Monday, December 15, 2014

Progress


In the Studio

Finally decided on hair for the first of the smiling doll heads. 


The decisions about hair and costume 
take such a long and frustrating time. 
The floor of my studio is awash with fabric and miscellaneous items 
I've dragged out for auditioning.
Anything that might give me a hint of where this fellow
might want to go
or 
who he might want to be.


Because I have several heads in progress,
I made three clay head pieces,
and chose a couple of others as possibilities.

Until I have chosen hair and/or hat,
I'm in despair.
Once I know who I'm working with,
things get a little easier.

I'm happy now about where this fellow is going,
but prepared for more frustration along the way.  :)
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Reading

I've taken a long break from the Lewis Carroll biography, but have read several mysteries that I need to review.  Also finished This Shattered World, a YA science fiction novel that I enjoyed.  Since I've been so busy with working on Eccentric dolls, I've not been keeping up with writing my book reviews over at my book blog.  It is on my "to do" list for today.
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Donations/Charities

Do you receive pleas for donations all year, but especially during the Christmas Season?  If you plan to make a donation to a charity, it is a good idea to check it out and see how much of your donation goes to fund raising and how much to the actual cause.

Charity Navigator offers information about charities that overpay their for-profit fund raisers, as well as some of the charities that have consecutively good ratings or that are worth watching.

Charity Watch also provides ratings for a wide variety of causes that I'm interested.  I like this one because of the number of charities they rate.

When I get a donation request in the mail, I go to the computer and Google, "how is _____ charity rated?"   Like everyone else, I have several favorite charities on my list, many of them local, but when I get a request from a new one, I check it out.  The ones I hate are those with phone calls; many charities that make those persistent phone calls (although good causes) are those that spend too much on paying fundraising groups and too little on services.

I want to contribute to good causes, but I want to know that the money goes to research and services.  Charity watchdogs give me that sense of security.  


8 comments:

  1. It's always a relief when a project finally starts communicating, isn't it - I've had several stubbornly silent ones, and they are really very trying!

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    1. Exactly! The reluctant ones can, indeed, be very trying! :0

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  2. Love that doll! The hair is perfect, imo. Re: charities, I only give to LOCAL animal shelters, one in particular, actually. I think all charity should be at the local level.
    Happy Holidays to you and your family, jenclair! xo

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    1. Thanks, Connie! His hair seems to suit him, even though it wasn't what I had in mind for him.

      All but one of my charities are local, but some have a national affiliation. It is the Police and Fire Dept. fund raisers that bother me the most because their national ratings are poor. The cause may be local and commendable, but too much is spent on admin and fundraising.

      Hope your holidays are bright, Connie!

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  3. He looks happy with his "do." Great doll.

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    1. Thanks, T! Wouldn't want to take him to a stylist, though--it took him long enough to decide on hair in the first place. It would be a lengthy process trying to please him with an actual style.

      :) I love the way his hair floats and moves with a breath. Reminds me of my niece's son; Wee Jack's hair floats, light as a feather.

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  4. Wow - these are so good - the dolls I mean! You're very talented! I like making things but I'm so impatient and want them to be finished immediately! This is why the most I manage is doodles!
    Lynn :D

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    1. Thanks, Lynn! I haven't been working in the studio for over a month now, but I have another figure in progress and three heads that I was working on that I need to get back to. :)

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Good to hear from you!