I finally did it...

I finally did it. I've sent something off to a publisher to try to get published in a magazine. I've never done it before, well once but it was a lousy job and so long ago I'm wiping it from my memory. I've had this piece of paper on my desk for about a month, telling me that Somerset Studios was looking for paper doll creations. I immediately thought of my Metal Fairy and thought, gee, I'll just send that in. But my Metal Fairy has a different destiny so, I couldn't send her away. I half heartedly started to make another one earlier this week. Much earlier. Like, I probably started on Monday. And I thought, gee, I have plenty of time. So Friday rolls around and I'm working on her and I'm not worried about getting her completed. She needs to be at Somerset Studios by the 15th of October... plenty of time. Kerriann calls me to chat and I tell her what I'm doing. That's when she breaks the news...

Ahhh.... Kim!!! There's no mail on Monday! WHAT!!! Oh, my! What's a girl to do? I've got to work that night and I need to finish this if I'd like to even be thought of for submission. Yikes! So last night I was up until 2 AM, crossing my t's and dotting my i's. There was a whole list of things I needed to do! Wrap her gently, type up directions, send cash or check if I want her back, a self addressed stamped postcard if I want to know they received her and oh, yah label her. Of course, I did it all. I probably did more than I needed to. It's my first time and well, you know... they can be scary. So I brought her to the post office before I went off to work. She's on her way to California to be considered. If she's not appropriate for the article they are writing on paper dolls, the website tells me that she could be kept for up to 9-12 months if they think she could be used in something else. So, I guess it could be a while before I see her again.

Now, I'm not sure how much I'm supposed to show. I'm assuming that although this is my blog, it's being "Published". Hence the big orange button below my editing box that says "Publish Post". So, I'll just share a tiny bit of her for now....

I know that's not much. If you came by the Scrapbook Cupboard's trunk show today, you might have been lucky enough to see a photo of her. This doll really came together. I created her bodice piece and then her 'hair'. Her hair was created in a filigree type pattern and I remember seeing a piece of paper in my stash somewhere that would match. Since I'm Campaigning for Creativity, I decided to look around. I found it, but it was substantionally smaller than I wanted. It was only 3" by 5" and I had no more. It was a nice mint green color with silver filigree pattern on it. YUM! So last night I brought my doll, with the paper to work to match up the paper or find something similar. Nothing. nada. Until... I looked in the Bazzill Bling section. Wouldn't you know it. There was a piece of Bazzill Bling in mint green that matched the paper I had perfectly! I purchased it, for her shoes and.. well, something else. I had one more obstacle in front of me. I had big brass brads holding her arms on and they were ... well, brass colored. And I needed it to be silver or mint green. Ranger doesn't make a mint green alcohol ink and well, I could have used the Silver Mixative, I thought about it and realized I might have something to match. And sure enough, when I got home last night, I looked and I own Liquid Pearls in Mint Green!! It matched perfectly!! So, I don't know if the stars were aligned or if I was just lucky yesterday but this doll went together smoothly! And now she's off...

I'm teaching a class tomorrow on the Best of Metal Techniques. It was tough for me to choose 10 of my favorite techniques. See, I have a few new ones I'm working on and those are my favorites right now. But, I can't do those. This has to be the best of what I already taught. The girls in my other two classes would be upset if I taught something new. And I promised I wouldn't. So, tomorrow, I have some wonderful ladies joining me from 1-4 to learn to do 10 of the Best Metal Techniques. This is what I decided were the best (so far...):

• Puffing
• Using Stencils
• Using Molds
• Using molds within molds - I still do love this one!
• Using Stamps
• Wrinkling the metal
• Flattening the metal
• Embossing the metal
• A flat puff
• Coloring metal with alcohol ink
• Using the Brass Brush

OK, OK, I know. That's 11. I couldn't decide on the last two. You can use just the brass brush or you can use just the alcohol ink, you can use the brass brush then the alcohol ink or you can use the alcohol ink then the brass brush. And then there's paint, the already colored metal, using finishes, glaze pens, copic markers... So much, it was really hard to break down to just those.

I'm off to watch the rest of the Sox game. Go SOX! Looks like another long game ahead.