Dogs not allowed

I recently finished another little terrier on bobbin wheels and once I'd been through the process of listing him on Etsy, I then started the process of adding him to my Facebook shopfront. 

In theory, this should be fairly simple. After all, what could go wrong? Well, it appears that the approval process can be somewhat heavy handed, if not downright wrong headed. I use the word 'headed' reluctantly as it's obviously an automated system, not a human being. After all, a robot is supposed to be less fallible than a person.

'Pickles' was rejected, as 'live animals are not allowed for sale on Facebook'. This despite the fact that I've listed many of my creatures in my Facebook shop without problem. So I tried to fill in the appeal form. Which I did several times, as each time I tried to submit it, I was told that I 'had not filled in the required field'. Despite having done precisely that. Further investigation found other users who have had exactly the same issues and no satisfaction from the Powers That Be at Facebook HQ.

So I went about it sideways, rewrote the description and title without any reference to 'dog' or terrier' and re-tagged my photos similarly. Result - instant approval. Which leads me to wonder, as the algorithm seems to be such a blunt instrument, that I could actually have listed a real, live terrier  and by calling it a 'thermos flask', with no references to anything canine, I could have  got away with directly breaking their rules. 

If AI really is the future, I do hope it becomes more sophisticated, because if a robot cannot discern between a real dog and a hand crafted miniature woolly one, then we may very well be headed for catastrophe. It's all about the nuances, and (just my opinion) we humans are still better at it than a computer.

Little ruffled dogs

It's been a few years since I made this design, but what's not to like about a little dog with a bunchy ruff?

 

Each has my log ribbon sewn into their underneath.

And each comes with a signed name tag. They are to be found in the 'needle felt animals' section of my shop here, should anyone want to give one a loving home.

Painting of the week comes up next!

Aunty Pat's portrait

Once upon a time, I was an art student, then I was an artist, and then an illustrator. Always in watercolour. However,  I've had a painting block for nearly four years and one of my things for this year is to pick up things I've neglected - mostly for unavoidable reasons.

Actually, my biggest painting block is with oils - it was my first love when I was a teenager and yet I've only been able to make myself paint one (still unfinished) oil in 25 years. Yes, over two decades. That's some block.

When I was taking photos for my first newsletter, I included a work in progress, Aunty Pat. And I was taken with the light in this picture, as it made a nice portrait. I hunted out some old brushes and paints and set to work before my stupid neurosis could take over. So my studio table was cleared and refilled and a little canvas started.

Here is where I made the first basic error - putting in a warm, creamy brown background, which in hindsight, would have been better as a cool grey or blue.  At the time though, it was enough just to be actually painting again and to my surprise, feeling quite happily at home with it.

It went quite well to begin with, until I looked at it later and realised the light was all wrong; in the photo, the light falls from the right, so I painted her that way. But the background is lit from the left. I had forgotten the most basic thing I'd been taught, 'always look for the light'. 

The next day, I set about correcting it and while it was now pedantically accurate, I had lost the freshness of the paint strokes. However, this was not about doing a perfect picture, it was an exercise to get me painting regularly again. 

In putting down a similar background colour and tone, I found it almost impossible to get Aunty Pat's furry (or rather, woolly)  head standing out as sharply as I wanted, without bringing in too much white. And then I added too much black (which I rarely used in the past and now I know why) to her foreground ear and it just looked messy and dead, colour wise.

But I persevered, and finished it. I don't like it. I know it's the thing nowadays to be terribly pleased with anything one has created, but I had an old fashioned art training, which taught me strict self criticism, in order to be able to improve. And at the end of the day, I broke my oil painting hoodoo. And that was what it was all about. 

I'm going to write this one off to experience and do it again. 

I did sign it though. 

I envy people who can just pick up a brush and sail away happily. For me, it has been like not being able to eat my favourite food: it is, as they say, complicated and may even sound odd. Nonetheless, my inability to 'just paint' has been very real and frustrating. Like being able to swim well, but not able to enter water and still wanting to swim.

I'm off to spend some kindly given Christmas money on some decent brushes, paints and a couple of canvases. I've got a lot of painting to catch up with. Twenty five years, to be precise. 

If you haven't signed up for my newsletter and would like to see the other photos of Aunty Pat, as well as read my tips for getting equal length limbs, you can find the archive here. (You're not obliged to sign up, just click the link for the January newsletter)

Hares, foxes and a little dog

I have a big list of custom orders to get stuck into, but have managed to update my Etsy shop with some new designs, including the foxes which have had such great feedback.

 Large fox - SOLD

 Medium fox - available to buy

 BAR - available to buy

My new line of hares - for some random reason I fancied giving them Anglo Saxon names, despite the circus theme. So  this is 'Bar' (meaning 'from the birch wood')

 SILVIA - available to buy

'Silivia' (meaning 'of the wood')

 WOODROW - available to buy

 And Woodrow (meaning 'of the birch wood) and my favourite.

 GOLDY - reserved

And little Goldy, who is reserved for a Very Special visitor coming to see me all the way from America!

Little dogs

If you follow my Facebook page, you will know why my Santa dog is sat with these two little resin dogs, looking very similar but made by the Gisela Graham Company. If you don't...I'll fill you in next week. It's been a long day at the coalface.

Evolution of a little black dog

Some weeks ago - pre-party mahem - I finished an order for an *old* blog friend (old in terms of knowing her that is) Rachel of 'Slow Lane Life' who wanted a little version of her sweet black Labrador Florence. I don't often take on pet commissions, preferring to concentrate on toys, but for her I made an exception as she said more or less to do my own thing. Even so, Florence the small did end up looking very much like Florence the large...

From fluff to basic body took about two hours, sitting in our weedy back garden in the sun. Later the all important glass eyes and nose were added -

- and positioned.

We were going to have a scarf, but it spoiled her pose and hid her graceful neckline.

So a slim collar ball was substituted instead and a ball provided a place for the heart I put on all of my animals.

Did Rachel and big Florence like the result? You can see here, when the two met, at a discreet distance.

Events update

I am taking part in the Witney Book Festival and will be on BBC Radio Oxford with 'Jo in the Afternoon' on June 10th, from 2pm talking about my books and life. Then on June 18th I will be selling and signing my books, at Teddy Bears of Witney, demonstrating the craft of needle felting with the Puddletown Tales toys on display, so if you are local, do drop in and say hello! (Unless you were at my recent teaparty and are sick of the sight of us!)

Dolores

Dolores. Likes knitting, port and lemon and smart shoes that don't quite fit her right.




Sits all day clicking her needles and watching the world go by. Has a mean streak.





And a rather disgruntled look on her face.





Is off to America to live with Janet, where she will eat cake and watch Red Cardinals and Humming Birds. Lucky, lucky Dolores!

Yes, I have finally updated my Etsy shop with a few things - it's good to be back in the saddle at last!

Violets and Camellias

Back to some kind of normality at last and a final deadline to clear; this year's order for Teddy Bears of Witney. Sadly, due to the silly amount of work I had on, I was unable to do as many editions as I did last year and only just managed to get these two sets ready in time for the 2011 catalogue.

Rather stupidly I didn't order in a large batch of pink wool when I made the first Camellia and when I re-ordered from the same stockist the dye batch had changed. Only slightly, but enough to make me grind my perfectionist teeth with frustration. See how the righthand merino is slightly bluer than the lefthand one?

Thankfully I spotted what looked to be a better match on the Tigerlily Makes blog and after a few emails, a sample was winging it's way to me in the post. It was, happily, almost identical to the original pink and I was able to order enough to finish the two remaining models - thank you Lisa for such super service and good luck with your new online felt making boutique.

And a finished trio of 'Sweet Violets'. Despite the simplicity of the design, these actually take far longer to perfect than my other creatures.

Naturally, this being me, I was somewhat late in making the remaining models and spent seven days needle felting like fury. But in the end, we were all ready for delivery.

Boxed up and raring to go.

It is always such a pleasure to visit the shop and see what new bearish treasures are in stock. My little girls are going to be in distinguished company.

And they have their own slot in the beautiful catalogue. As far as I know, they have not sold out yet - but this is the only shop I am able to supply and at present I am so busy catching up with back orders that they are all that is available at present, so if you do want one of my creations now, then they are the people to contact.

I quite forgot to tell them - and you, lovely readers - my other snippet of news, that a couple of months ago I was accepted into the British Toymakers Guild after submitting an application which was judged acceptable by the committee. Which is nice.