ruby crowned kinglette

it's finally paid for itself.... or, at least it would have if it was charging

this garland is made of thank you notes, still in production... i have several more garlands strung between doorways. suzy and i have begun making her wedding invites, and all the goodies that go with them.  we have drunk two bottles of wine and had thai food the first night, boca burgers and margaritas the second.  we are not done, and have had only two misprints and one broken glass so far... damn fine record i think.

she bought the paper from paper source and we are using inks and supplies from think ink... the gal that owns the business is local and super great and real nice too.  i would like to think that i will be doing more gocco, and therefore more business with her... you should too. both.

this here is what the rest of the living area looks like... a nesting ground for printed pieces of white paper.  that little gocco'd bird in the back? it is a piece by evan b harris, something i bought almost as soon as i began blogging, could have been before, can't quite remember. but i have to say, that one day i hope to produce a gocco'd something as great as that... i mean, besides the art itself? what in the world could be better than a gocco'd bird, in a dress? sewing???  nothing, that's what.

everything i do takes longer than it should...

and the reason?

i never put away my tools, my papers, my fabrics, and last time... my bias tape maker.  at least that is what i thought.  i stood there, at my work table, in my pit studio and wondered, almost aloud, where would i have put that thing the last time i used it? when did i last use it? is it in a project box? is it in one of the several bags lying about with stuff in them because i was too lazy to put that stuff back? is it tucked under several inches of other projects? is it 'kind of' put away in a box of like things? i don't have any other like things, so.... would it be in a box of sewing supplyee kinds of things? what the hell box would that be? and where???

it was on the wall, hanging on a hook, in the only place it ever has been since i bought it... but the problem with it being there is that is where it belongs and since i am a person that never puts things back where they belong it never occurs to me that i should look there first.

same thing goes for all my tea cups that go missing.  they always turn up in the microwave, always. i never look there first - or ever - and instead just get a new cup. i only discover the old cup in the microwave at the moment i open it to re-heat the tea in the new cup... and then? it begins again.

i just went to test myself.... this time i passed. there wasn't a teacup in the microwave, but... i know for a fact that the bias tape maker is not where it belongs. it is on the work table with all the other little bits of stuff strewn about waiting for the creating to begin.

liberty, flat pigs and another in the series

bought some liberty fabric on ebay... with our crap exchange rate i am not sure it was any more frugal that going to liberty itself {well, except for all the other expenses} or even clicking to purl soho.  i don't care, touching these makes it all better. i do have plans for them, but not firm ones.  it involves garment sewing, and that makes me nervous - so they may be hoarded with the rest of my stash.

hidden in there are 7 pigs - heh heh.

and then this, today's contribution to the plate & fork extravaganza.  it held a soft boiled egg on toast before it hit the sink.  i am an egg lover, no doubt about that.

it was my blog's birthday and i missed it....

seems kind of apropos really.  and i was even giving myself a little hedge because it's official birthday was the 18th... but that was a test, then the next two posts were kind of a test too, but the official post, for reals, was march 25th, 2006. i posted twice, which i don't really remember doing; seems quite ambitious looking back now. as you know, it is difficult for me to even get a post in two times a month....

no matter...

this is what i had for breakfast in celebration of the event.  well, i had it yesterday and the day before too, but today's was necessary in order to commemorate the anniversary.  i always, always, grind a generous amount of pepper onto one side before cooking. cooking the pepper is necessary to release the essential oils and then, when combined with sweet maple syrup, it is fan-freakin-tastic.  so that made me happy.

so did all this thread.  it came with seven shopping bags and one huge plastic tote of fabrics.  mostly wool knits of assorted sizes and countries of origin - italy and france mostly.  i am one lucky girl but don't yet know what i am going to do with it all, hopefully not hoard it like i usually do, but i can make no promises.

this was also part of the motherlode.  don't know yet where this will go, maybe around the bottom of a skirt hem? in my dreams it will be wool, italian wool, and sized differently than i am at the moment.  then, paired with (yet to be purchased) black leather boots.  luckily i have some time to see that dream into reality as it is not that kind of weather anymore {ha}.

so then, this windfall and a project in the works with a wonderful friend has gotten me inspired - finally. 

watch this spot. 

happy spring too, it is spring and i am thrilled.

a scolding from my sisters

that is what i got on saturday night at family dinner.  they seemed to think i wasn't updating my blog often enough... of course, i agree with them, but cripes... i've been lazy and don't have much to add.
i know i said pigs were on the horizon, still are, but not any closer than a month ago. however, i did fall into a whole ton of 4" linen squares so spent some time embroidering some of them...

and.... i have some ideas of creating flowers and things of linen and stuff... i don't know how it will all work but this is what i came up with today.  some modification is needed but i think i could like it.  for what end, i have yet to determine...

the outside....

the inside....

and then.... experimenting with linen and beeswax, it might just have some possibilities too.

were you under the impression that this was a craft blog?

at least it is something....

a germ of an idea that if followed through on might turn into something kind of interesting, at least if i can translate what i am imagining into something that i can hold... who knows.  i long for full days where i can sit, undisturbed by guilty feelings, and get those creative juices flowing.  toward that end i am getting some of the things that should be getting done done... so that big dark cloud of guilt can lift and i might see some light, become inspired and enjoy the satisfaction of completing something i am proud of...

so this wire form? i don't think that this iteration is going to work, but like i said...

at least it is something.

inspiration at the book store

i went to the bookstore looking for bust magazine and inspiration.... i found both, but decidedly not in the same place.

the magazine has a little bit of me in it this month, my gocco'd celebrity sighting book, but it looks wrong - mostly because my book does not have breasts drawn on the front with what looks to me like eyelashes too... i don't understand, and didn't have a magnifying glass and then i stopped caring.  not that breasts are bad - they are not, but they ain't what i had in mind for the cover of my little book.  no matter, hardly.... anyway.

inspiration came at me from a different area in the store.  it also came home with me.  i see comings and goings and routes and colors and all sorts of ideas in my future. because, if i can't travel in my real life i am going to do it in my creative life....

don't forget...

the one in ten auction is now taking place on ebay.  my contribution can be found here, but make certain you check here for all the other wonderful things to be had.  it is for a lovely cause and ends friday morning so don't delay.....

one in ten

the one in ten auction will begin august 19th, on ebay, offering wonderful items, created by a wonderful community.  contributing my 'felt and floss' quilt to the effort feels good.

the following is why...    written by erieann lorsung of her mother's struggle.

    On June 4, an aneurysm on an arteriovenous malformation in my mother's cerebellum ruptured, causing a subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding between the brain and skull). Blood also collected in the center of her brain and caused a stroke. She was in the ICU for 3.5 weeks, then in physical and occupational therapy (inpatient) for 1.5 weeks.

We were told by the doctors only a week ago that one in ten people survive this. Very few people are expected to recover. My mom has astounded her doctors and therapists with her tenacity, her strength, and the progress she has already made and continues to make. She has diminished function in her left side and has lost her hearing in her left ear. She is expected to make a complete recovery within a year, for which we are unspeakably grateful.

Although my mother does have some health insurance, a pre-existing condition makes it such that the insurance she does have will not cover things like this. My dear friend Shana suggested an auction of handmade things to help cover my mom's medical bills.

The making community is incredibly supportive, kind, loving. I've been borne up by your comments and prayers over the past 5 weeks. My family and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

summertime

Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry

One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky

But till that morning
There's a'nothing can harm you
With daddy and mamma standing by

Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry

13 postcards for a summer postcard swap.... and a little gershwin, because everything goes better with a little gershwin.

happy birthday summer, it's nice to see you.

making amends, and horses

you may recall the very mad bee in my house a couple of weeks ago... well, i think i have been able to make amends, if not with him then at least his kin folk.  my dortmund rose is nearly in full bloom and there seems to be lots of pollen - and lots of pollen is making lots of bees very, very happy... and heavy. 

so then, mr. bee, please accept my apology, i think you are going to be(e) quite content now.

and... two new horses. one for a young friend to give to her sister. i am leaving it up to her to give her a name...

and a second one whose name is honey - because.... well, she is sweet as honey.

sweet pea farms

this is sugar, she is the resident sheep of sweet pea farms... she and her friends - glynnis, ralston, harper, dahlia and coco - are what could be the best representatives of any floral farm, anywhere.  and they have invited pippa the piggy to join them in the shop.... 

this kind of animal husbandry is pure pleasure.

you can trot on over just like this little gal....

looks like she is running, doesn't it?  i have a few piggies and other farm animals (shortly) in the shop finally.  i think it will be the only time the 'others' will be available, but the piggies? the piggies are here to stay.

for sale....

i decided to offer the pillows up at my etsy shop for now... still noodling over the idea of offering things via the blog, but not for now.

still haven't gotten to the lawn yet... 

72 days of the advent

so far....

there are some ivory numbers too that didn't get into this shot.  like i said, i am beginning work on holiday stuff early this year and those embroidered numbers from the last post are now covered buttons.  i am a little bit ahead of myself here, as i haven't determined exactly how this will all come together, but i have no doubts that it will by the end of the week.  then?  more embroidery of course.

the linen i used came from gray line linen in new york.  liesl at disdressed blogged about this wonderful resource in february and i immediately zoomed to their site and promptly wish listed about 19 different linens.  the one above is the handkerchief linen in oatmeal.  it is wonderful and sews beautifully. i can see it making lovely clothes as well as buttons and crafty stuff.  as the name indicates, it is a fairly fine fabric and at $7.99 a yard it is an excellent deal, just excellent.  i ordered a yard of the judy linen and like it too. it is also quite fine and i think will work up nicely.  the other two were the neutral flax in jupiter, which is a natural/oatmeal color, and also a yard of the warsa in chocolate.  they are ok if not a bit slubby. they strike me as having a fairly short staple (fiber length) so i am not as crazy about those - at least not yet.  but, the prices are fantastic and totally worth checking out.  a little note: gray line isn't too responsive to questions emailed or contained in the comment section of an order.... in fact i am still waiting for answers, but for straight out ordering they seem great.

thank you all for the wonderful response to my pillows. i will be offering them for sale but am not sure how many to make... i am considering not offering on etsy right now and instead may do special orders through my blog... payments would be through paypal still... what do you think of that? thoughts?? interested???

alrighty, i have some things that need done before the weekend is over... one is to mow the lawn, but that will have to wait, i understand tomorrow is supposed to be quite nice here so i think it might be the day to show the garden a little bit of attention.

love my linen and that embroidery floss

this year, i am not going to wait until october 23 to start thinking about the holiday crafts... this year i am beginning much, much earlier... the numbers one through twenty-four will become my friends over the next several months, i can feel it.

more in the series of animals in felt and linen with embroidered accents... i am loving these.  sourcing linen and wool felt is kind of like a full time job though, especially if you want the good stuff for less than the cost of a new car, but i am working on it, and considering going into the business of offering both for sale... obviously that will take more consideration.

and, after years of hiding zippers and pretending they shouldn't show, i have decided with these pillows that the zipper is a design feature and should be visible... i like this too. 

it's been a good week in the pit studio.

lovie blankie update

in case you were wondering if the blanket was well received.... yes, yes it was.

where did my days go?

some weeks just seem to sneak by without my realizing what is going on... this last couple did just that.  i suppose when i take little blog breaks it is because i need to.  i was feeling a bit neglectful in other areas of my life and usually somewhere among the reasons is this blog, but it isn't until i am feeling a bit panicky that i realize that.  so, anyhow, it seems i have balanced things out a bit, at least for now.

i am experimenting with an idea for some pillows that incorporate embroidery and wool felt applique.  this is my first.  it is stitched on a natural linen ground with a zipper closure, but i didn't have a 18 inch form, once i do i will take a real 'pillow' picture.  i have many other animals in mind to do in the same technique and am kind of excited to get working on them....

these are leaves i cut out last night.  i have the same application idea for these as well, but the design is not yet quite set so they will wait in a little pile for the idea to get straightened out.  i love how the three test leaves worked and of course i am a freak for the wool felt so really there ain't nothing bad about this one.  i started cutting these leaves using a paper punch... until it broke (ok, that was bad). cutting them by hand wasn't all that difficult - next time i will try that first. should have tried that this time and saved the punch....?

these piggies are standing around trying to determine who gets which ears... since they don't have eyes they are having a difficult time of it.

and finally, this little army of farm animals is considering a work action to protest their missing ears, eyes and wagging parts - but again, communication is difficult, and therefore, so is the organizing.

so there; the works - some done and some still in progress. i shall be back, soon(er than later)

coins? candies? lipsticks?

sure! these babies can hold them all. or, maybe they would work as a nice little mother's day gift?  oh, the possibilities.

i made more triangles, because, well.... it seemed like a good idea. you can find them here if you are interested.
 
the weather here is spectacular today, i think i might just go take advantage of it and get that lawn mowed and then read in the sunshine. ahhh, spring.

the little things

i haven't been making anything lately except trial and error experiments.  it was nice to do a quick project and complete it in the same hour.  this is about 4 inches on each side and has a plaid interior, but that was impossible to photograph, impossible.

a book to recommend

i have quite a few books, because i like them, a lot.  knowing i can go to them for guidance is great, and inspiring too, but i am afraid i like the ownership aspect of it best.... i have never learned to use a library to my advantage but i am trying, i have even one book on hold, waiting for me...

one of the books in my arsenal is collette wolff's the art of manipulating fabric.  it is amazing, inspiring and instructional... although i think the instructional part is not quite as magnificent as the inspirational part... but still, a wonderful, wonderful book.

i pulled it off the shelf and then sat at the end of the sofa experimenting this weekend...

last fall cathy posted two dresses that were expertly smocked and as sweet as could be, then last week liesl at disdressed posted about bottega veneta's use of smocking in their spring collection.  although i have always been intrigued by the technique i had never given it a try. smocking always seemed like it would be too difficult. but really, how different can it be from embroidery? not very is the answer.

i don't have a plan yet for what to do with these... they may just sit and be the germ of something new to come. what i can predict is many more evenings pouring through collette wolff's book.  ruffling, pleating, gathering, fringing - especially fringing - tucking, and more.... it's all in there, with tons of pictures, tons of possibility.

several japanese sewing books seem to use many of the same techniques shown in wolff's book.  i like that the japanese are not afraid to manipulate fabric in order to sculpt some interest into a simple top or skirt.  granted, i think that kind of look is pulled off best with a tiny, thin and decidedly not curvy figure, but i like it nonetheless.

my next step is to mess around with smocking on striped fabrics.  i think that could be fun, and then, find a way to incorporate all this messing around into a project or two. that should be fun as well.

until then, i shall continue with experiments and testing, trial and error; that being the only way to figure it all out.

it is now a lovie blankie

the little dolly blanket is now a lovie blankie... at least that is what gigi's mom thinks it should be, and i am all for that.  it is  a whopping 16 inches square - more or less, and went through the washer and dryer beautifully so i think it will hold up to all kinds of loving down the road.  i like how it turned out - a lot.  and i really liked doing the whole thing by hand.  i initially started piecing it by machine but decided after one seam that it was going to feel like a job, rather than a project so i ripped that stitching out and began by hand.  it went together much more quickly than i expected, so much so that i think know there will be more of these little beauties in my future.  if you are interested in seeing even more tiny blankies, there are more here...

here are some of the little details, don't worry if you can't read them... it is hard for me too, in real life, with good lighting...

   

   

i was going to wait and give this to gigi for her first birthday but there is no way i can wait until august. and, i was already too excited to keep it a secret from her mom and showed her the piece last weekend.... i am thinking it will get packaged up over the weekend and sent along it's merry way, ready to begin a life of keeping a tiny little girl happy.  or... her dolls.

 

2007 softie awards voting is open

the voting for the softie awards is now open. hustle on over now and vote!  there are 65, so you will have a lot of good ones from which to choose your favorites.

tomorrow i will post the winners of my big blog's birthday bash drawing.... be alert!

happy spring and happy news

yep, you have seen this guy before.... i made him while at the greatest place on earth.  i submitted him in a softie contest and he is (i am?) one of the five finalists in the doll category.  you can link to the site here, and in one of my side bars too, to vote for your favorites in each category. i think voting begins in a few days...  there are so many wonderful creations by so many talented people, so it is such an incredible honor just to be among the finalists. 

it is also the first day of spring and i am feeling it.  the sun i shining and the birds are tweeting... i am going to go take a few photos of the beauty and post of bit of that later too... because apparently, it is supposed to get gloomy again by the weekend. oh well, that rain is what makes it so lush around these parts...

gratuitous post number two

here is hoping that i finish this by sunday night, so i can start on the fable quilts. i will take it tonight and work on the binding while babysitting... i think the little rabbit can only be tickled for so long before she will tucker out.  i better go cut the binding now before i forget and end up there with the quilt, a needle, some thread and nothing to sew...

tomorrow, the big party!

certainly you had to see this coming

instead of working on the dolly quilt, i sketched out ideas for the fable quilts.... i am torn between a bright naive style and a more 'sophisticated' kind of work... with the fancier winning right now.  however, i think the fabrics i choose and what threads i use will inform that much more than the design. i am considering a series of these, but am going to try to limit myself to the short and concise fable that has an image i can draw well - that last part had me doubting my drawing and creating abilities again... jesus, you must be as tired of that line as i am, right?

ok, that is it for today... this weekend is a biggie around here.  my sister and her sweet little peanut will be here for a few days so that means sushi tonight, babysitting tomorrow evening, a big brunch with even more family on sunday. and, AND! my blog's first birthday is sunday so i will be having a little shindig here as well, including a little give away. and be aware, if i throw in a gratuitous post here or there it is because if i work it right my 200th post will fall on sunday as well....

this is the bundle i get to feed and tickle on saturday night...

an update on the dolly quilt

although it is full of tiny stitches i am making some good progress here...  still am a bit unclear about my embroidered design though. i am so anxious to work on the little quilt that i have officially gotten ahead of myself.  i want some words in there too, but not sure what - quotes? bird songs? fables?  and then when i thought fables i almost gave up the idea of finishing this one and going straight to making little fable quilts...  dang, i can see why following through is an issue for me...

more later.

oh, and as to the big test...  results are that i will keep the big photos, and i have already changed the font so it reads a bit larger than before.  and i did, in fact, darken it as well.  both negligibly it seems since most comments that are suggesting a larger or darker type have come since the big change.... ahhh well, form over function sometimes is the best way, right?   except, EXCEPT! when it relates to the seattle public library....

{'editor's' note: i just made the font a wee bit darker. open to further adjustments even now i see...}

a wip and a plan

can't go wrong with a wip and a plan, right?

i'm going to lopez this weekend so i made some cinnamon bread to take for a treat.  i doubled the recipe this time and it worked just as well... i may be going into the cinnamon bread business, stay tuned for further developments on that front.

the little quilt top is...just that.  i bought some liberty prints at different times but when i was washing and putting them away i loved how they looked together.  i have been admiring the little quilts that hillary and amy and jude are making.  and alex is doing what looks like a bigger version so i thought i would have a go at it too. this is done in my favorite work space, that corner of the sofa, mostly after 8pm while watching tv. i have always thought quilting took an eternity, but so far this hasn't. i know, it is only big enough for a toy, but that is fine with me. the real fun part will come when i start quilting the piece... i am imagining birdies and words. we'll see.

hope you all have a fun weekend, and don't forget to spring ahead on sunday morning!!!

zippered pouches, anyone?

well, kind of wish i had been on a little vacation i could tell you all about...  nope, didn't go anywhere. except the pit studio. 

this here is what i came upstairs with, one of the several new zippered pouches i have in the shop. they are all smaller than i made for my sister before her trip to mexico, but i think a perfect size for tossing a few things together before you head to the store for eggs, or wherever you want to go...

now, back to the pit to do more work and get some monkeys off my back - monkeys, i might add, that i inadvertently asked to jump on, but still... they are heavy.

sister goes to mexico; i go to the pit

i made this for sister s, who is in the air as i write, on the way to 95 degrees and a beach.  she wanted something that was big enough for her stuff while there, and bright enough to be fun.  so we dug through my hundreds of pounds of fabrics and came up with this.  it is lined with blue and white stripes and had a pocket inside big enough for a passport. she will put it to the test and let me know how it works, because she wants more... always good to have a buyer in the family.

it also has a red zipper because, well, it looked festive that way.

regarding the week long break i took from blogging? didn't exactly mean to, but i got busy, and lazy and wasn't doing much in the way of craft, and then it was gray outside... then, the computer took a break, really kind of broke, so i trotted down to the apple store with machine under my arm and wondered why it wouldn't turn on... after some frustration, and a little money i left it with them and they fixed it.  if i hadn't spent a little money they would still have it... funny how even under warranty if i spend just a little more i can get fixed what should have worked in the first place.... i love apple, i hate apple, i really don't care for those arrogant geeks that prance around the store... but, i digress.

so, i am back. and the sun is shining and spring is very, very close at hand.  all that means i am getting excited to get some things moving around here, including some piggies.  drawing class last night was the last. we did self portraits. yikes! i am going to sign up for the next one with the same instructor beginning in april, and practice until then.  maybe i can get my eyes to look more like me and less like nancy mckeon... we shall see.

cupid of the sea

alice asked that i help her with a test run of her octopus stuffie she will be offering for sale in the very near future(girl).  i said heck yes... so did rose.  it is a great pattern, and very alice in that it is quite detailed and full of information.  i didn't have any sequins so my octopus has teeny tiny suckers.

you may think this little pinkie is familiar? well, then you would be right. he is the cousin of octophrost, santa of the sea, that wonderful ornament alice made me in the great ornament swap of 2006. 

this one? his name is...
octolove, cupid of the sea.

he even has a tattoo.

happy valentines day.... all you sea loving creatures, and thank you alice for a wonderful opportunity to help you out...

i am a reader now too... what the hell?

i have read three four books in the last month...three four! that might just be a record.  and, apparently i can draw, so, so surprising to me.  if someone tells me i have a nice singing voice i will finally understand and realize that the world is coming to an end...

until then, i am going to make stuff...  because there are million other things i should be doing i was downstairs in the pit studio making bookmarks.  this is just one.  check my etsy shop if you are interested, but not until a bit later.  mom and i are going to the symphony this afternoon and i need to scoot.

the mail yesterday was good

really good.

early last week abby suggested we do a materials swap. the computer had barely stopped notifying me of the message when i sent her back a note that said.... oh my god, YES!

the box was loaded with good stuff, and with not one thing i had already.  there are lots of little calico prints, so many that are vintage and just so fun to consider what i will do with them...  there is one, that i love especially, a linen print - the third from the bottom in this picture - that i am sure i won't do anything with because i like it too much to use. this way, i will always have some and won't ruin the piece i have by cutting into it and then not having the project work... anyone else like that?

she also included some trims, buttons, little pillow with the letter g, a wonderful little atc to add to my small but spectacular collection and some moo cards! this is the first time i have touched a moo card, and i can see why there is some excitement surrounding them.  they are pretty damned cool.

abby posted yesterday showing a bird she made using the brown and cream chevron print near the bottom here.... she used it for the legs and some accent, but... the use of it on the legs is just plain inspired... as are all her creations. but, i think we all know how i feel about the birds now, don't we? therefore it has found a special place in my heart...

abby, thanks so much for the swap.  it was quick, fun and oh so fruitful.

also in the mail were some bits of liberty print i got on ebay, waiting for one more auction to close and then more shall be coming... ohhh that tana lawn... if i could marry it, i would. 

sorry corey, you're out, liberty's in....

a little bitta housecleaning...

first, yesterday was a huge day for my blog... hit the 1000th comment mark and i decided to make it interesting... for me mainly (and beth, as it turns out).  the person who left that thousandth comment, i decided, needed a prize.  so, here it is, without further ado... one hundred million great britain pounds!!!!  hahahahaha, not really beth... sorry.

but you will be getting this.

this is one side, the side with inquisitive deer... or, maybe they are licking salt?

this is the other side, with the one alert one... he is watching for poachers.

then.... i need to mention these beauties.  last fall faun at the red button tree hosted an embroidered patch swap, i sent her two and got these two wonderful patches in return.  and, as a thank you for participating faun sent everyone a prize, i received this wonderful print titled 'thinking of you'.

the pink squirrel is cathy's work.  it is adapted from pattern by andrea zuill.  he is on some wonderful grey wool and i love him.  the ladybug is from jen. it is beautifully made and i love it too.  the little card? that is a note from faun.

and then, because i finished this today too... a pouch for ingrid.

using the last bit of the fantastic print that i have. lined with a silk plaid, i think it will be just the thing to keep her pretties in.

and last! there seems to be quite a nice response to those piggies of mine! thank you.  i am going to make more and have them available in my etsy shop.  i want to get a few made before i start offering them for sale so it will be a couple of weeks i would guess. and, they will have company.  specifically, roosters, sheep, goats, donkeys, horses, bunnies, and a cow.  and michelle had a brilliant idea of making a group of bremen town musicians so i am going to do that too....!

drawing class is tonight, it was canceled last week due to the crappy weather we were having.  i ran out of steam and haven't maintained my two drawings a day, but interestingly enough, i am thinking about drawing and not having my stomach knot up, so i am making huge, HUGE progress... thank you everyone for your compliments and support, it is quite invigorating.  i will continue to post what i do here. look for hats and gloves tonight.

where do you offer a deer a seat...

when he doesn't have legs to stand on?

slowly my little experiment is coming together, and by that i mean i got the deer head+neck and a set of ears.  you can see them on the cushion as they can't just be attached to the head any old way.  and, in case you were wondering.... he is a bit bigger than i imagined.

chet, however, is completely non-plussed at his existence, even sitting as close as he is. but, then again, i think it smells of styrofoam  and wood and not of forest and white-tailed deer pellets.

stay tuned.

pig tower, people, pig tower

doing just as directed, the pigs have fattened up and gotten tails.  two are done, and the one with the apples already spoken for and on it's way to nebraska.

i have decided that a group of barnyard animals is in my future.  cows, goats, chickens... and then, then there is the whitetail deer i am going to experiment with... but i think only liberty prints are going to work with that one. so, i need to get some more liberty prints.  and really, what could be better than having to get more liberty prints???

{editor's note: yep these are kinda tiny.... 2 3/4" from rump to nose and 1 1/2" high}

{someone should pay this editor more so she will be sure to add all the important stuff the first time 'round.}

year of the pig

i realize the chinese calendar indicates that the year of the pig won't actually start until mid february, but i can't wait.  this is going to be fun...

these little beauties are getting a pep talk from a piggy already making his way in the world.  i believe the most important information he can impart is to fatten up and get a curly tail...

pig power, people, pig power!

(whoa... sorry to you intrepid souls who had to endure far too many thats and actuallys, seems i forgot to proof myself before setting this to publish. yikes.)

hey, look!

i am a tiny bit famous!

holly, at decor8, featured a few of my things on her site.  i didn't even know about it until francesca mentioned it last night so i went hunting and sure enough i found a nut, a ditty, the swirly bird, little charleton and penelope purple all looking back at me from someone else's blog. pretty nifty i think.   i am pretty certain she found me via my etsy shop.  holly has a wonderful eye, and has found some beautiful things that she features on her site, you should go over there and see, it's definitely worth the trip.

the unveiling

i have been alluding to the great ornaments i have been getting for the last several days and it is now time to present to you all... the fantastic seven...

first, from michelle at green kitchen, the gal who invited us all to participate...

rolley polley snow gal... at least that is what i think she is.  i love her eyes and hair the most.  she is bean filled so had a nice heft to her and allows her to sit. down.

from alice at future girl...