Now Offering Free Art and Craft Tutorials

Hi Bloggie Buddies!

I know I haven't been posting much lately but I've been SOOOO busy! As most of you know, I started a site on Ning. I wanted a place where I could "hang out" with others who are interested in various forms of art, teach a bit and run some paid workshops as well.

I have been working my tail off to offer free tutorials and swap groups and make the workshops as well. I also have been doing hours and hours of computer based admin yuck too. I'm dying to spend more time in the creative part of the studio but the admin part is equally important, blech.

I just wanted to let you know about the new free tutorials section on the Ning site. As of today, I will no longer be posting free tutorials here on my blog. I will let you know when I offer a new one here but in order to view it, you'll now have to head over to the ning site instead. No worries, it's free to join, there's no catch. Just easier on me to keep the tutorials over there.

SOooooooo, I hope you'll join us! COME ON OVER, I DARE YA!


http://mlbstudios.ning.com

Red Rover, Red Rover, I dare EVERYONE to come over?

Hugs, Moriah

Free "Tutorial" How I Paint a Portrait ATC

THIS FREE TUTORIAL HAS BEEN MOVED!!!!

Please join us at MLB Studios on Ning to view it!

ATCs for a Swap

Awesome Animation on Youtube..

Tiny Skelly Doll Workshop Underway!

I have opened registration for the Tiny Skelly Doll Workshop!

Signups will be open from today until September 9th.



Workshop runs for 2 weeks starting on September 10th.



Once you register, you will be emailed a supply list and outline of the workshop.



On September 10th, videos will be available as well as support and feedback from me and other participants.


You must have high speed internet in order to participate in the online workshop!!

If you do not have high speed internet, DVDs of this workshop will be made available here on the blog on September 10th.

In either situation, you will be able to work at your own pace and I will provide support to both online participants and those whom purchase a DVD.

Online workshop requires that you sign up for an account (it's free) on the Ning Network and to become a member of MLB Studios on Ning. The workshop is hosted there.

SIGN UP NOW by clicking on the Buy Now button in the side bar --------->>

Fluffin' Stuff

Grief! Hours and hours of going through EVERYTHING in my studio, well, half of it so far.

First, stuff was climbing up the walls in stacks and piling up on the floor in stacks and I was starting to feel like the walls are closing in on me.

Second, I have misplaced a very important camera accessory that allows me to perch my camera and video camera on my tripod. I cannot begin taping things I need to tape until I find it.

So, because of both of those things, I am purging some of the STACKS of stuff around here and hunting (STILL LOOKING) for that piece for the camera.

I remember unscrewing it from the video camera and putting it somewhere while thinking, "There, now I won't lose it and will be able to find it again". Nope, it's lost and I can't find it again! I hate that! I do it all the time too! Such a waste of my time running around like a mad woman, while talking and cursing to myself, looking for whatever I happend to misplace this time. UGH!

Anyway, I keep losing focus with this post. What I've been trying to say through all of this is that I'm having an online yardsale on eBay to try to raise some cash for my stacks of stuff around my studio. If you're into scrapbooking, you really should check everything out. I thought I'd like scrapbooking, turns out it bores me to tears so now I'm purging a bunch of stuff for it.

That's all, I have to get back to work so I can finish taking the pictures of round one and then start the listings tomorrow. If you wanna check it out, wait until tomorrow afternoon/evening to peek because I won't have anything listed until then.

To find my stuff, search for seller ------> mlb-studios

ACHEW!!!!!!!!! Man organizing kicks up the dust! It's gonna be a late night!

Hugs,

Moriah

I See Stuffed People!

You may remember a post awhile back of the TON of doll blanks I stitched up. If not, here's a refresher:

At the time I was swapping Dotee Dolls A LOT on Swap-bot.com and hated the little tube looking doll design so I came up with my own design and sent them out instead. Here's one of the ones I made and actually kept for myself..

I got RAVE reviews every time one was received so I thought I'd offer up some of these blanks for others to use.

I have added about 15 or so to my Etsy Shop, all the ones you see in the first photo above.

All you have to do is decorate and embellish them as you see fit. A little hair, maybe a hat or an apron. Maybe some beadwork, who knows... all up to you.

These are also the doll design we are using to do our first Fabric Art Doll Group swap over at the Ning site. Sign-ups for the September swap are open until September 1st, so come on over and join in the fun. Or, you can swing by later to join as we will be doing a new one each month. I provide the pattern there to download and print so you can stitch one up yourself. If you're not a fan of sewing, you can always grab one of the premade blanks.

So whether it's Dotee Doll Swaps, participation on the Ning site or just to embellish and keep for yourself, these will hit the spot!

Hugs,

Moriah

Fabric Art Dolls!!!

Hello beautiful people!!!

I am ahppy to announce that a new group has formed on the Ning Site!

This one is for Fabric Art Doll Challanges and swaps!

We'll be using a provided pattern and making dolls based on an assigned theme and then swapping them each month! It's gonna be a TON OF FUN! You really should pop over and join in!

Below is a video where I explain how to make the "doll blank" that is the basis for each of the dolls.

Gearing Up For Halloween

This is my FAVORITE time of year! I have been wanting to participate in A Fanciful Twist's Halloween Celebration but never got around to it until this year. I have just signed up to participate and hope that you will too!

To find out what's involved and to sign up yourself, just click on the image or RIGHT HERE to be taken to A Fanicful Twist's Blog.

Get your Boogedy Oogedy on!

Hugs, Moriah

Paper Art Dolls

Do you love creating paper dolls? I have to admit, I'm rather a newbie with the whole paper doll craze but man do I love them! So, it was only logical to share this love on my Ning Site!

I started a group over there to make and swap Paper Art Dolls. I'm really excited about the whole thing. If you'd like to get in on the action, feel free to hop on over and sign up! We'd love to have you!








Here's what we'll be doing in the group:


Each month I'll post a different Paper Doll Template in the group discussions. Those who sign up to participate that month will then download the template and create a Paper Art Doll using that template. I will assign partners and then each of us will swap our dolls with our partner. For now we are just embellishing the dolls any way our heart desires but in the future, we'll discuss themes, colors, whatever.

So, if this sounds like something you'd be interested in participating in, we'd love to have you join us! It's free and fun! Also, if your friends or family enjoys paper dolls, tell them about it too!

Hope to see you there!

Hugs,
Moriah

MLB Studios Ning ATC Swap

I am hosting monthly ATC swaps over on my Ning site. Each month members interested in participating swap 2 ATCs with each other. One is always themed and the other is usually Sender's Choice.

For August's swap the themed ATC was fairy. Here are the two cards I made for my partner Linda D...

And here are the cards she made for me...

If you would like to join in on the fun, head on over to the Ning Site and join in! We'd love to have you!

Hugs,

Moriah

Nosferatu

I don't know about you but I love Vampire stories! I couldn't get enough of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and Bram Stoker's Dracula was and is one of my favorite movies! So it's no wonder that when I think Halloween, I think Dracula..



Here's #3 in the series of 4. I decided to make this one a little more subdued than the others before him. He is sculpted in paperclay over armature and painted and stained in acrylics. He stands 5.5" tall. I am heading over to my Etsy Shop now to list him!


I give you Nosferatu.........






One more to go!

Once I finish this series, I will be making a dollhouse miniature setting! I know, it's been forever. I think I've had a long enough break that it'll be fun making a few minis again. So, stay tuned for that!


Hugs,
Moriah

Slingin' Clay on a Rainy Day

I'm busy working on numbers 3 and 4 to finish out my Halloween Art Doll Series. Here's where I'm at with them as of 3pm today..

Stay tuned for the finished pieces!

Hugs,

Moriah

Rattling Bones and Desperate Moans...

Here's #2 in the set of 4 Halloween Art Dolls I'm working on. This skelly is handsculpted in paperclay over armature and stands 5.5" tall. He is signed and dated and is now available in my Etsy Shop! MAUHAHAHAHAHAH....

Hugs,

Moriah

Ever Dance With the Devil in the Pale Moon Light?

Me either... No thanks... BUT....



I'd dance with this guy in the moonlight!



The first of my 2009 Halloween creations. I have 3 others in the works as part of this series. This one is already listed in the Etsy Shop! More to come!




Hugs,
Moriah

Gettin' My Boogedy Oogedy On!

I've been busy, busy...



Working on some Halloween inspired pieces, 4 of them to be exact.. All in various stages. Here's a little peek of the one furthest along..

Back to work..

Hugs,

Moriah

Double Double Toil and Trouble..

A little Witchy Poo for you! Now in my Etsy Shop!

Hugs,

Moriah

Mad Hatter Finished

Won't you join us for a MAD tea party?

This little guy stole my heart but I have reluctantly added him to my Etsy store.

He stands 4.5" tall and is sculpted in paper clay over armature. He has acrylic painted accents as well as fabric and paper accents. His eyes are set just a bit offkilter because, well... he is MAD ya know!

Hugs,
Moriah

Getting there..

Here's where I am on the Mad Hatter now.. Waiting for clay to dry before I can finish him up!

Back to work,

Moriah

Mad Hatter Further Along

Here's where I finished up tonight.. I'll continue on this tomorrow and hopefully finish him and the other doll bust by tomorrow night..

Here's the Mad Hatter about 70% completed..

Good Night,

Moriah

Pretty In Pink

Hiya folks!

I finished one of the doll busts tonight and added it to my Etsy Shop!

This is Emily, Pretty in Pink..

She's 5.5 inches tall and sculpted in paper clay over armature.

Hugs,

Moriah

On My Work Table Today...

Oh I do love paper clay! Working in 3D again is nice too! These heads are in various stages of completion.

Hugs,

Moriah

Dolls, Dolls, Dolls!!

I have been a very busy girl! Remember the nesting doll I started a little while back? I finished all three in the set! Whoo hoo! They were so much fun to paint! For those of you interested, I did add them to my Etsy shop! You can also snag them from the sidebar! -------->

I have another set of these that I may just paint and keep for myself. I haven't decided yet. I also started working on two gals that have been sitting on my work table forever! Remember this?

I sculpted these in paperclay a long time ago and just never got around to doing anything with them. Well, today I did some work on them. They're still works in progress but I'm getting there. Their faces are painted and they now have hair. Tomorrow I'll start on the costuming and finishing touches.

So, that's what I've been up to today, along with laundry and normal Mommy duties. It's amazing what one can accomplish when they ban themselves from the computer! ;)

I hope your Thursday was a good one, now I'm off to bed!

Hugs,
Moriah

Arts and Crafts Swap

I actually sent this out on the 3rd of August but I hadn't shared it here yet. One of the few swaps I still have to fulfill on Swap-bot is this one. It's the Arts and Crafts Swap. Each person was supposed to make something they like to make that will fit in an 8X12 envie and mail it to our partner. I have not received mine yet but I sent this out to my partner:

Mixed Media on 5X7 canvas panel. I hope she likes it.

I'm working on finishing the nesting doll and hope to have it finished sometime tomorrow. When it's done I'll share it here. Question.... Most nesting dolls are sold in sets, hence "nesting dolls". Should I paint these as a set and in a similar theme to sell all three together or should I make each one an individual design and sell them seperately? Three dolls nested or one doll?

I know I should sell them as a set but I thought I'd get some feedback just in case.

Hope all is going well for you this week and that you're getting some creating of your own done too!

Hugs,

Moriah

I've been challenged..

Marsha over at Sassy Mini Dolls challenged me today. I was instructed to go to the 4th folder in "My Photos" and then post the 4th photo in that folder here and tell a little bit about it.

So, here goes:

This is a picture of the 3rd doll I ever made. I named him Hobokin. He's about 11 inches tall and is sculpted in polymer clay with a soft sculpted body. All of his clothing is handsewn and designed on the fly (no patterns). He stands with the aide of a doll stand and is carrying a little knapsack over his shoulder. This doll is in my own collection as my hubby couldn't stand the thought of parting with him. I couldn't either to tell you the truth!

Now, I have to pass this challenge along....

(I hope you haven't already been challenged) Here's the four I chose:

Barb over at Somethingz to Crow About

Janine over at JustBeans

Jan over at Snippety Gibbet

Julie King over at Julie King Original Art

Ok peeps, I'm off to work on the laundry and to start sketching ideas for a Steampunk doll I'm making my husband for Christmas this year.

Hugs,

Moriah

A Great Swap Over at the Reece Dixon Blog!

If you like Halloween and you like to make stuff, get on over to Tresa's blog Reece Dixon and join her Halloween swap! I did and I hope you'll join in too! Just click the button below and you'll magically arrive at her blog!