Hoffman challenge 2009

Hmmm......this years Hoffman challenge fabric didn't get me very excited.
I know there are many people who love it, but it just didn't do much for me....
So I had some serious doubts about entering........but decided to start playing with the fabric to see if I could use it in a different way.

So I ended up making beads and those beads reminded me of a picture I had seen on our recent trip to the United States in the Navajo reserve.
And that's how "Tatanka" came to life.
On our trip we learned that tatanka means buffalo, so the name seemed fitting seeing as his shirt has got a buffalo applique on the back and he's wearing buffalo horns on his head.

Besides the fabric beads I've used 15/0 miyuki seed beads, it takes about 350 beads to cover a square inch! I don't think I've ever spent this much time on a shirt in my life. Will you believe there is almost a fat quarter of challenge fabric in this outfit? There's only a few snippets left.
However I'm not quite sure if they will accept this as a recognizable amount.
But I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I have to apologize for the pictures. I couldn't get all the detail in his sculptered face to show up properly. I would have tried again in daylight if I wasn't in a hugh hurry to get him posted.

My missing doll

This was my entry for the Hoffman 2007 challenge. After travelling with the exhibition for a year she disapeared on her return journey to me.
I surprised myself how upset I was by this.
When I sold my miniature teddy bears I couldn't wait for them to leave the house, I could always only see what I could have done better.....I guess I got a bit older and wiser since then.

Anyway I thought Bekabhantu deserves a place on my blog. So here she is....with her little baby boy.

Hoffman 2008........the most demanding doll ever!

And then there was the Hoffman Challenge......talk about feet-stamping-dolls. Don't they say lightning never strikes twice....well I can tell you it does! Please be aware that this story is not suitable for people with a weak stomach or those who are reading while munching on something yummy. Tissues might be needed as it has brought people to tears before.

Attempt 1 This taught me an important lesson: Don't start working on your doll before you've got all your fabrics.
For this years Hoffman challenge I decided to make a very elegant dancing flapper girl. So I ordered the fabric and started making the doll. She was all ready to be dressed when the fabric arrived. Disaster, all my peacocks were cut in half not a single whole one and they couldn't be matched up either. There was no way that this girl was going to be covered by the peacocks I had. Solution: start again and make a smaller doll.

Attempt 2 This also taught me an important lesson: Never forget that I can't paint.
I was working on the second doll and was doing a full body paint. I put on coat after coat and sanded and sanded when I realized that I forgot one vital thing I can't paint to save my life.

Attempt 3 Another very important lesson: Always, always be kind to your dog.
(It might be a good idea to put the cookies away now)
My dog had been moaning and whining all day and nothing seemed to keep him quiet. He didn't want to go for a walk, eat or drink. He just kept whining all day long. I was working on doll number three when the phone went. I left my doll on the sofa and answered the phone. During the whole conversation the dog was sitting in front of me crying. When I put the phone down I was so fed up with him, I sternly told him off. Now I should tell you he is very sensitive to any form of raised voices....... So he took a run and a jump onto the sofa and then the nature of his problem became apparant....the poor thing was severely constipated and the run and jump (or was it the sound of my voice) relieved him of the problem right on top of doll number 3.

Attempt 4 Another important lesson: Don't listen to your dolls demands!
Whilst working on doll number four I realized that my elegant flapper girl had turned into a somewhat flabby lady. So it was time to let go of my ideas and believe me she told me what she wanted. Lots of beading, appliques and gold thread for starters and when I dared to think about almost done she really started to stamp her feet. A flying carpet, pillows, an Arabian village to fly over this girl really knew what she wanted. And when I was really really done. She demanded palm trees and a camel. I drew the line at the camel otherwise I wouldn't have made the deadline. But I could still hear her scream at me after I put her in the box!