Lincoln Tyler Metcalf

Lincoln Tyler Metcalf

Well my new grandson was born December 19, 2008. He arrived at approximately 12:40 in the afternoon, weighing in at 7 pounds 13 ounces, 21 inches long. He is healthy and handsome. Mom and Dad are doing well also. I have to say that being a grandma is probably one of the funnest things in my life. You get all of the fun without nearly as much work or worry. It is a different experience being the grandma on the fathers side, it's not bad just a different perspective. So far I think my son is shaping up to be a very good father. I know it is less than a week and really it doesn't get hard for at least 15-17 more years, but it's fun to see what a proud papa he is. Also his lovely gentle side.


The New Metcalf Family :)

Happy Daddy!!

Lincoln getting weighed.

Emily - so happy to finally met Lincoln!


Grandma Lori Finally getting to hold him :)

Thanksgiving, Family and all the Crazy Stuff

I was able to get up and do the Thanksgiving Day turkey run at the hospital in South Ogden. It was fun and I got to see my running friend Phil at the race. He was nice enough to run most of the race with me.
Thanksgiving was wonderful, I had most of my family over to my house, and some that didn’t have dinner with us showed up to have pie later in the day. I cooked a 20 pound turkey and a 10 pound ham and the sisters, sister-in-law and daughter brought all the other things that make Thanksgiving so wonderful. It’s fun to just relax and chat with family… see what everyone has been up to and give thanks that we are all healthy, happy and doing relatively well.
I got to spend the rest of my Thanksgiving break catching up on a lot of the things I have been putting off then I started getting the house ready for Christmas. My youngest daughter and I got the tree up and the lights on, and then she finished doing all the decorating of the tree. I have to say it looks real cute she did a great job! I need to finish some of the other decorations but for now it’s beginning to look a bit like Christmas at the Metcalf house!
I was able to work for a good amount of time on a new baby. So far I have the head completed and I have started one leg. I need to work on her more if I’m going to make the January 1st deadline for the contest. I will try to get some pictures posted of her.
http://www.audrey-kawasaki.com/
Check out this artist... I love her work! Gives me lots of ideas for BJDs!!!

The Way Things Are

I have not blogged in a while. Things have been so busy at home, and work and I really have not been doing anything that I feel needs to be blogged about. At least when it comes to dolls. I’m struggling with a life size baby that I’m working on. I’m hoping to complete her for a competition that ends January 1st. What an awful time to have a deadline. But I guess anytime is a hard time with a deadline, but the holidays just seem to take that much more time away from the things that you are normally trying to get accomplished. So far I have started and pulled apart the babies face a few times. I think the sculpt now is looking pretty good. So hopefully I can work on her this weekend and see if she will be worth any more effort.
The ladies from the BJD class are going to start a couple of challenges, one in December and one in January. I think I will try to get into both of these, nothing like a challenge and having to post your progress to make you get off you butt and get the work done.
As far as my running... I’m averaging about 35-40 miles a week. This is pretty good, but the past few weeks I have not been feeling very good. Just tired a lot, achy in the mornings mostly, I see my endroconologist in February so maybe I need my meds adjusted.
I will have a lot of my family over for Thanksgiving it should be fun to have everyone there. I love when the family gets together, of all the people in the world I think my family and extended family are some of the greatest people to hang out with. I always have the best time.

Diane Keeler Class

Finally some pictures from the class I took with some of my local doll friends. Diane Keeler is an exceptional artist and one of the most generous teachers I have ever taken a class from. It was three days of tons of fun, learning and friendship with some great doll friends.
I hope that I can retain some of the knowledge that I got from this class, and better yet would be that I can play dolls soon. It seems that this past few weeks that been crazy busy with other thing, or worse I have not been feeling the best after I do my nightly run, and now with day light savings thing its dark before I can even get done with the things I have to do :( This dose not make me the happiest person to be around. I really need to reschedule my day some how. Any suggestions? I'm open for anything.

Post Doll Class Blues

Well I have been anticipating...or participating doll classes for the past few months, and now they are all finished. Which leads me to the post doll class blues. This is where you have tons of new knowledge and hopefully new skills, combined with the reality that you don't have enough time in the day to practice these new skills and ideas. I have been slowly trying to get some new things accomplished but I'm painfully slow. If I must admit it I have not even unpacked most of my supplies that I took to the classes. I also need to file away all knew new handouts.
On top of all this are the holidays, looming on the horizon of my calendar, and as always I'm unprepared as of today. So the goal here is to buck up and get the jobs done!!! Wish me luck in all my projects, tasks, daily activities!
Still need to post more pictures from th Ball Joint Doll Class, and the class I attended from Diane Keeler... Hmmm hope that will happen soon :)

Ball Joint Doll Class (part 2)

Here are some pictures of when the class was sculpting heads. And putting them in the oven. The head sculpting part of the class was taught but Pat Lillich. She taught a new approach to sculpting the head that I had never done. I learned so much and enjoyed the new process.

Ball Joint Doll Class

So here are a few pictures of the ball joint doll class that I attended in Ohio. It was a fantastic experience. I learned so much and I hope that soon I will be able to put all the knowledge and new ideas into practice.
These first two pictures show the facility where the class was held. It was a very large building that made a wonderful class room.

Crazy Doll Times

Sorry I have not posted in a while, also sorry I have not posted pictures of the doll classes that I have attended. I'm currently in the last day of a class with Diane Keeler, it has been wonderful. I feel like I have been through doll boot camp. Between the class in Ohio and now the class with Diane. I'm in information overload. I just hope that my feeble brain can retain a percentage of all the new information I have been learning. Don't get me wrong, I'm in heaven!!! So please be patient with me and I will update all the new pictures, ideas and information as soon as I can. Until then I found an artist Mark Ryden, that I really think is cool.

Homecoming 2008

Well my baby girl was invited to homecoming at Weber High School, where she is a sophomore. I have to say this was difficult for me, she is my baby AGHHHH! But she looked beautiful and had a very fun time. Her date seems like a very nice young man. But I wish he would brush the hair out of his eyes a bit more. I guess my age is showing LOL. We were able to find a pretty cute and fairly modest dress for homecoming so I was OK with her look. Yes the ends of her hair are blue :), and Brady check out her wrist... she did wear Ember's bracelet.

Here is another picture taken at the class.

Here are some more pictures of the dolls that were made in the professional class at Jack Johnstons. It was a very successful class!

Doll Class

I had a wonderful time helping Jack Johnston with his professional class held September 3-7. I have had the pleasure to help at this class for a few years and this year did not disappoint. Twelve delightful students from across the country and Canada attended the class. All of them finished a wonderful doll. Two were life size babies, one was a mini baby, and the others were anything from lovely ladies to Pippi Longstocking! I have attached some pictures that I took over the days that I was there.

In this picture the baby on the right with the purple outfit is the doll that I finished in the class. I let Denise take her home, she will costume her in a cute out fit. The other baby is the doll that Kris Jammer made.

This picture was taked when the artist were sculpting their dolls heads.

Don't you just love Pippi!

Everyone is working hard.

NAMI - Our Families Walk for Scott

My family is participating in the NAMI walk in Salt Lake City on September 27th, Franklin Covey Field at 9:00 am. This will be our second year participating in this walk in remembrance of Scott .
I will probably blog a few times before and after this walk about Scott. He was someone that made an impact on my life and the lives of my husband and kids. Scott was married to my cousin. Bill and Scott became good friends shortly after he married into the family, we had kids close to the same ages so we spent lots of time together, and they were the couple when we wanted to go out with others were the ones we would call first.
Scott and I work for the same company for many years, we were also on the same team in that company, and were able to spend time together there. I can remember people spreading rumors until they realized that we were family. But Scott was almost like having another brother for me, and another father figure for my kids. Bill considered him his best friend.
I'd like to share one memory about Scott in this post. I have been having so many things happen with my dolls recently and Scott would have been so happy for me. I'm bless to have many people in my family that are supportive, it was different with Scott, maybe because he was married in to the family I felt that his opinion was a bit more objective.
Scott and I never ran too much together because he was much faster them me. But there were a few times, once we ran along the Ogden River Parkway. At the top, in the mouth of Ogden Canyon is a gift shop, as we approached he asked if I had been in there in a while because they had some cool dolls. I hadn't so he talked me into going in. It was nice to have a break any way because I was tired. When we got to the dolls, he was right, they were very cool. He looked at me and said, this can be you Lori... you are talented enough. He was very sincere with his praise and I have to say I was surprised at the time that he would feel that way. It felt so nice to have someone think that because it was so early on in my doll making. I think he would be so happy with all the recent things happening with my dolls.

New Doll Adventures!

It has been surprising to me all the doll things that are suddenly happening with me. I’m very excited to participate in so many things. Usually they are few and far between. So you ask what it happening? Well let me tell you.
I had seen a contest on the web at a reborn baby site a few months back. I thought it would be fun to try, so I made a like size baby. (The one that gave me all the heart ache, in some older posts of this blog). Now she is a finalist in the contest on the web. Here is the link: www.lifelikedollsmag.com please vote she is number 6. While my family was at Bear Lake my Mom said I should enter something in the Weber County Fair, so since I had this baby I entered her, she won Best of Show in her catergory and I won a whopping $25.00! Pretty fun Huh!

I have helped at Jack Johnston’s professional class for a few years, last year his son had come to help, so I was surprised to get an email from Jack asking for me to help out this year. Of course I said yes, I always have a wonderful time there and get to meet so many fun doll people.
A few months back my friend and fellow doll artist Debbie Sampson called to see if I would be interested in taking a class from Diane Keeler, one of my favorite doll artists! Of course I said yes, so October 16-18 I will be with my fellow Utah and Idaho doll friends taken a class from Diane Keeler! So exciting!
And last but certainly not least, you all have seen here in the blog that I have been working at making a BJD. Well, last year I seen a BJD retreat, but when I found it I was too late, I had missed it :( so; I have been checking this site all year to see when they would post the dates for the new retreat. When the dates were posted they also told of three scholarships people could win that would cover the costs of tuition and food. I entered and won the LilyKoi scholarship!!! I am over the moon!! So I will be attending this retreat in Ohio October 3-5!
I will make sure I take a camera and document all these fantastic doll happening and tell you all about them.
So, wish me luck in all my new and exciting doll adventures!

Ramblings and Wishes

Has anyone had this experience? You are at work, or the gym, somewhere where you know the people, and are friends with them, but not someone you hang out with all the time. I guess that it is more that they are acquaintances.
Some how the subject comes up, “What are your hobbies?” What do you do in your spare time? Usually sometime after where do you work. I don’t know about you but I cringe at these kinds of questions. No matter how I phrase my hobby I usually get very strange looks and a disappointing “Oh that’s nice…” I guess grown people are not supposed to sculpt dolls. Or play with them or I guess even talk about dolls. I try to play it off sometimes by saying simple that I just sculpt, but the problem with that is that it leads to the next question. “What do you sculpt?” to which I have to answer “Dolls” and that almost always gets a very quizzical look and the response “Oh”.
It seems to me and maybe its because most of what I read and look up on the internet is all about dolls. But there seems to be plenty of people in this world that love dolls just like me, so it begs to wonder, why I keep getting all the funny expressions when people find out my hobby? I guess I should be happy that the people who love me don’t seem to mind my hobby, in fact I think my sweet husband is rather proud of me most of the time. I have to beg him not to take people who visit the house into my doll room, or even call it a “doll room” for that matter.
But then that also brings up another issue that I’m having with myself. I can’t seem to figure out what I can call the space in my house where I sculpt my dolls. I usually call it the doll room, and that is OK for the most part. There is a part of me that wants to call it my studio. It sounds so much more professional then “doll room”. But in my mind I think I can’t call it a studio unless I was doing this as a profession and not a hobby. Doll room = Hobby, Studio = Professional. Maybe sometime soon, it will be a studio.

A Twilight Vortex

It has been a while since I have posted anything; but quite literally, all my time has been consumed with reading the Twilight series of books. I know, I know, I’m very slow on jumping on this bandwagon. My youngest daughter had read them all last year and I think all the ladies at work, my sisters etc. But when I was at Bear Lake with my family this year they were all talking about it so much, I felt totally out of the loop. So I figured that since I was on furlough for a while I would read a good book. I purchased the first two because they were on a good sale. I read the first and started the second before I went back to work. Not thinking that I would get so caught up in the book.

I feel like I need to explain some of my apprehension to reading. First, I’m not that fast of a reader and the books were very long so I knew it was going to take me a while to get through it. Second, I know that once I get into a book all other things fall by the way side. So here I am a few pages from the end of the third book… (can’t wait to start the forth) hiding in the bathroom at work, doing the minimal expected of all my house hold chores. Trying to sneak a few more pages while I’m standing in line at the grocery store, and forget about sculpting, it has been non-existant since I started the books. I have been acting like a complete zombie with my head buried in the book. AHHHGGG! THE GUILT !!! I feel so guilty for wanting to spend all my time reading about Bella and Edward, when there are so many other things I need to accomplish. I wish that I enjoyed listening to audio books, but I think there is something missing from that, sitting down and getting lost in a good book is like candy to your brain, and if most books are candy, Twilight must be heroin!

Publicity For My Dolls

So the "Fresh Faces" article about me is finally out!! It is in Dolls magazine, September 2008 issue. I happy with the way it looks and how the article is written. I hope that getting some publicity will help with the sales of my dolls. Looking at the article I realize that I need to get myself busy and produce some new work. I have been struggling with the BJD, but I think I just need to set her aside and work on something else because I can't seem to get her how I want her, so all my time is spent there, with no results to show for it. It's just so frustrating! But I'm not going to dwell on the negative, that gets me know where but depressed, and that is the last thing I need. So, I scanned the article so I could post it here. Let me know what you think!

Minnie Milestones

So yesterday was one of my minnie milestones in my life. Not a major milestone like a century birthday. But a minnie one, it was my 45th birthday. I had a very nice time , my sweet husband and two youngest kids took me shopping for some new jeans, not real fun, but found some that they said made me look much more hip?! I guess I needed some updating.

Then all my children, their spouses, and grandchildren came over for a BBQ. My grandkids had made me the most wonderful birthday cards and so did my sweet son-in-law. My son and his wife bought me his standard gift for me. New running socks :) I know that it might be predictable, but I love new running socks! I love anything to do with running and dolls. But yesterday is really what makes me happy!! Being a mom and grandma has been the most rewarding part of my life so far, and I can't imagine anything being better.

Updates on the BJD

Well I have been completely frustrated with the BJD. Maybe some of this had to do with the dismal sell of my last baby on eBay. AHHHH!!! I know that setting a reserve on the auction is a turn off to many buyers, but selling this baby at a price that doesn't even come close to covering the material costs let alone all the time I had to make her. It is so difficult!! So then on top of it getting less the satisfactory results with my BJD is not making me feel very good. I will be back to work come Monday so time will be limited again for sculpting, I was hoping to get more accomplished on the BJD. But when I this frustrated with her it's probably best to let her be for a while or she will end up in the garbage as a result of my frustration. So I will post some pictures now, but let you know that I will probably be digging out both her eyes in an attempt to get a bit more symmetry to her face. So there will be more update to follow that hopefully will have better results. Wish me luck :)

Sister Dates

For a few years now, my sisters and I try to make sister dates. We are all creative, artistic people with different talents, but enjoy each other's company and love to share something artistic together. At the University of Utah had a wonderful exhibit here is a link to see some of it. http://umfa.utah.edu/monettopicasso

So all the sister's my Mom, Annette and my youngest daughters all spent the day at the museum. It was fantastic and being a hobbyist sculptor you can imagine how I felt looking at the sculptures of Rodin and many other's.

My sister Annette is a painter and loved the Modigliani, beside of course the Monet and Renoir. I have to say I gained a new appreciation for Dali, not usually one of my favorites. If you are in Utah and have a chance to visit this exhibit I highly recommend it!

This picture was from Picasso's blue period. I was listening to the narrator talk about how after the suicide of his friend he went into his blue period. And this picture is considered the peak of the period. As I listened it made me think of Scott's suicide, I could understand why someone would go through such a bleak period. Not wanting to paint with any bright or happy color's. This picture is defiantly how you feel after loosing someone you love.

Doll Collaboration

Here are a couple of pictures of the fairy that I made for Jen Printy. I'm happy that she made it to her house in one piece. I had forgotten to take any pictures of her before I shipped her so Jen was kind enough to take some and send them to me. Her hair is a bit wild, and she looks a bit strange to me. Jen seemed happy with her though, she will be taken the dolls to EXPO in Washington DC in a few weeks. I wish her and the other guild members lots of success at the show!

New Baby

Here is the new baby after so many problems with her. I'm not real happy with her because I had to fix her eye so many times that the are now a bit asymmetrical. I entered her in a contest that a reborn company posted. If she is chosen she could be manufactured for reborn artists. If not I will sell her on ebay. She has a magnet in her head so she can have a binky. It is not as strong as I though it would be but it holds it in place a little.

Bear Lake 2008

Every year my family spends a few days together at Bear Lake. We have been doing this family trip since before I was born, but now it has become more, we have four generations of our family staying together. Bear Lake for us is a time to unplug and unwind, one family has a boat but for most of us we just enjoy time together in the quite breeze of the lake. Since my family is very artistic we always seem to have some sort of craft to do while we are there. Some of the years we have tie dyed t-shirts. This is quite a site to see, everyone from my 80 year old mother to the newest great grandchild wearing tie dyed shirts, it's a cross between some sort of hippy commune, or grateful dead concert, we do create quite a site.
This year some of us made vision boards. Mine is now hanging in my doll room. You create a vision board to help stimulate positive changes in your life, things you would like to see happen, or just pictures, words that feel positive to you.
It was also my youngest granddaughter's 1st birthday while we were there. She is such a sweet little girl! Being a grandma has been a complete joy, and this youngest granddaughter is as great as they come. She has beautiful red hair that looks like it might get some curl to it, and lovely green eyes. I just wish I could sculpt babies as beautiful as she is. I could make a killing in the doll world if I could.
I have to say I think Bear Lake 2008 went very well, I personally had a great time. It was relaxing, beautiful, and refreshing.

Scary Baby

I had to dig all the way around the new baby's eyes and even into the bridge of her nose to try and get her to stop cracking. I love working with polymer clay but sometimes it seems to seems to fight me. I'm not certain if it is due to the armatures, or the curing that sometimes makes it crack. I tend to think it is more to do with the armatures. This baby is built on an old armature that I have had for a while. I won't say where I purchased it here on the blog. But I have had difficulty with this brand armature before. I talked with the artist that sales it and was told if I wrapped it in foil it would eliminate the cracking issue. Well like I said I have had this armature for a few years, I wrapped it in foil but it looks like I'm still having cracking issues. Maybe it's because it is older, but I doubt that. I think I will stick to making my armatures with foil from now on.
Keep your finger crossed that the cracking is over and I can finish this baby once and for all :)

My Wasatch Back Realy Experiance

Well I’m happy to say that I survived running in the Wasatch Back Relay. It is a 181 mile relay race from Logan to Park City Utah. I was in the 2nd truck, so we started at leg 7. I was the leg 9 runner. My first two legs were OK the first was in the heat of the day so even though it was only 3.1 miles, I started to slow quite a bit about ¼ mile to the finish, because I was feeling a bit queasy from the heat. My second leg was 6.2 miles and it was in the middle of the night. I liked this leg because it was cool, but running in the dark has its hazards. Even with a head light and the support of the team, I felt a bit unsure of my footing a few times. My last leg was 3.6 miles, not long…but it was at an almost 8% incline on a dirt road. Again it was later in the day so it was starting to get hot. But, as a team we all struggled through out legs and we all finished feeling relatively good. Our team leader called me today, he said that the team has called and wants to do this again next year, and if I was in for it. I said… sure, I have a year to get ready for it. I guess they want to switch it up a bit. My truck will be truck A, so we will have the first part next time. I guess we will have to see how it goes. :)
I will post some pictures when I get them.

Father's Day

Yesterday was Father's Day. We had a nice day, my oldest daughter and her husband and kids came over to have dinner with us. Our daughter made a wonderful German chocolate cake for my husband because that is his favorite. It was delightful to have them over.
This is the second Father's Day without my Dad. I still miss him very much. Time helps soften then hurt of missing him, and we are left with the wonderful memories of all the things and time we had together. No matter how old I get I think in my heart I will always be a Daddy's girl.

Weekend Wishing

We just got done with my oldest son’s wedding. It was very beautiful, but I’m happy that it is over. We had two graduations, one bridal shower, Mothers Day, wedding rehearsal and wedding all within 6-7 weeks. And my sisters and I did all the flowers for the wedding. More my sisters then me :) So, I’m very happy the craziness has at least slowed down.

I long for the slow and lazy days of my summer as a young girl. Do you remember those times, before work, kids and responsibility? Hmmm lying around in the hot sun in our swimming suits reading trashy romance novels and drinking cold drinks. Just the slow moving days of our youth. Probably late junior high or high school. I see it now with my youngest daughter. The contentment that she dose not have much to worry about. Only responsible to do a few things, she has time to read, hang with friends, and relax. Her days move by at the slow summer pace I remember. Then I see the contrast with my oldest son. He is just starting a new life with more responsibility then he has had in the past. More bills, more obligations, more, more, more. His days of slow lazy summers are a thing of the past.
The life scale baby that I had posted in the previous post is about to send me over the wall. I have had to repair her at least 6 times, and even now she sits on my table with her eyes about dug out so that I can again, repair the cracks that keep forming in the corners of her eyes. I don’t know what to do. If she keeps this up I think she will end up in the trash. So keep you fingers crossed and hope that this weekend will have a different outcome. Let’s all pray that she decides not to crack any more. I’m also hoping that I finish Jen Printy’s fairy. She needs her wings and hair… then I will mail her off to Jen. Keep your fingers crossed that all this can get accomplished.

New Baby

Here is a life scale baby that I have been working on. One picture is of the head by the picture I used as a reference. Not sure I like her very much, will see how I like her as I paint and wig her. That usually helps me like them better. If I like her I might enter her in a contest I seen out on the internet at some reborn baby site. If she won they would produce her.

Also here is a few picture of a small scale fairy that I'm making for Jen Printy. She is a friend in the PDMAG that asked me to make her a fairy. I hope she likes her. I don't think I have ever worked a this small of scale. I'm not sure that I like it.