ULLABENULLA

Tea for Two?

Teaset by Kate McBride, found on True Poetics.

Delicious Vintage Details

Just look at these lovely Flickr photos from Fashion Addict Diary... The details make me want to step back in time and go waltzing!

HAVE LAPTOP WILL BLOG...

BIG BIG THANK YOU'S to all of you who posted on my husbands new BLOG!!! He was like a little kid, yelling out "Guess what??? I have 4 comments..." and so on... He really really appreciates all the attention, and will try to respond to everyone, but being on the computer is very tiring for him, as he has to work double as hard to get his eyes to function correctly... I am so grateful for the outpouring of heart and soul that we have received the last week and a half. How can he not heal with such a supportive group behind him?!! Thanks a million! Today we have delt with 'disability issues' (what is available and what's not through the school system) and trying to get the doctors at UCSF to communicate with our doctors up here... Apparently there is hope that he may be able to take heavy-duty stroke preventive medicine after all... will keep you posted. I am in and out of black depressive moods, trying to keep everything together while answering the phone, and driving to and from the doctors offices... If it wasn't for this Blogging community I think I would have to dig a hole to hide in. You guys keep me going when all else looks miserable... THANK YOU.

Ulla's Cloth Dolls - Bat Shrine

In the 90's my dear friend Marty commissioned me to make a 'Bat Shrine' for her shop. I constructed the bat of cloth, and gave him a paperclay 'mask' for a face. His wings were silk on the inside and a soft felty knit on the outside and ribbed... The shrine base was made from two hexigonal wood plates with dowels, and a metal 'twig' drawer pull on top for him to hang from. I created a little 'basket offering' to sit on top with a birds skull, and tiny little bones and shells. The crowning glory, as far as I was concerned was the shrine-like roof structure that I made from a lampshade and a glass lamp dome covered in fabric (burn-out silk and raw silk on the outside, and pleated fine silk on the inside) and beaded. Ironically, the woman who purchased the bat, didn't want the top, so I still have it... This was fine with me, as that was my favorite part of the whole shrine!

Ulla's Cloth Dolls - Fairy's and Mermaid

I played around with needle-stitching faces on dolls for a few years, but never really felt satisfied with the results, and I didn't like the 'mitten-hands' either... Fortunately others liked them, as they all sold! I much prefer sculpting in paperclay than in cloth, but its fun to look back at them. As you can tell, costuming was and continues to be my real love! Just can never have enough textiles around!!!

HUBBY STARTED A BLOG TODAY!

Things are on the mend here, my dear husband started a BLOG today! if you get a chance come say hello to him and wish him well... He is doing better each day, his spirits are up and there are tiny glimmers of new sight in the left horizon... I am so proud of him! Sitting still is definitely NOT his forte, and he is doing OK... As you can see he has figured out how to compensate enough with his eyes to use the computer - although it tires him out real fast!

(Photo is of Michael doing a Clown Unit with some of his kids, he's on the far left, next to the principal - in a dress.)

Botanical Mysteries

When I was in Collage, I seriously considered switching my major to Botany. I spent a wonderful summer term with my botany teacher and 5 other students in the mountains by Tahoe, gathering, pressing, and documenting wildflowers and I felt it was bliss! But I knew I would miss art too much, so the switch never happened. I still love to look at detailed drawings of plants, finding the molecular structures as vibrant as modern art! The Library at the University of Amsterdam has a Collectie Botanie of more than 1700 prints online. I just spent a dreamy hour browsing through them all! Here are a few of my favorites for you to enjoy!!!

Spats for Women

I have always loved the look of spats! Elizabeth Melinek of Strumpets has created a collection of very feminine spats, with ruffles, flourishes and details any old-fashioned girl would love! (Via Style Bubble)