Ghostie Girl Simcha and Hugo

Here is Ghostie Girl Simcha and her pet spider Hugo.  I started her and four others last year and didn't finish them.  Well... they're part of the creative program and they must live. 

Simcha's body is needle felted over an armature.  Her tights, black shoes, and top are needle felted.  There are bead buttons on her Mary Jane's.  She's got black cotton bloomers and a embroidered wool vest.

Her eyes are needle felted, her eyebrows and mouth are made of embroidery floss.  I did a blanket stitch around the edges of her vest and also stitched a spider's web.  She has glitter spiders all over her vest.

You can see more of the embroidery and the web.  Hugo has a red flower on his collar.  Her hair is dyed wool that is felted onto her head.  Her cotton skirt, as you can see, has many spiders and webs on it.  I was going to name her Arachne but that's so typical.  Simcha and Hugo are on a mission for fun.

Hugo is made of metallic black pom oms, metallic black chenille stems for his legs, and googlie eyes.

My first new doll on my new shelf.  Is this great or what?!

Rats!

I have an acquaintance who used to have rats for pets.  I hear they make very good pets.  Well, I will take their word for it.  They are also very intelligent.  My pair of rats are the oh so cuddly type.  I got them from IKEA too.  They are my rat muses.  Maya named them Otis and Mildred.

The grey one is Otis.  He's got big feet.  Mildred is the one in white.  Or the one that is white.  Maybe I should make them winter sweaters.  They are going to be my models.  Won't be able to work on them until next month.  This month is Wandi doll month.

IKEA shelf

I pulled out an old recliner chair from my studio.  It had become a catch-all and it was in the way.  Plus, I needed room for some shelving.  So Maya and I went to IKEA to see what we could see.  It wasn't the first shelf I had seen some months ago.  Yeah, you know that saying, 'If you like it when you see it, you better get it.'  Lesson learned.  I think.  So here is my shelf.  One hour and 25 minutes of workout.

Next time, I have to remember to leave myself enough room to get around the project.  Also, a buddy would have been nice.  You know, you always need an extra set of hands.  A power tool would have helped along with wine and pizza.  Maybe a movie too.

Here is my new shelf in its place, where the recliner was.  I'm so excited!

Another shot and you can see some of my babies hanging up.  I've heard the horror stories of putting together IKEA furniture.  Someone wished me Godspeed.  Of course, I saw that as a challenge and it's a shelf.  Not an entertainment unit.  I am very proud of myself.  Toodles!

First dollies of 2011

I decided to relax over the weekend.  I had wanted to get right to work but asked myself when would I have a nice long weekend to celebrate a holiday again?  I mean, the next time off is Memorial Day.  So, I took a break.  I was invited by neighbors across the street to ring in the New Year.  It was very sweet of them, I went and had a ball.  The food was awesome.
    A relish dip of some sort with eggplant, onions, tomatoes; a roasted red pepper cheese; another herb cheese spread; mushrooms stuffed with chopped mushrooms and spinach; salad; bread, and rosemary herb bread; veggie and meat lasagna; spaghetti and huge meatballs; cookies, brownies, and tiramisu.  Of course, the vino and champagne when the clock struck midnight.  Good thing I lived across the street.

I didn't want to start off the new year by mentally berating myself for not doing anything.  I mean it's only day three.  So I cut myself some slack.  After watching movies for three days and seeing some extremely handsome men, I finished my first dolls of the year.

The Wandi Girls.  From left to right, Lexa, Wynn, and Cassa.

I just love this pattern and I have new clothing designs for them coming up.

 Wynn the Goth Girl.

 Cassa a Wandi Witch.

 Lexa, also a Wandi Witch and Cassa's BFF.

Is she sassy or what?

Cassa is a bit more demure.

Lexa is ready to have fun.  Or cast a spell on a termite.  They will be the first on my new Etsy shop.  That info will be posted very soon.  Cheers!

See ya 2010!

Yes, I'm a little late in my New Year post. 

Happy New Year everyone!

Yes, 2010 is so out-of-here.  So last year.  It was a good year for me.  I worked very hard to accomplish:
30 individual projects
16 needle felted pieces
37 dolls
2 paintings
17 greeting cards
2 finished quilts
13 books read
3 art shows
4 shops displaying my work
1 trip to the mountains
1 trip to Myrtle Beach
1 manuscript completed

I made many new friends, lost some, and was dumped by a few others.  Their loss.  How does that poem go, some friends are there for a day, some a season, but all for a reason.   Yep!  I am moving forward.  Been waiting for this year the past month.

I claimed 2009 as my year.  I worked out a plan for my life.  I worked it in 2010, putting those plans into action.  Changing some, adding new ones, getting rid of those that just didn't work.  Got frustrated at times, but never gave up.  Not an option and have deleted those words from my vocabulary.  I worked harder last year and just now realizing it.  Now I know where to step things up.

I am so looking forward to 2011.  I'm going to rock it!  Going to new places, meeting more cool people, creating new work, designing on a different level.  Yes!  2011 will rock.

These curtains were my last project of 2010.  It was getting mighty cold in the south.  The coldest December in these parts in a long time.  I needed something to catch the draft.  The fabric was bought for an 18th century English Country Dance costume.  Wellll...... I needed the curtains more than the costume.

I made all those little tabs too.  It was so bad after I figured out what I had to do and by the time I got to the last one, it was a piece of cake.

The curtains are also reversible.  So in the spring, they'll be laundered and turned around.  Sometimes I can be clever.  Time to move on.

I'd like to welcome The Red Angel at http://www.xtheredangelx.blogspot.com/ and Natalia at http://www.myuniquedreamdollhouse.blogspot.com/ to the party.

Snow

We finally got snow after a week of threats from the weather person.  A good four inches.  It started Christmas day around one on the PM and didn't end until that evening.  It's the first white Christmas I can remember in a long time.

A heavy wet snow, great for building snowmen and sledding.  I heard the snowplow on the street early this morning before the sun appeared.  I had to go out and take pics and clear off my truck.

My neighbors invited me over for dinner last night and we were interrupted by some of the branches from one of their trees crashing onto the front yard.  I watched, with their pooch Izzy, while they dragged those branches to the curb.

I do have to admit that it was pretty watching the snow fall at night against the street lights.  Now it can melt.  I do hope that all of you had a wonderful and peaceful day yesterday, whether you celebrate the holiday or not.  I snuggled up with a blanket and watched movies all day.  What a treat!  I think I'll watch some zombies today while it's still daylight.  A friend gave me some vampire DVDs.  I may try them too. 

Have a happy day!

My Tiny Tree

This is my little Christmas tree.  It's got handmade ornaments (by me and others), some that were given to me, and mini lights.  Love the mini lights.  I keep them on the tree all year because they're very soothing to look at after a long days work.  Creative or otherwise.  The little porcelain doll I got from the dollar store some years ago.  I thought she was cute.  One day she'll get a new outfit.

I got a few gifts this year so I could actually put them under my tree.  I'm so excited!  One is still unopened.  The two books are from a friend out in California.  One is on Queen Nefertiti and the other Grace O'Malley, the Irish pirate queen.  Love those pirates.  A few more gifts have been added since I took this pic.  Wow!