​I am absolutely delighted to find out today that I've been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Artshack Museum - am absolutely blown away!
FACTS and INFO on Lifetime Achievement Award:
Artshack Museum Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest award you can receive in the Doll industry.
It CANNOT be purchased in any shape or form.
The recipients are chosen for their superior talent! The recipients art is studied for a year before they are chosen by Nadaleena and Artshack Museum board of directors!
The recipients have no clue they are getting the award, they find out via social media and the Museum finds it’s such a beautiful moment to be completely surprised to see your name on the most prestigious award!
The recipients NEVER pay for anything! The awards are funded by Artist Nadaleena Mirat Brettmann and have been fully funded by Nadaleena without any form of outside donations.
This is her way of giving back and introducing the well deserved talent of Doll Art to the mainstream.
If you are a recipient know that you are awarded the highest award for your greatness and your crown is shining bright and it will shine for a lifetime!

Another order baby going home today, this is Storm and she started her journey home today to go home to her mumma in Southampton, so she should be home tomorrow.  Storm was ordered back in May 2021 and mum has been patiently paying her off over a prolonged 16 month payment plan.  I am really pleased with hair hair colour, mum wanted "slightly light coppery/reddish tinge but not full on ginger" so I got in some blonde and some reddish blonde and did a mixture over the head so she's a kind of strawberry blonde with some sun kissed highlights.  Really love the colour and quality of the mohair (HP Babylocks from Pixiekissed Babies) I hope mum is pleased with her.  

Had an absolutely lovely day at the Pudsey show, the first time I've done Pudsey for about 6 years I think, and had a really lovely day, had forgotten how friendly and welcoming this show is, thanks to the organisers Joe Howe and Debbie Woodhouse.  Met a lot of old friends and a lot of new ones too.  Can't wait for the next show in Gaydon at the end of November - the Christmas Show!!  Anybody who can attend that show please do, it is a really great day out!

I've finally got around to pouring my new baby monkey, Margaret.  This is a baby Monkey sculpted by Teresa Russon/Bierton, in the likeness of a baby monkey that they once had in their family as a pet.  I bought the sculpt off Teresa with full rights to reproduce in silicone.  I will be selling these as blanks I probably won't be doing finished monkeys, but one day I definitely will finish at least one of these gorgeous little girls to cuddle myself.  Isn't she just gorgoeus!

Thought I would share what I'm working on at the moment.  I've been preparing the things I'll be taking to the Pudsey show next weekend (1st October) ... some cuddle baby kits, maybe one or two small full body silicone blank kits, and some beginners silicone painting kits and little booklets for beginner silicone painters as a guide to getting started.  

I recently made the big decision to no longer exhibit at the Peterborough or Basildon doll shows, however I will be doing the Doncaster Doll Show, the Pudsey Doll and Teddy Fair and the Gaydon Doll & Teddy Fair between now and the end of the year.  
Some have asked why I'm no longer going to be exhibiting at the Discover Doll Shows.  I have no argument with Cathy she is a lovely person and does a grand job.  I just feel that the shows are not going the way I'm totally comfortable with, they seem to be increasingly overwhelmed by a particular personality/family and I observed some underhand goings-on that I was extremely uncomfortable with and want no part in. 
So ... onwards and upwards!  Can't wait for the three shows over the next three months, have been to each of them in the past and love the atmosphere!  
Hopefully see lots of familiar faces at the Doncaster show on Sunday 4th September!!

OMG I've just gone into my suppliers website to order some silicone and it has gone up AGAIN.  Since the beginning of the year it had already gone up form £179 to £279 a gallon (that's more than 50% increase), and today its gone up again to £336 a gallon.  So in 6 months it has gone up by around 88% !!!!

Anyway to calm myself down I am reminding myself of my new baby which I've released today, my little Joseph.  Will post some prototype photos below for no good reason except I love the photos.

Right think I'll just assume the foetal position under a table in a darkened room and suck my thumb whilst rocking gently back and forth for a little while whilst I work up how I'm going to afford £336 per gallon of silicone!!

I'm so excited to see this little guy in silicone.  I've started moulding him - three coats of silicone on so far, going well.  
It takes about an hour for each coat to cure so by the time I finish painting it on him I have to wait around for around a half hour.  First coat was clear, second coat yellow and third coat pink.  I'll report back later with updates. 

I've been getting all my order work wrapped up this week, the last of the July orders out and been working on a couple of little magical babies for a regular customer in the US which I should be finished by the end of the weekend ... and I've got a clear month to work on my new sculpts.  
I've got two on the go called Lorimer and Blythe, but this little mite pushed his way through the queue and insisted on being worked on first ... this one I am calling Joseph.  Have to say I'm really pleased with him, he will be around 18" long I think when finished,  a nice size for silicone and maybe around 6 lbs.
I've also been doing some work on the website, all the old websites (Our World of Chi, Making Silicone Babies and Silicone Magic) are now pointing to this one domain so I'll be better able to handle messages and updates, and its easier for everybody to be assured that I'm the real me!!!