Beautiful and Bald Barbie

You've heard it on national news,

local news, yahoo's top story

and facebook, the beautiful and bald Barbie!

My photographer and

small cancer group friend Jane Bingham

is the founder of the facebook page called

Beautiful and Bald Barbie. I have known Jane

for several of many years now. And it's no surprise

to me that Jane has made it this far with

this movement! Jane is a very passionate,

like myself, when it comes to helping

others. All I can say is how proud I am of her

and proud to call her my friend!

To let you in alittle closer

of just who Jane is,  I am

including a self portrait of her prior to chemo

and after chemo!

I also had the honor of doing an interview
with Jane about the Beautiful and Bald Barbie:

Okay Jane take me back to the day all this started?

I wanted to make a difference in the lives of those women and children who live with hair loss, are ashamed and embarrassed to be seen in public without their hair. Help them become accepted, children less teased and all less started at. To reduce the stigma for women and children with baldness. To bring awareness to childhood cancer and the need for less toxic treatments and cures, to bring awareness to alopecia and Trichotillomania and the effects conditions like these have on the who have them and how we can help change that.


Have you ever been on TV before this?

Nope, never been on TV before this and had no aspirations to be on TV.


How does it feel that you have connected so many people with such a common ground?

The word "amazing" is over used these days but it truly has been amazing. The community bonding that been built through this movement has been nothing short of wonderful.


Has it been somewhat a roll coaster from week one to week now?

It has been a roller coaster ride but very little dips...it has almost all been a thrilling ride up.


What are somethings you are doing to help this movement along?

We have been successful in getting the attention of two major toys companies. MGA which makes Bratz and Moxie dolls is making a bald line called True Hope that will be for sale at ToysRUs starting in June with a portion of proceeds going to City of Hope Hospital.

Mattel has made the decision to make a limited production of a bald friend of Barbie that will be donated to and distributed by the children's hospitals and The National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

I want these dolls available to everyone around the world who wants one. I am petitioning Mattel to sell them to the public as well as their donated ones.

How has it affected your daily home life?

Yes, This has become a full time job. My days consist of media interviews, working on the Facebook pages, corresponding with the toy companies, beginning our branch off organization called The Beautiful and Bald Movement which provides "decorating domes" packages. These are packages for children and women who are living with hair loss to help them celebrate themselves, build their self confidence, have fun with their bald heads and know that people care about and love them just as they are.

Would you do it over again?

Absolutely!

What's the one point you really want others to gain from this?

That your self worth is not dependent on your hair...and further...your self worth is not dependent on your height, your skin color, the brand of clothes you wear...your self worth is dependent upon how YOU look at YOU, who you are on the inside will shine on the outside.

How can others continue to help?

Sign the petition to get the Mattel dolls on shelves to be sold to everyone. Purchase the True Hope line of dolls at ToysRUs. Join the The Beautiful and Bald Movement...donate supplies for packages, send notes to add to our packages, donate monetarily to help cover shipping costs of packages and supplies.


Perfect Jane, I really enjoyed hearing your

outlook from this point of view regarding my questions
about the Beautiful and Bald Barbie movement!
Thank you!

Why sign a petition!?

This is the update on the Beautiful and Bald Barbie
Mattle made an announcement on March, 27 2012
that they were making the bald Barbie but they would
not be available for public sales,-retail,
rather they would be available for
donations direct to the children:

Play is vital for children, especially during difficult times. We are pleased to share with our community that next year we will be producing a fashion doll, that will be a friend of Barbie, which will include wigs, hats, scarves and other ...fashion accessories to provide girls with a traditional fashion play experience. For those girls who choose, the wigs and head coverings can be interchanged or completely removed. We will work with our longstanding partner, the Children’s Hospital Association, to donate and distribute the dolls exclusively to children’s hospitals directly reaching girls who are most affected by hair loss. A limited number of dolls and monetary donations will also be made to CureSearch for Children’s Cancer and the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

Through a thoughtful approach, we made the decision not to sell these dolls at retail stores, but rather get the dolls directly into the hands of children who can most benefit from the unique play experience, demonstrating Mattel’s ongoing commitment to encourage play as a respite for children in the hospital and to bring joy to children who need it most. We appreciate the conversation around this issue, and are interested to hear what you think!

So Jane is setting out now
to get them made for retail sales!
Here's the link once more for the petition
to help get this done,

Sign the petition to get the Mattel dolls on shelves

Here's my spin on all this, I created my version
of bald dolls, bald art! They are made on cardboard
pieces I've collected over time. I also used
acrylic paints, pencil pastels,
watercolors, paint pens, burlap,
book pages, and so much more
from my art studio! Let me know
what you think!

 " i heart bald "

8x10 $20

 " she walks all  her roads in beauty "

5x10 $15

" she is beautifully bald "

 10x12 $25

stand is additional

-each one may vary in looks-

$15

these can easily be prop ups

or I can place a twine hanger

on the back for you

above is the backs

of the bald art

These are the only sizes available

at this time. 

A portions of proceeds will be

donated to a cancer

foundation of choice!

Thanks Jane for encouraging my

bald art dolls!

Have you heard of the beautiful and bald Barbie?

Are you on their facebook page?

Have you signed the petition?

Please share some love by commenting below, thanks!

I know Jane will love to see what other's have to say!

You can contact me at ashleysartcloset@yahoo.com

to make plans of purchasing one of my bald art dolls!

Fast Lane

It seems my life has been rolling
in the fast lane since pretty much
before Easter.

This time of year everything begins
to go by fast when school is about to
wrap up for the summer.

A few weeks ago, I shared that I was
working on a guest blog post, well here it is
young-liver-cancer-survivor-paints-portrait-of-hope!

Thanks Tami!



HaPPy aNNi

The hubby and I celebrated

our 16th wedding anniversary this

weekend!

This is us taking our own picture, trying to hurry

before anyone sees us or our waitress

comes back!

These are my flowers he gave me!

Well the waitress caught us, she took this picture!

We had a goodnight!

I may be FREE but it's not free to be told that!

March 7th I visited my liver doctor!

In 2005, he set me FREE, meaning I didn't

have to do follow up appointments with him any

longer that after that amount of time and no

reoccurring tumors on my liver I was good to go.

I've been back twice since 2005,

one being around 2008

and the other this year, March 7th.

Learning to live and deal with the fact

of surviving cancer and looking for and

waiting for signs or symptoms that it could

or may return some days can near get the best of you!

Luckily, my scans and blood work were

clear once again. Only if it was free to be told

that your free. The release of the anxiety of it all,

I'll pay for it! It ain't cheap, but I've got this.

I am very thankful for my husband who

understands and is willing to provide for me

through this life I have been handed.

Check is in the MAIL

After calculating my portion-of-proceeds
in my first year of books sales, I mailed a check
today to the http://www.fibrofoundation.org/.

If you have written a book you know
the profit can be slim by the time
you pay for everything on your end
to make it happen! Well unless you
sale a trillion.

So even though my check might be
small in my eyes, it's really big
in my heart knowing I did my part!

This may TAKE awhile

Remember the start of the gesso-book-pages 

in one of my books!?

Well I wanted to give you an update

and keep you up to date

on how it's going!

more gesso pages

closed side view

first painted page

see my apron, it belongs to the hubby I bought it for him

one year, he doesn't use it so I put it to use

while trying to capture the picture of the apron,

i spotted the fan above me

crinkle

gesso finger tips

Iris sketch

I am currently listening to Junelle Jacobsens The Art of Wild Abandonment workshop. I know your thinking how does this girl have time for this, but for me to have someone to listen to that thinks along the same line as me from a creative process just gives me piece to move forward on my own art. All while I learn something new along the way, right!? Junelle has a blog,
http://yesandamenblog.bloodspot.com/
If you would like to learn more about her.
She is fantastic!

Here is a art journal page I did while listen to the first weeks project in the workshop! Junelle worked with multiple owls, which I loved, but I wanted to work on something in multiples of my own. One of the biggest things she encourages is pay attention to what's around you, being a photographer myself differently gives me that eye of training to find such stuff around me.

I share here with you an art journal page of an iris. The art journal used is the one I started in a copy of one of my books. Notice the rock trail and the background is the pine straw.

Portion of Proceeds

Gesso book Pages

I am starting an art journal in one of my books! It will contain little pieces of my art work along the way. When I am done it will be available for purchase, how cool is that!? I'll keep you posted!

having IT mAdE

Some days it's hard for me to wrap my mind around the whole stay-home mom thing! The little side business of author, artist, photographer just don't always cut it.The days like when the bills are piling up sideways like sardines kill me. It's all things my family needs and unexpected stuff too. I guess that's how the cookie normally crumbles. So I know I am far from having it made, people always seem to think the stay-home moms do!

My stark realization set in last week, when I broke a tooth, that I am far from having it made. Most of you know I am a former dental assistant, to break a tooth was so sad to me, that just doesn't happen to dental people right!? One of the many of benefits of working in a dental office is the dental work granted for you and your family members at no cost other than lab fees of course. For those who don't have dental insurance that's a huge plus.

Wow, now that was some deep thoughts about that!

Thanks for listening,
ashley :)

Are you a stay home mom?
If so, do you miss work?
Do you have it made?