm house just above the gorge.

Following lunch, we headed toward Clarkesville in search of any antique store open on a Sunday (rare in these parts). Just outside Clarkesville, we found an antique mall -- but I didn't buy anything after searching for a couple of hours. I did, however, score a $2 hurricane shade at a local flea market. We then came upon anothe rprimitive shop in an old relocated log cabin. It was a great shop with lots of wonderful things, including antique farm tables, primitive christmas accoutrements galore, and a smattering of hooked rugs and handmade dolls.

We had a great trip! But now I need to get busy for Spooky Time Jingles or I'm going to miss this month's update! Yikes.

Nina

Newly Available

2008-11-08T08:45:00.004-05:00

I've decided to add two older dolls to my available works page,
Miss Susannah Mariah Cavendish, and the Queen's Moppet. Both are cloth dolls.
For more information, check out my Available Works page.

Elections in Revolutionary Times

2008-11-06T06:52:00.005-05:00

On election day, my daughter's school was closed because they were using it for a polling place. Since she was home with us for the day, we decided to go to lunch. As we were walking into the restaurant, Emma asked: "Did they have political parties back when George Washington was president?"

I replied something like this: "There were not political parties when Washington was elected, but two members of his cabinet so violently disagreed about the path American government should take that they started the first two American political parties: the Republicans and the Federalists."

Political historians claim that the ideological roots of the early parties can not be directly traced to the modern Republicans and Democrats. What I know is that the Republicans, founded by Thomas Jefferson, favored strong states and minimal federal control while the Federalists, founded by Alexander Hamilton, favored a strong central federal government.

We have a tendency to romanticize the founding fathers and the early years of America as an independent nation, but the truth is that politics in that day and age were vicious. Party leaders bought newspapers to attack each other. Our beloved Thomas Jefferson was particularly ruthless in his political pursuits. He paid a journalist to dig up and report dirt on his political enemies (like Hamilton). When the tables turned and the journalist reported that Jefferson (then president) himself had a Monticello slave for a mistress, the journalist was found floating in a river.

The fact is that Jefferson never would have been president if not for Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton had a lot of political influence back then. In fact, under George Washington, he was (next to Washington himself) the most powerful man in America. We diminish his role as Secretary of the Treasury as just another of many cabinet posts (using today's standards), but Hamilton played a role in Washington's administration akin to Prime Minister. He created our system of currency, the national banks and the securities markets, among other things -- all from the whole cloth of his remarkable genius. During Washington's two terms in office, Hamilton grew the Treasury Department to a staff of 300 men. Jefferson, as secretary of state, had three guys.

During the election coverage on Tuesday night, one of the pundits mentioned that Washington won the electoral college vote unanimously. Back then, there was no popular vote. Washington was running against John Adams in the first election. Adams had strong support, but Hamilton felt it was important for the unity of our new nation that our first president be elected unanimously -- so he campaigned secretly for a unanimous vote. A few years later, when Adams learned of this, he never forgave Hamilton. When Adams followed Washington as president, Hamilton became persona non grata in the Adams administration. He was briefly made general of the standing national army (at Washington's insistence), but Adams later dissolved the army and with it, Hamilton's post.

But I promised you a story about Jefferson. In the presidential election of 1800, Jefferson and Aaron Burr were the leading candidates. Both were Republicans. The only man Hamilton hated more in American politics of the day than Thomas Jefferson was Aaron Burr. Jefferson was wrong-headed, he believed, about the path the government should take, but Burr was a self-serving devil. The two men tied in the election and in numerous subsequent votes in the house and senate. At the end of the day, Hamilton -- still influential as head of the Federalist Party -- endorsed Jefferson to his allies in the senate. Jefferson won the White House by one vote. And who killed Hamilton in a duel a few years later? Aaron Burr.

I find this all fascinating. I hope you do, too. But I started this post simply to announce that I am being officially inducted into the Martha Stewart Bulloch Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution on Monday!

Nina

History of Riding Habits, Part VII

2008-11-02T19:35:00.004-05:00

Some later Victorian examples of ladies posing for portraits,
like their sisters of the Georgian period -- only for photographers instead of painters ...

History of Riding Habits, Part VI

2008-11-02T19:29:00.002-05:00

And some wonderful later examples ...

History of Riding Habits, Part V

2008-11-02T19:20:00.004-05:00

Examples or riding habits from late 1810s to 1830s ...

History of Riding Habits, Part IV

2008-11-02T19:16:00.002-05:00

Some early riding habits, circa 1680 to 1720 (actually, I'm not sure about the white costume) ...

History of Riding Habits, Part III

2008-11-02T19:08:00.003-05:00

Here are some images of women's riding habits from around 1780 to 1810.

History of Riding Habits, Part II

2008-11-02T18:22:00.008-05:00

Both of these riding habits have a Scottish flair -- circa 1760-1770. The top image is of a character from Rob Roy. Diana Vernon, the cousin of the novel's hero, Frank Osbaldistone, whom she eventually marries. Di Vernon is a beautiful, high-spirited, fox-hunting, horse-riding Amazon upon whom, she tells Frank, "compliments are entirely lost".

The middle image is a portrait of Lady Montrose, wife of the last British governer of Boston, which hangs in the Portland Museum of Art (I've been there). One source tell us that the use of military epaulettes on a lady's costume, even back then, was somewhat scandalous. Isn't she stunning?

The bottom image is from the film, Brotherhood of the Wolf. Don't know anything about it, but I love this costume!

History of Riding Habits

2008-11-02T18:02:00.005-05:00

Let's face it. Riding habits in the 18th-century were quite smart.
So much so, in fact, that several ladies of rank had their portraits painted while wearing them.
But ladies didn't always have special riding costumes. The Jane Austen Centre tells us that "Ladies' clothing specifically for riding was not introduced until the second half of the sixteenth century, when protective overskirts or 'safeguards' were worn, together with cloaks, hats, boots, and masks to guard the complexion. Before that, women wore their everyday dresses on horseback. In the 1640s Queen Henrietta Maria was painted wearing a hunting dress and by the early eighteenth century the riding costume was established."

I've been out on the 'Net looking for examples of period riding habits because I decided this morning (or was it last night?) that Miss Anna Louise Higginbottom must wear a colonial riding habit.
Miss Higginbottom's habit will be royal blue. The skirt is velvet while the jacket is linen. The plan at present is for her to don a tri-corn hat, a blouse with a stock and jabot,
and possibly a whip of some kind.

2008-10-31T08:28:00.003-04:00

This and That

2008-10-30T07:15:00.004-04:00

We waited two hours in line in very cold weather (my nose was frozen and my feet were numb) to cast our ballot yesterday, but the deed is done! It just seems like it should be easier! I definitely could have used a bowl of flaming rum punch by the time it was over (to warm the cockles, if nothing else).

I have been working steadily and meticulously on Miss Catherine Grace Wickersham's quilted petticoat. Yesterday, sitting by the fire in the family room and listening to classical music, I finally finished the quilting. Last night, another fire and the final game of the world series (for Dan, not me), I cartridge pleated the waist and attached a waistband. Now all that's left to do (on the petticoat) is to bind the hem. This may require a trip to Hancock or Michael's to secure the right color of binding tape. The petticoat is pretty, but man oh man was it a lot of work. If I ever do another quilted petticoat, I may have to create a simpler pattern! I traced the one I used for Catherine Grace from a period pattern in an 18th-century costume book -- and it had lots of tiny details. Don't forget -- I have never quilted before! But my motto is: never say never (unless you're talking about algebra).

Hopefully, I can persuade Dan to take a couple of quick pictures of Catherine Grace so far so ya'll can see how she's coming out.

Yesterday I also received the beautiful cap I ordered for the Williamsburg show. I am having a polonnaise gown made up at Smoke & Fire. But I fell in love with the caps made by Miss Hallie Larkin of South Coast Historical in Swansea, Mass. If you haven't seen her caps, take a look! They're handmade of organdy and are the finest colonial caps I've seen. She also sells kits, if you want to make your own. The picture shows the style I ordered.

Finally, I am starting to look like a lady instead of a washer woman!

More later,

Nina

Voting and Punch

2008-10-29T07:40:00.007-04:00

We're thinking about going and trying to vote this morning. And that's all I'll say on the subject of present-day politics. I've been thinking lately about Christmas and what I want to do with my decor. One of my sisters in California is coming with her clan for the holidays and we want to show the house off to best advantage. Apparently, she and her husband saw it when it was in escrow and were not impressed. She has seen it since (and claims to have changed her mind on that score) but her husband has not.

For some reason, I have a hankering to buy a beautiful punchbowl this year and make a traditional punch. This morning, I went online looking for a recipe for George Washington's favorite punch. It is called Fish House Punch after the old Philadelphia club where he is said to have introduced it. They say that Washington couldn't get enough of it when he was out of earshot of Martha.

In a large punch bowl dissolve 3/4 pound of sugar in one quart of water.
Then add:
1 quart of lemon juice
2 quarts of dark Jamaican Rum
1 quart of brandy (some say cognac instead)
4 oz of peach brandy
Place a large block of ice in the mixture and allow to brew for about two hours, stirring occasionally.

Wicked!

2008-10-27T19:55:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I went with my sister (and her youngest daughter, Rachel) to see Wicked. Her husband decided not to go at the last minute, so I lucked out. I had no idea what to expect, but it was a FABULOUS show! I especially loved all the "Victoriana-meets-the-industrial-age" inspired costumes! Oh how I would have loved to be a costume designer! (Can you tell?)

The show was at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. It was my first time at the Fox. What a gorgeous old place. We had fourth-row center seats. Awesome! Thanks, Lizzy. You're the best!! I had a great time! Unfortunately, I used 22 flex points at dinner after the show. Ouch!!

Nina

Pardon My Dust

2008-10-26T09:58:00.003-04:00

For the past couple of days, I've been trying to create a new look and feel for my blog -- so pardon the constant changes until I settle on something. Any feedback from my regulars would be greatly appreciated!

Nina

Looky, Looky Here ...

2008-10-24T11:11:00.003-04:00

If anybody's wondering what to get me for Christmas, here's a hint. You can get it at the American Girl store, but it's backordered until Nov. 14. Isn't it fabulous? Even sleighbells on the harness for the horse!

18th Century Fashion in 360

2008-10-24T07:37:00.002-04:00

Have you been to this page at the Victoria and Albert Museum? I discovered it yesterday while searching for an image of an 18th-Century hoop petticoat like the one I'm making for a Queen Anne inspired doll. More about that in a minute. This page at V&A offers Quick Time movies offering a 360-degree view of period fashions from their collection. It's wonderful to see the front and the back of a particular garment. I'm especially fond of the brown wool riding habit trimmed in silver. I may have to try to recreate that for a doll one of these days. I haven't tried a riding habit as yet.

As for the QA I mentioned earlier, she is a stump doll -- but not in the typical sense. She was inspired both by the beautiful wood doll whose photo I posted a few days ago and by a QA torso I found on an auction site. The auction doll had no legs, just a long torso that tapered like a cone. My version is cloth, but with a clay overlay for the face. At present, she wears a very simple shift and I am working on a pink silk (French style) corset (stays) and, as I mentioned earlier, an authentic hoop petticoat. I'm once again adapting the pattern from my 18th-century costume book.

I've not yet decided on a name, but she is similar in style (except for the legs) to Anna Higgenbottom.

More later,

Nina

Pumpkin Carving Contest

2008-10-23T07:23:00.002-04:00

Okay, so maybe it's not a contest, but check out this fun little gadget that lets you carve a Jack O'Lantern as often as you like.

Pretty cool, eh?

Nina

Floor Cloth for Founders' Christmas Shindig

2008-10-18T17:04:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking about it for a while, but today I decided to go ahead and try making a small floorcloth for the doll's Williamsburg Christmas party display. Emma had a Girl Scout's project (making denim purses from old jeans) this morning, so I decided to get some stencils, stencil brushes and some duck canvas. To avoid putting too much perfectionistic pressure on myself, I decided to think of it as an exercise. That way, if I totally screwed it up, I wouldn't be too upset. But, as luck would have it, it's coming out pretty well. I painted the background a colonial blue/green color and the border black. Inside, so far, are three rows (staggered) of a decorative tile pattern in black. In one of the patterns, I painted a barn reddish floral inside the black surround.

Still need to fix one of the borders.

More later ...

Nina

Christmas in Williamsburg

2008-10-17T16:42:00.007-04:00

I know, I know. It's not even Halloween yet and I'm already thinking about Christmas -- mostly because I'm having to think ahead to the show in Williamsburg the weekend of Dec. 6.
My little people are getting outfitted with cloaks, wreaths, lanterns and baskets of holiday goodies (I know, pictures soon, I promise). In the meantime, I thought I'd share some of the splendor that is Williamsburg at Christmastide.

Miss Anna Higgenbottom

2008-10-14T17:48:00.002-04:00

My version of the big Queen Anne doll doesn't look like the original -- but she is coming along ...

I am making her to look "antique" -- so she has glass eyes, crackle finish, tea-dyed underpinnings and such. Her wig is a mess that looks like she's been played with for 100 years. I gave her 18th-century stays in periwinkle silk, trimmed with pink ribbon and antique lace and a linen pocket that I'm embroidering (feebly) with a Jabobean floral. I'm just learning to embroider -- doing a couple of simple cross-stitch samplers. I used to embroider when I was a kid. I remember getting little "kits" for pillowcases and aprons at Gilbert's five and dime when I was in grade school. But I haven't done any real embroidery since.

Pictures of Anna soon, I promise. And the founders' Christmas Party.

Nina

Look at this Beauty

2008-10-11T12:45:00.004-04:00

Surfing around the Internet as I do, looking for ideas and inspiration, I ran across this beautiful doll that recently sold at auction for $37,000 and some change. She's a big, carved wooden from the 18th century. She stands about 28 inches tall! Isn't she gorgeous?

I would love to try and make a doll like her (only smaller) for the Williamsburg show. What do ya'll think?

Taking Stock

2008-10-10T07:37:00.004-04:00

I have now assembled all the candidates for the Williamsburg Christmas show on my dining room table. They are gathered together around an antique pewter tea set as if at a Christmas Party. As a backdrop prop I am using a Byers' Choice door I found at a local shop the other day, while on a play date with my sister. The door isn't quite the right scale, but it is very pretty and perfectly decorated with Williamsburg greenery!
Assembling the dolls helps me determine the best way to display them, as well as to take stock of the entire collection. It also gives me a chance to ask myself, "who's missing?" I dragged my husband into the dining room for a consultation (poor dear -- or should I say "deer," as in "deer in headlights"?)

"I've still got six weeks to go -- and I can't NOT make more dolls for six weeks. Who should I make next to complete the collection?" This question plagued me for days (he escaped a few minutes later). I thought about making some Queen Anne dolls. But a thought keeps nagging me: there are so many other artists doing QA inspired dolls -- and theirs are much better than mine (Rachael Kinnison and Christine Crocker, to name just two).

Anyway, to make a long story short, I decided to do James Madison and, if time permits, Dolley Payne Todd Madison, his clever, popular and gregarious wife. I've done Dolley before (I donated her to the annual auction at my DAR chapter), but never James. I have been to Montpelier and I have a cat named Madison -- but I've never made a doll of the diminuitive founder! In retrospect, it seemed an obvious choice!

I guess Madison really wanted to come through. His sculpt went quicker than usual. Today he will get painted, but I can't go farther with him until my batting and fabrics arrive from Fabrics.com.

Oh, hubby just skyped me that my fabric order is delivering today! Madison must still have powerful influence!

Nina

The Lady Dowager Belladonna Bones

2008-10-04T19:28:00.003-04:00

Here's a sneak peek preview of my creation for the next update (Oct. 13) on Spooky Time Jingles: meet The Lady Dowager Belladonna Bones. She doesn't get out much anymore, but her Ladyship will be stepping out on All Hollow's Eve in her lovely new gown -- a sacque-back robe a la francaise made of silk in autumnal shades and trimmed with vintage Chantilly black lace. She's the perfect party guest -- doesn't eat much and always wears a smile!

Abigail Adams is reborn

2008-10-04T17:55:00.002-04:00

If you're wondering where the post with the little Williamsburg lady went, I took it down. Why? Because this afternoon, while working on John Adams' breeches, I decided she needed to be reworked into Abigail Adams. So she's getting new hair, new paint, a couple of clay tidbits on her face, a new cap and a new fischu (at the very least). Let's see if she turns out well enough to be the great and powerful Abigail!

John Adams Trapped in the Wardrobe Department

2008-09-30T06:51:00.006-04:00

Adams is finally in wardrobe, but he's been grumbling that he's had to wait first for Mrs. Washington and now for Bella Donna (as I've named her skeleton-ness). Here's a picture of him in progress. One sleeve is done but not the other. His breeches look like the incredible hulk, his waistcoat needs tailoring, his stockings need painting and his shoes need buckles. And what about a coat and a cloak? And that hair? Something must be done about that hair!

Yesterday, he was overheard saying: "One useless man is a shame, two is a law firm and more than three is a congress."

I suppose sitting around the wardrobe department reminds him of presiding over the congress as Washington's vice president, an endeavor he called the most pointless job ever invented) or something like that.

Nina

Lady Washington has arrived at the palace ...

2008-09-29T19:30:00.005-04:00

She was no snap of the fingers. Resculpting and repainting of the face took days -- then, crazy me decided to do a sacque (or watteau gown) for Lady Washington. But she's finally finished and ready to make her debut with His Excellency on Blogspot!

You be the judge, but I think she came out quite well. George, btw, has grown taller since he was last photographed. I noticed that his legs looked squatty before. Can you believe he was 6'3" and Martha was only 5' tall? They never had children of their own, but George raised Martha's two surviving children from her marriage to Daniel Custis as his own (and adored his grandchildren). Martha's daughter died of Epilepsy in early adulthood. Some historians believe George was rendered sterile by a severe fever early in life. Others speculate that Martha could not reproduce after the difficult birth of her last child with Custis.

Let me know what you think of His Excellency and Lady Washington -- they're going to the Christmas show in Williamsburg with me.

Nina

More than I can chew ...

2008-09-28T09:29:00.003-04:00

Ever feel like you've bitten off more than you can chew? I've been quite busy lately getting dolls ready for the December show in Williamsburg and with my "real" paying work for clients -- and the deadline for Art Doll Quarterly nearly slipped my mind. I was pulling out of the garage to pick my daughter up for her dance class when it hit me: today is the 25th -- and I forgot to submit photos of the Hamiltons! The worst part is, we invested a goodly sum in the new studio light kit for the express purpose of photographing the Hamiltons for submission to magazines (that one, that deadline in particular). When I returned from getting Emma, I hurridly put together an email and attached several photos of the dolls. Keep your fingers crossed for me, please!

I also received my new copy of Doll Costuming magazine. I noticed that the next Gallery theme will be For the Boys -- so I think I shall try again and submit perhaps Hamilton and Washington. Why not?

In the studio, I've been working simultaneously on figures of Martha Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. All three have been incredibly frustrating! All three have had to have their faces resculpted and repainted several times! I'm still not happy with Jefferson. He's looking a little goulish around the eyes. But Martha and Adams have finally moved from painting to costuming! Hooray.

Yesterday, I finally got started on my newest project for Spooky Time Jingles. She was actually Emma's idea! A skeleton dressed in 18th Century garb. Sculpted her head and torso yesterday -- and have some ideas for her gown -- but she could take a dramatic turn in the creative process -- it happens all the time!

Did I mention that I traded my Pumpkin King and Queen to Rachel K of Diamond K Studio for her Winnifred Thicket and Clara Whittington dolls? I have long admired her work, but can't afford it! I was reluctant at first to make a trade for the Pumpkins, but then I visited her website and remembered how much her dolls set my heart to fluttering!

In other news, Williamsburg called. Somebody dropped my George Washington and broke him off his stand. They're sending him back for repairs. The bright side: we can rephotograph him with the new lighting before sending him back!

All for now ...

Nina

Washington's Tweed Cloak

2008-09-19T03:26:00.002-04:00

Here's a slightly better view of Washington's cloak and the coat underneath.

Nina Mason Dolls

Sir William Wallace--the Scotty

Duncan MacPherson

Dogs in Kilts.

Mother's Day

Guess who's a new mommy?

Guess who's a grandma?

Coming up for air ...

Anne Boleyn, etc.

Deleted Scenes

Taking a breath ...

It's progress, not perfection ...

Miscellany

Rewriting

Vampire Bill Compton's Coffin

Why Vampires Never Die

James Moray of Abercairney

A Taste of Tartan

Scottish Independence

Why We Love Vampires

Acute Agitation

Buzz, Buzz

Vampire Bill Compton

Art Doll Quarterly

Bloodlust

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Early American Life

Robert Burns

Montpelier

C'Ville

Following History's Trail

Speaking of George Washington ...

James Madison, father of the constitution

My Own Men in Kilts

Robert James Hamilton

Men in Kilts

Sweet Home Alabama

Back in the Studio

Living with Vampires

The Dreaded Blog Neglect

New Pictures of Edward & Bella

Thinking Woman's Romance Novel

Shadow & Light

The Good Vampire Archetype

Pictures of My Edward & Bella Figures

Bella & Edward are ready for their close ups ...

Dinner's on Hold

Poor Rob Pattinson

Bits & Pieces

A Thinking Woman's Guide to Twilight

Edward Cullen, vampire

Edward and Bella

Will the real James Madison please stand up!

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Goodnight!

Very Good News Indeed!

Christmas in Williamsburg

Santa Claus is Coming to Town ...

Meet Catherine Grace Wickersham

Meet Anna Louise Higgenbottom

Williamsburg Colonial Artisans Faire

Back from Williamsburg!

We're off to Williamsburg!

His Excellency George Washington

John and Abigail Adams

Dixie's Angel

Meet (the recalcitrant and rebellious) Th. Jefferson

Count Down to Williamsburg . . .

Happy Thanksgiving!

By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of AmericaA PROCLAMATION

Jefferson Embraces a New Spirit of Cooperation

Bitch Slappin' Jefferson

This Week in the Studio

Meet Miss Penelope Pettigrew

Fall Foliage Getaway

Newly Available

Elections in Revolutionary Times

History of Riding Habits, Part VII

History of Riding Habits, Part VI

History of Riding Habits, Part V

History of Riding Habits, Part IV

By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America
A PROCLAMATION