Phoenix Haboob July 5, 2011

When I was a kid, here in Scottsdale Arizona, we had what we called Dust Storms almost every evening during the Monsoon (July and August mostly).  It would be so hot during the day that the storms would build up over the desert then plow in when the temps dropped a bit.  I remember sitting in our front room, looking out the window, and the dust was so thick I couldn't see the house across the street.  Since then, though, the valley has sprawled and replaced desert with concrete, so our summer storms are generally more mild.  Until last night, that is.  It was a good old fashioned dust storm, although they're calling it a Haboob.

"A haboob (Arabic هبوب) is a type of intense sandstorm commonly observed in arid regions throughout the world.   When this downdraft, or "downburst", reaches the ground, dry, loose sand from the desert settings is essentially blown up, creating a wall of sediment preceding the storm cloud. This wall of sand can be up to 100 km (60 miles) wide and several kilometers in elevation. At their strongest, haboob winds can travel at 35-50 km/h (20-30 mph), and they may approach with little to no warning."

It looks much scarier than it was, however, once the dirt blew in, it stopped and hung around for hours and hours laying a brown yucky blanket over everything!

This is a great link to an awesome video that captures the "Haboob" rolling in. 
http://www.scottwoodphotography.com/Weather/2011StormChasing/15913598_nN77g#1370278891_RDCLM67-A-LB

Art Doll - Penelope P. Pumpkinhead

There is something about the name "Pumpkinhead" that appeals to me (obviously).  So I was wondering the other day why I haven't created a Pumpkinhead doll.  Why not?  So I set to work and out came Penelope.  Sorry, that would be Penelope P. Pumpkinhead.  


As a little girl, Penelope likes to dress up in all the pretty dresses that her mommy makes for her but only if she can wear her favorite sneakers too.  She is hand-sculpted with layers of paper clay and painted with acrylics.  Her eyes are glass.  Her pretty little dress is repurposed velvet that I "stained" with a bit of bleach.  Her stockings are stitched from repurposed jersey.  Her arms are hand-sculpted from polymer clay, as are her sneakers.  Her sneakers are laced up with silk ribbon.  She is free standing and about 8 inches tall.


Penelope will be available in my Etsy shop soon.  www.etsy.com/shop/pumpkinheadstudio

Update:  SOLD

Thank you, Joan

The Ladies in an Etsy Treasury

I just love it when one of my creations catches the attention of a fellow Etsy seller who includes it in one of their Treasuries.  The Ladies have been included in a treasury titled Some Some Summertime created by NaturalistBent.  Here is the link www.etsy.com/treasury/MTExODA1NjR8MzgyMzY2OTA0/some-some-summertime

Art Dolls - The Ladies of Summer

As you may (or may not) know, Arizona is a mecca for retirees.  There are tons of communities throughout the valley specifically for the active "adult" lifestyle.  

The Ladies of Summer love their active "adult" lifestyle at Leisure Land in Mesa, Arizona.  Barbara, Velma and Sophie are life-long friends.  Every morning they head over to the community pool for their water aerobics class.  It is a fun way to start their day.....lunch will follow.

I'll be setting the Ladies up in my Etsy shop soon.   www.etsy.com/shop/pumpkinheadstudio

Book Faerie

I received a wonderful work of art today!  I purchased "Funnel Man" from my friend Daryle Cook in South Jersey.  Daryle is a fellow member of Cloth and Clay Dolls (you can follow the link on the right side of my blog.)  I have always been fascinated by Daryle's work and am so honored and happy to have one of his pieces in our home.  His wife, Katie, even tucked a beautiful, handmade card in the package!  Daryle and Katie Cook can be found online at www.woodstownwhimsies.blogspot.com.  They have some wonderful photos of their work on their blog but honestly the photos don't even come close to the awesomeness!  Thank you Daryle!

Hand Delivered

The Queen

requests the pleasure of your company

at the 

Fairies' Ball

on the

First Full Moon

after the

Bluebells Bloom

at the

Queen's Palace on Water's Edge

Meet Gilroy, the Queen's Messenger.  His current assignment.....hand deliver the Queen's invitations to the Fairies Ball.

Gilroy is made with fabric and paperclay.  His wings are hand knitted with wire thread.  His eyes are glass and his hair is mohair.  He wears a blouse hand stitched from an antique hankie and he carries the Queen's invitations in a hand stitched leather pouch.  His mount (fish) is fabric, coated with transparent gesso and sanded to a smooth finish.  His "mask" is hand knitted wire.  He too has glass eyes.  Gilroy is approximately 9" tall.  Seated on his mount he is approximately 18".

I pondered on Gilroy for some time.  He just wasn't speaking to me.  When that happens, I find it best to sleep on it a bit, knowing that when he was ready he'd let me know his true identity.

Blisters and Paper Cuts

I've taken a bit of a break from my most recent doll, Gilroy, to create wedding invitations for our friend, Jessica.  It's been a couple years since I've created invitations on a large scale.  By the end I had blisters on my thumbs and paper cuts on many fingers!  It is hard to believe that just a couple years ago I was creating custom wedding invitations for multiple customers, all at the same time!  With all that said, however, I really LOVE these invitations!  The style is very fitting for her mid-summer, country style wedding and I think her color choices are wonderful! 

 I've blurred out their full names (to protect the innocent, perhaps?)   Congratulations Jessica and Blayne!