Frog Prince Starts Today

The Frog Prince exhibition has just begun. You have until October 14th or so to see Orchid hanging out with the frog before she gets dressed for her date and he turns into the Prince who escorts her on it for the end of the month.

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For directions or more information visit: http://www.harborfieldslibrary.org/ .

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As I set the exhibition in place I received the nicest compliment, "Are you done yet??? I've been waiting for this!! I can't wait to see it!"

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Thankyou. Thankyou. Thankyou. It is always the townsfolk of Little Cow Harbor who have encouraged me the loudest and the longest. I hope you are delighted with what I have done with your treasures.

New Moon

New Moon is the second book in the popular Twilight vampire series.
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When I opened up Twilight, I said, "Arrrrghhhhh! Ugghhhhh!!!! Arrrrrghhhhh!!!"
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My husband laughed. I said to him, "What? You know what those noises mean?" He said, "Of course. It means you read it. You did, right? I would be very surprised if you hadn't."
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I said, "Yes. I did read it." I said, "I read it so long ago, that I didn't remember reading it."
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I said, "What a shame. I absolutely know the story of Edward and Bella." He said, "Now what are you going to do?" I said, "Get the rest of the series." I said, "I read it; I gave up reading it when I found out that the rest of the series wasn't written. I went into Sleeping Beauty mode and figured that someone would wake me when it's over and I can read the whole thing without interruption." I said, "Fortunately, that time has come." I said, "I'm so far behind, I think that the movie's even done."
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But all of that's okay; I can enjoy it and catch up.
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The series goes in this order:

Boo to You

Visit http://catcara.livejournal.com/6180.html to keep up with Nine. She's in transit again, back to the island. This photo was taken by graphic design illustrator A.D., whom you can find here: http://www.angeldevilland.com .
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We love our haunting little darling.

We're Working

To listen in to the gossip, visit: http://catcara.livejournal.com/ .

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Did you notice the skulls "in" the skirts? I think that Nine might sport such things "inside" her skin.

Morbid Industries

While shopping for interesting toys and props for Nine today, I came upon these "Gortraits" by Morbid Industries. They are rather large portraits for your mansion which change their image as you walk past them. Of course, I was intrigued.
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Remember to mark your calendars for January 2010, as Orchid's Wedding starts then. Her wedding will begin with the UFDC show in January, which we will use as a "dry run" for set up, and will continue on to an actual party later in the year. ScaryMary is very busy scouting suitable locations. You can visit my first, favorite, and very flavorful pick, here: http://www.sansoucicaterers.com/ .
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To visit Morbid Industries and acquire "Gortraits" of your own ancestors, visit: http://www.morbidindustries.com/

Photography Workshop

FotoFoto Gallery on the island is hosting a photography workshop on October 4th that I thought you might be interested in. You do not need to be a member of the gallery to participate. For more information, visit: http://www.richardgardnerphotography.com/Richard_Gardner/fotofoto_workshops.html

Sunrise Sunset

Not to be outdone by the Dewhirst's incredible sunrise at their ranch, I'm putting the sunset behind our house, here.
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You can see where I get my love of black silhouettes and the colors for my exhibitions. How could Orchid not look amazing in this setting?

Great South Bay

This was the glory of yesterday. We celebrated the end of summer on the north shore of the Great South Bay.
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The Great South Bay is the body of water between our island's south shore and the barrier reef that is Fire Island in the Atlantic Ocean.

Oh Deer

As the last rays of summer's golden light shown brilliantly on the grass pasture, we came upon this family of darling deer.
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For those of you who like to Photoshop your dollie pics or who like to paint and use photos for reference, please feel free to use these pics. They were taken by me and I am very happy to share them.

Last Vampire

Not being a big fan of Whitley Strieber, and not particularly caring for " imitative art" in any of its guises, I picked this up and read it because I was desperate.
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I am a consumate bookaholic, requiring more books than oxygen to survive.
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Therefore, I overlooked its AnneRiceanesqueness and sucked it dry for entertainment straight to the end. It's not the best vampire book in the world, but I've picked up worse.
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If you get desperate in the middle of the night, reach for it.

Dewhirst Sunrise

For all of you who recently enjoyed the NETO party hosted at the Dewhirst Ranch, and who found yourselves completely jealous of the rolling private sixteen acre estate, here is the sunset they enjoy at the ranch every day.

Something Borrowed

Erin's silver antique spiderweb pin will be the "something borrowed" by Orchid for her wedding.

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It will look incredible on her silk gown. Of course, it's even more perfect because I use spiderwebs as one of my signatures.

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Amid cries of, "How cool is this! Now how friggin' cool, I can't wait!!" MyHusband said, "What is the whole state of New York crazy?" He said to Erin, "You guys are going to drive several hours down from upstate for a doll's wedding?"

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Erin chuckled and said, " Yes, we are going to the wedding. This is Orchid we're talking about. We're not going to miss it for the world. Orchid's going to be wearing my pin!"

Trouser Monster

I make rod puppets. Here's what I discovered some people do with my puppets.
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Before you even ask: no, this is not my husband. MyHusband said that his trouser monster is much bigger and that he has no need of a fake one.

Great Cow Harbor

Our town, that of Little Cow Harbor, is next to and west of the township of Great Cow Harbor. Across the sound from these towns, lies the state of Connecticut.

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Both harbor side townships are heart breakingly beautiful. Here are a couple of shots from the other evening.

Devil Made Me Do It

This was in the party store last nite, where we found completely unsuitable eyeballs for Nine and bought them anyway.
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This thing was huge. We loved it.

LJ Invitation

Another quick reminder that we are going to be out on LiveJournal, with our "in the studio" "behind the scenes" chatter.

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You certainly may lurk to your hearts content, and you need never post your own entries, but in order to chat back and comment, you do need to sign up for LiveJournal. Sign up takes only a moment.

Find my LiveJournal here, http://catcara.livejouranl.com where our talk of resin BJD dollies and clothes and accessories in progress will be.

Flesh the Color of a Glass Gummy Bear

OurThird is a commercial toy proto typer by profession. She is probably the finest boutique resin caster in the country. Certainly she is the best looking and the most creative.
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Two of our goals with Nine is that each must still qualify as one-of-a-kind and that each muststill be a gallery arena artist product as opposed to a commercial toy product. This is not your average resin BJD.
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Here she is, the very first look after literally years of work by, us, three Scorpio friends.
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Keep an eye on her. She's an unusual doll. We have more than one surprise in store with her for you.
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Speaking of surprises, the piece in this photo is on her way to Anime Con. Watch for her in person there.

For more on Nine, visit my LiveJournal at: http://catcara.livejournal.com/ Join LiveJournal and be-friend me.

September 17th, 2008
Yes, folks. I know this picture is scary. That's what makes it funny. This photo is meant to be a joke. This is not what Nine, when Nine is finished, will look like.
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At least, we hope not.

Dolls with Souls

If you're in Australia, and you possibly can, please by all means check this show out.
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I stand on the top of my hill and I yell, "Whoo Hoo!! You GO GIRL !! Go go GO !!!" Whether or not Beth plans to be at her own reception I've meant to ask her, because, well, Australia is a little far from Vermont.
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For more on Beth Robinson's work and how to snag it, visit: http://www.strangedolls.net/

Youth Without Youth

Francis Ford Coppola. Heady stuff; literally. Not for the "faint of mind".
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A man is struck by lightening. Upon his recovery from the strike, he finds himself young again.
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Romania. Switzerland. India. Snippets of the man's life from the turn of the twentieth century until, possibly, the era of the Apollo moon landings.
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The film explores the beginnings of consciousness, the transmigration of souls, the evolution of man and the elasticity of time. It is steeped in genius; metaphorically and in its exploration of. I would tell you that it even explains death.
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A romantic film. Artistically and philosophically a compelling movie for the intellectually inclined.

The Studio

At the turn of twentieth century, The Studio was a premier artist publication. Of course, the fact that it was Beardsley has endeared to my heart forever.
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Allowing each other to visit our studios isn't always easy. Many days we field tons of questions on what goes on behind the scenes.
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To that end, I have finally succumbed and joined the LiveJournal community. I encourage your participation in it and your friendship.
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You can find my journal here: http://catcara.livejournal.com

The Orphanage

One friend said this summer, "I've been sending prayers of thanks daily for the creator of the air conditioner. I don't know who that person is, but I am ever so grateful for his existence."
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That's the way I feel about Guillermo del Toro. All the time, when I watch his films, I say, "Thank god for del Toro. What would we be watching without him?"
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From the creator of our beloved Pan's Labyrinth, comes this ghost story.
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Reach for the wine and the popcorn and enjoy.

Glass Books of the Dream Eaters

One day, a friend said, "What are you reading?" And I told them. The response was, "You're reading WHAT??!" I said, "What's the problem?" They said, "The problem is that only you would find books like this."

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Okay. I like books like this. In fact, I loved this book.

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Lovers of steam punk may also very well love this book.

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It is set in a fictitious Victorian city, at an undisclosed period in time. It begins with a masked ball at a mansion. There are horses and heroines, heroes and books. Gowns galore. The books are genuinely made of indigo glass.

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It is a rollicking old fashioned Gothic adventure. At a whopping eight hundred or so pages in first edition hardcover, it is not for the physically weak.

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The book was serialized in the old fashioned Dickens sense. There is also a sequel that is currently out.

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Visit its site at: http://www.glassbooks.co.uk/launch.html?

Maple Grove

This car will be at the track at Maple Grove this weekend.
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Particularly if you're a Vet and you're in Pennsylvania, you might want to check it out. After all, theBrothers have dedicated its doors to you.
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One hundred percent of the donations given to theBrothers as they are fundraising and raising awareness for American Veterans is given to The Wounded Warrior Project. The Wounded Warrior Project is a 501c(3) recognized charitable organization. TheBrothers also have requested that if know that you are planning to make a donation while at the racetrack, that if possible, you do so with a personal check made out to "The Wounded Warrior Project".
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TheBrothers run their race car solely with funds derived from their own incomes. TheBrothers paid for the doors, supporting the Project, with their own money.
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If you are an American Vet and you require assistance, please contact: http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

For additional track meets where you can expect to see this high interest car, visit: www.neto-nostalgia.org . There's still time to join NETO for the year and attend their annual picnic and seasonal banquet. A "car" is not required for membership.

Spotlight on Orchid

Well, that's where the spotlight usually is.
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We attended a party this weekend, Orchid came with us. After the cries and murmurrs and exclamations of, "She's fabulous! Simply fabulous!!" died down and after folks were had exhausted themselves admiring Orchid's Val Zeitler originals, people looked around and said, "Wait a minute. Where's Alabaster? Wasn't he here last year?"
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Well, yes, last year he was. But she wasn't. Usually, she's too busy being fabulous.
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See them both together as they perform "The Frog Prince" this October at Harborfields. He gets another chance to propose and of course you don't want to miss it. For directions and other information visit: www.harborfieldslibrary.org .

Twilight

My favorite time of day is twilight.
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This weekend, while at a party, a friend said, "Have you read Twilight yet?" I said, "You know, I don't think so. Why?"
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She said, "Ohmygod. You know how I read nothing?" I said, "Yes." She said, "Well, I found out that the whole world is reading this series of books. And they love them. Simply everyone just loves these books. So, I bought the first one, which is called Twilight. Ohmygod. It was so good. I couldn't put it down. I read it in three days." I laughed.
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She said, "But you know why you have to read it? Other than of course it's about vampires and you would love it?" I said, "Why?" She said, "Because the main character is Alabaster." I said, "What??!?" She said, "I know. It sounds crazy, right? But, it's Alabaster. I can't give away the book, but the main character is exactly like him. That's why I liked the book. You know how I like Alabaster." She said, "His eyes change color and everything. He's got Alabaster's eyes. He looks like Alabaster. I'm telling you: the book is about Alabaster. You simply must read it."
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I ordered Twilight from the library. Our library has five copies. All of them were checked out.

Heart Felt Apologies

My heart felt apologies to anyone who might be disappointed that they will not be meeting Heart in Austin, Texas this September.
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I interrupted Heart's photo shoot with Richard Gardner, whisked her off so she could catch her plane, and as Val and I admired her one last time as we packed her up we both said, "Oh, no."
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The one of a kinds contain metal in them. Their armatures are an assortment of metal, including wire, and Heart in particular contains glass to stabilize her core. Val and I looked at each other and said, "Oh, no. What if they x-ray her and don't let her on the plane? Metal, wires, glass?? Oh, no."
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Therefore, I apologize in advance to western fans. I field complaints all the time that my work is only viewable on the eastern seaboard. I'm really very sorry, I want you to know that we tried. Val was in from North Carolina and we really had a great idea for the convention. You would have enjoyed the idea, I'm sorry that you won't get to see it this September.
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Here she is. The first picture of what you won't get to see. Taken by me.