Java ~ A new Siamese Cat

I just finished this kitty a couple of days ago and have him listed on eBay now. He's kind of a big fellow for one of my felties. He's 9 inches long. His auction ends on Sunday at 6:45 PM PDT. I named him Java for his coffee and cream colored fur and because he reminds me of my Charlie who was a very mischievious Siamese. His favorite thing was to walk along the edge of the bath tub and splash water at you. However he wasn't the most graceful of cats and would sometimes fall in. He'd also get in one of those moods where he would race around the house knocking things over. And because he was so cross-eyed he'd end up running into walls. But that didn't seem to stop him. Charlie very often seemed like he had one too many cups of coffee. He was a great character and a part of my family.

20% from his sale will be donated to Old Dog Haven. They now have 190 senior pups in their care!

I hope you all have a very spendid Thanksgiving!

An Arabian Mare and a Little Christmas Piggy

Here are my latest two, an Arabian mare and a little sleepy piglet. They're both on eBay now. I'm having one of those days that I don't have a lot to say. It's been a bit chilly here. But not as cold as elsewhere in the U.S. I got out for a hike a couple of days ago and was surprised to see that the Mojave green rattlesnakes are still out and about even in this cold. I finally got to watch the movie, "There will be Blood"'. It reminded me of what this area must have been like back in its hay day. We have a bit of local drama going on concerning something very similar to the movie. A new mining firm bought out the area and it looks as if half of Red Mountain will have to move. Red Mountain is a neighboring community of about 100 people. Silver was mined there predominately. I'm not too sure what they are after now as the mine has been played out. One thing about buying property in this area is that you may own the land but not the mineral rights or you may own your home but not the land. The folks in Red Mountain fall in the latter category.

It's November Already!?!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I can't believe how this year has flown by! We've already had a couple of pretty good freezes. And both my husband and I came down with the flu! So while I was resting between sneezes and coughs, I tried to catch up on some reading. When I opened up my last month's Utne reader, I saw the cutest thing I think I've ever seen. It was a photo of a little St. Andrew Beach Mouse by Joel Sartore. It brought to mind warm days, white sand beaches and the gentle waves of the Florida coast. And when I finally finished little Periwinkle and listed her, she sold right away.

My second piece was of an Inuit man and a baby harp seal. I continued my sale and it didn't go as well as I had expected. One of my regular buyers got a real bargain. They sold for under $30.00! I think that's the lowest any of my work has ever sold for. I was happy it was to one of my good customers. I guess people aren't ready for snow and cold, warm sunny beaches did much better.

I have three pieces on now, a little chipmunk named Hazel, a piglet by the name of Gingersnap and a little mouse named Kringle. They all end Sunday at 6:45 PM PDT.

Click here to view their auctions.

My flu is still lingering on a bit. Living in such a small town you get see how these things progress through the community. It seems the whole town has had this one. It's just the regular old seasonal flu. But we've had a couple of cases of swine flu already. One of them is a pregnant woman who contracted it by going to her prenatal checkups at the Ridgecrest hospital. She is recovering nicely. But it was a bit of a scare. The town children (all nine or ten) get innoculated for swine flu soon. I hope you all stay well!

A Spotted Owl & Woodland Mouse

I listed these two last Sunday and they sold within an hour of listing.

I just finished a new piece and wll get pictures soon. It's of a Eskimo and a harp seal. I was surprised when I got him to stand the first time with no adjustments. He's in a bending over position looking down at the seal.

At present I'm working on a St. Andrew Beach Mouse inspired by a photo I saw in Utne Reader by National Geographic photographer, Joel Sartore. They are really cute little guys. They're usually very pale with a light tan top and white underneath. These little mice are probably one of the most endangered small mammals.

Also, I'm working on a sewn mohair elephant. There's kind of a funny story behind this one. I found this gray mohair jacket at the thrift store. I immediately thought this wouls be great for making bears and elephants. The tag in the jacket read "teddy bear fabric". The fiber was loomed at Shelton Looms. Well, I didn't find the tags until after I ripped the jacket apart. The jacket was worth more money than the fiber. Live and learn. It's really a nice dense mohair and will make some lovely teddies and friends.

Last Week of my Sale of Sorts

This is the last week for this month that you'll be able to win one of my items at well below what they usually sell for. So if you've always liked my work, but thought you couldn't afford it. Here's your chance. Next week, my auctions go back to having a reserve price. There are two new auctions for this week's sale. One is for a little panda bear named Mei Lin and the other is Honey Bear redressed with a bone choker and her first catch, an impossibly large needle felted salmon.

Mei Lin is five way thread jointed. She has steel shot to give her some heft and a real feel. She sits at 4 1/2 inches tall and is 6 inches from head to toe.

Honey has a tiny bone choker that is attached by braided leather straps. She has steel shot also and is free standing. However, she may be posed in a sitting position, too. She's 7 inches tall.

Mention my "Sale of Sorts" and this blog to get free shipping in US or $10.00 off international shipping if you win either Honey or Mei Lin or both. Good Luck! Click here to view my auctions.

I'm Having a Sale of Sorts

This week I'm starting all of my felties at $9.95 with no reserve! There have been quite a few people who have expressed interest in my work. But they could not afford it. Now those buyers have a chance at winning one of my pieces. Who knows, you could win one of my felties for well under the $100 0r more dollars that my work usually go for. The auctions are set to private just in case the item is purchased for a gift.

Included in this set of auctions is a little mousie on a wooden spool. He was inspired by the mouse in Beatrix Potter's tale, "The Tailor of Gloucester". I have seen others use this image without giving her credit. This is just my gentle reminder to myself and others on eBay to give credit where credit is due. Since the economy has taken a real hit, I've noticed a lot of artists are only doing what they know will sell. Consequently, there are some very similar items and items that are taken from other's imaginations. I'm not too sure that competition in the marketplace helps creativity. My opinion is that when things are tight, people take fewer chances. In effect, it ends up being like a dog chasing its tail. The fewer choices there are, the less interest and less purchases. The one good thing is it helps to hone your technique when your up against some other very talented artists. So when the economy picks up, there will be some really innovative highly skilled works out there. In the meanwhile , I'll try to expand my works with new styles and techniques while sticking to my tried and trues.

I hope you all like my latest works. Mention this blog if your the winner of one of my items and you'll receive a coupon towards free shipping on your next purchase. Please click here to view my auctions.

Thanks, Robin

What's My Name?

Well, it's finally happened. I'm stuck for a name for my next little piggy. I hope to have her up for auction Sunday. But I haven't a clue as to what to call her. She was a bit of a struggle. I started out with the idea of making her a little Christmas piggy with a holiday wreath around her neck. But no matter what I tried it just didn't look quite right. She wanted to be a pretty little pink girl. I'm thinking maybe naming her Molly after Molly Ringwald (Pretty In Pink). What do you all think? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Who does she look like to you?