Archive for Crafts

{ October 24, 2008 @ 3:19 am } · { Crafts, HALLOWEEN, Holidays, Home, Show-N-Tell, Treats }
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Perhaps you recall one recent show n tell where I took a 2×4 piece of scrap wood and decorated it from a pattern for a clown; turning it into a cute witch for Halloween. If not, that was a link in bold, orange font, and it will open in a new window. A few weeks back, with some more, different Halloween cotton print, I did a skeleton for Bud. I like witches best; he likes skulls and skeletons. Since the material was gray, I went and used a lot of grays with purple and orange accenting. But first, after Bud sawed me a 6″ 2×4, I then went and got some wooden dowel and glued on the hands and feet. Letting them dry.

While the legs and arms were getting glued to the dowel, I started stitching the ‘arms’…the sleeves. Once they were completed, I then slipped the wooden arms and hands through the material and pulled the basting stitches tight and used more glue to hold the material against the wrist.

To make it a bit more ‘interesting’ I used two kinds of materials this time. The Gray, ghostly [and sparkly] material along with black, white and gray plaid, that has silver threads throughout. And this is the body and leggings for the skeleton. Again, I repeated my actions after stitching it together, pulling the legs and feet through the material and gathering the basting; securing around the ankle with glue. Using the basting threads to pull it tight and tie them ’til it all dried, I could then just snip the thread and pull it all out.

The following step, after that was all completed, was to add the head. The skeleton head is a medium sized plastic/fiber skull I found at Michael’s craft store, with a piece of 4mm dowel –Bud drilled a hole in the 2×4 so I could place the head onto the ‘shoulders’. I used white yarn for its scarcely strewn hair. Glued it on and pinned it to the skull to dry. I bought the hat at Hobby Lobby…it was of a neutral straw color which I used acrylic paint making it a powdery ghostly gray. While the paint was still wet, I sprinkled white fairy dust on it to have is sparkle during the day and with the night’s artificial lighting. As the head was drying, I just HAD to put its hand up on the temple —her head hurt because I had pinned the hair on. [oh, gimme a break]

When it was complete, the threads pulled out, the hair sticking and the hat glued on…All that was left to do was the accenting. Again, I used purple for contrast, finding some deep purple minature roses at Wal Mart for a dollar. I cut the stems short, glued and secured the hand to the rose stem. Added a small single purple rose to the back of the hat and a jack-o-lantern scrap of ribbon for a bow. Tied very narrow purple ribbon [also purchased at Wal Mart] around the neck, the wrists and the ankles to hide the gathering…..

And this above is the finished skeleton. Spooky but not so spooky. Kinda cute. If you look closely enough you CAN see that the hat sparkles. When I sent this photo to our daughter, she told me to make more…for each holiday. She wants me to make her an Uncle Sam, a witch of her own, an Easter bunny, a leprechaun, and I don’t know what all…I stimulated her imagination on these. LOL I was tempted to paint her fingernails and toes with black nail polish that I have for myself for Halloween, but Bud had a ‘hissy-fit’. I thought I’d better not, since I made the skeleton ’cause HE like ‘em best.

~…end show n tell
[comment HERE if you'd like to skip the Halloween Treats section below]

This week, a new Halloween gratification is going out to my commentors who leave kindness for me with their kind words left in my comment box. Today, it is handed out to:

ArtBrat
Leslie
Lynn
Alberta
Laume
Patricia

And your treat:

If you see your name above, and you’d like to pick up your ‘gift’, just click on it to enlarge and then save from the 2nd window.

{ September 19, 2008 @ 5:00 am } · { AWARD, Crafts, HALLOWEEN, Holidays, Home, Show-N-Tell, Witches }
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Another Halloween Craft I just finished this week! It was fun. It took about two weeks to work on it…and she’ll be propped up for display in October. Bud is making her a primitive looking broom which will be added shortly. But, I couldn’t wait to show you —

She’s made from Halloween black and orange cotton print. The black is flying witches, bats, spider webs, along with a silhouetted cityscape. The pattern called for a round styrofoam ball [for the clown pattern, but I wasn't making a 'clown' so, I used a styrofoam egg instead. The body, so it can be propped up is a scrap piece of 2x4 wood. The styrofoam is covered with a pea green scrap of T-shirt, and the 'wart' on her nose that I added as extra [not on the pattern directions] is a straight pin glued through the nose, into the styrofoam.

What came next, I sewed from the pattern cut-outs her sleeves, and jumper; made her hair from curled lavender yarn. Also, I made a pattern and cut out and sewed/glued a witch’s hat with black material. Then, propped her up to see how it was going to work/look from another vantage view. After that, some orange and black Halloween ribbon was cut and gathered for her ankle cuff. Also, I drew my own witch’s boot pattern with a scrap piece of paper and stitched, stuffed and glued the boot to her clothespin leg. Added was a miniature orange and black polka-dotted bow that I made.

Since there was such a visible seam showing for her nose, I decided to get a doll’s pair of glasses from the craft shop. Off I went to purchase that. Came home and added this to her face after I glued on black eyes…getting it so it would be in proportion to the glass lens and nose structure. I then took a long piece of ribbon cut from the spool to make a hat brim to hide the seams of connecting the brim with the crown of the hat. Added a streaming bow. I then cut a thin strip of orange felt for her mouth and glued. Added a different -black and jack-o-lantern ribbon ruffle for the collar.

The ruffle on the sleeves, the black felt gloved hands…along with the last effect of a primitive broom that will be added when Bud is finished with getting the handle and broom bristles tied and glued…she’ll be done. Ready for the ghouls, goblins and tricksters! She’ll cast a spell on you, to be sure. I’m now preparing to use the other yard of Halloween print I bought a couple of weeks ago, to begin a ghoulish ‘clown’ creature to add to my collection for the Spirit of Halloween….

News Flash: Kelli, I found ‘em, I found ‘em!!! I remember asking you where you bought those wonderful acryllic beads that were shaped like pumpkins a few Show n Tell Fridays ago…, days afterward you told us where to find them, but I couldn’t find any in our store here in our town….but, I was shopping for a skeleton head, small, to work on my next project this week, and with all the autumn flowers and fall decorations at the craft store, there they were! Callin’ me….”Anni. Anni. Look down…here we are”. And they also had acorn beads too! I thought of you right away ’cause I know you collect acorns. So, I bought both kinds; acorns and pumpkins. LOL I just love the colors. I think the yellow are the prettiest tho…so ‘lemony yellow’! :::doin’ a happy dance here’:::

~…end Show n Tell
[COMMENT HERE if you'd like to skip my awards below]

I just found out in my comments from yesterday that Kristine Kate passed this adorable award to me! Thank you so much. Your thoughtfulness and generosity is so appreciated. Stop by and visit with her sometime, she’s such a sweetie!!

- – -

And these two are from Mary. I love ‘em. Thank you so much dear friend! You know you always make my day brighter. Always!!! Mary’s blog is filled with love and inspiration. Stop by and say hi!!

{ September 10, 2008 @ 3:10 am } · { CATS, Crafts, Home, OVER 50 AWARD, W W. }
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~…end Wordless
[scroll below the Bloggers Over 50 Highlighted Blog or comment HERE]

It’s another month, time to highlight another Blogger Over 50!! I caught the idea of a random number generator from Mary and Pea, and I decided to use this method of choosing a member’s blog from the blog roll. Personally, I think it is a much more ‘correct’ way of choosing. No sides taken…no way to hurt anyone’s feelings. Tho, in time, I hope to highlight all, since I think ALL the blog roll members are outstanding!! In the meantime, I used the random number and since on the day I used it, the list of members was 119!! I typed in that number clicked ‘generate’ and the top number that came up was number sixty-five [65]. Counting down the alphabetical list, I landed on MAREMAGNUM, who happens to be #65!!

Congrats Mar!! Your blog is highlighted for September 2008. Here is your ‘prize’ logo. [click on the graphic then save]. Your blog will be listed with the monthly highlighted blogs so far; at the home site for the blog roll, Bloggers Over 50.

And visitors, if you’ve not viewed Mar’s blog you’re missing out on a terrific one! She has fabulous photos, and her unique ideas for meme participation are super. Go pay her a visit!

Hurricane Ike update:

Well, this morning, as like last night’s news, the eye will hopefully stay away from our roof. Heading more to a northerly path. The black line in these graphics from NHC shows where the predicted eye will fall….when it makes landfall. This particular one for a 5AM Wednesday update is showing around the Victoria/Port Lavaca area. About 50-60 miles from Corpus Christi and perhaps 150-160 miles from downtown Houston. But, still one never knows….Mother Nature may have Ike turn…. Either case, with this pattern, we’ll get a LOT of rain and high winds!!! Depending on his strength by landfall, we still may have category 1 force winds in our area!!!

{ September 4, 2008 @ 3:12 am } · { CATS, Crafts, HALLOWEEN, HUMOR, Thursday }
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Thursday Thirteen is the last section of this blog entry. To skip about our morning’s excursion on Wednesday, scroll down a bit.

This is the first time since we relocated in Texas that we will vote as Texan residents for President of the USA. The last time we voted in a Presidential Election was in Arizona. So, we both made a special effort to make sure we were actively registered in our county. I’ve been following the campaigns…all of them, Democratic AND Republican, since late January. And tho I feel uncomfortable with the summons of jury duty, I feel strongly about having the right and the privilege to vote for the leader of our great nation. First and foremost, people have died for my right and my freedom, I need to have a leader in office that will serve and protect our country –be they who I voted for or not….it’s THE thing to do as an American. I was readied, not knowing exactly what the requirements for the state of Texas were; in regards to proving I was a U. S. citizen. So I went prepared with proof. And to my surprise, being that we border Old Mexico, it was so simple, and all we did was check a box on the voter registration that we were indeed American born. To me that was odd. I’ve learned over the past three years that Texas is lenient in some things that I feel IS important and very lackadaisical, while in areas that are really nothing, they empower themselves with laws and such that are unnecessary. But to each state I live in, I must abide. Now, I’m ready to cast my ballot in November.

While Bud and I were out and about, downtown by the courthouse, we were very close to the Harbor Bridge, and I thought it’d be a good thing to just take off and drive to Portland. So cross the icky bridge we did, and over another causeway heading northeast to Portland.

I had some shopping to do besides. For the last few days, when around town, I kept forgetting to buy a huge, over-sized, bubble packing envelope for Irene’s witch boot that I made her and need to ship it off. Today, I made a special trip to get that very thing…stopping at Wal Mart. I had in my hand the next to the largest envelope and Bud came up behind me and told me “Get the bigger one, that boot is bigger than you think.”…So, down I put the smaller one and tossed the largest in the cart.

While Bud went off to find the book and magazine racks I searched out the store for Halloween stuff. Nothing. But they’re beginning to clear shelves for everything. They were putting out the snack size trick-r-treat candy bags and I found a 1# bag of corn candy [Brach's...only Brach's, I buy no other brand]. Which made me go over to the grocery section of this particular Wal Mart and pick up a 2# tub of peanuts. That’s our Autumn candy treats. I mix both together…every year for the past 40 years. We both love the salty, sweet snack.

And this Wal Mart also has a craft section that sells bolts of material. I’ve been watching a couple of things on E bay that are the ‘primitive witch dolls’ and have been debating whether to bid on them. They had Halloween cotton print there and I picked out a couple of bolts and got one yard each…Then, over to the pattern books. I found a vintage clown pattern that I had made for the kids years ago…I can implement some changes and end up with a witch. But oooooooooooh, the price of patterns about floored me!! Seriously, I about blew a fuse! I remember way back when, it was at least 1/2 the cost when you made something yourself. Not any more.

Why, check it out!!! $15+???!!! For a pattern? A toy pattern at that!! It was only $8.75 at this discount store, but still…..I’m thinking there must be some oil in the making of the product. Right? [kidding!] Certainly, Simplicity [and McCalls] is a gold mine. Maybe I should buy stock.

- – -

After Wal Mart, we were both hungry. And hot. We didn’t want to do much more in terms of driving other than getting back to the city. We ended up on the freeway heading back to Corpus and stopped at a McDonald’s close to home. I of course, since we were in a strip mall, had to check out a couple of stores. The Dollar Store, and then next door was Big Lots! -which always has a lot of Halloween goodies. The Dollar Store had nothing that impressed me and we both walked over to Big Lots! Oh sweet mother…shelves of Halloween stuff. Still, nothing that we don’t have already. [insert giggles]. I did find a couple of placemats that were ‘charming’ and kitchen towel sets with witches of course. Got them.

Look closely at the placemats…little Ms. Snoop [Tahoe] had to check them out right away. In fact she laid down on them and took a nap eventually. Winston was more interested in the sacks and making them rustle. Well, that was our morning. A good thing we went early ’cause it got very hot once the car was stopped and the A/C was off. Like walking through a ship’s boiler room in mid-summer.

Now on with My Thursday meme –

Edition 73

One of my favorite humorists is the late Erma Bombeck. On Tuesday, mentioning Alan’s humor skits and Yogisms, I thought of Ms. Bombeck. For Thursday I’ve listed thirteen memorable quotes from the same; number one being my most favorite. Why? It just is!!!

- – -

Erma said:

1- I take a very practical view of raising children. I put a sign in each of their rooms: “Checkout Time is 18 years.”

2- If a man watches three football games in a row, he should be declared legally dead.

3- Never accept a drink from a urologist.

4- On vacations: We hit the sunny beaches where we occupy ourselves keeping the sun off our skin, the saltwater off our bodies, and the sand out of our belongings.

5- Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.

6- There’s something wrong with a mother who washes out a measuring cup with soap and water after she’s only measured water in it.

7- Did you ever notice that the first piece of luggage on the carousel never belongs to anyone?

8- I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage.

9- Mother’s words of wisdom: “Answer me! Don’t talk with food in your mouth!”

10- Youngsters of the age of two and three are endowed with extraordinary strength. They can lift a dog twice their own weight and dump him into the bathtub.

11- Most children’s first words are “Mama” or “Daddy.” Mine were, “Do I have to use my own money?”

12- Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the ‘Titanic’ who waved off the dessert cart.

13- Giving birth is little more than a set of muscular contractions granting passage of a child. Then the mother is born.

_____

[And in regards to my 'favorite of the thirteen' tho I think it's funny, it doesn't necessarily mean I'm a 'bad mother'....once a mother, ALWAYS a mother, that distinction and title in life, never changes. Even when I was a child of pre-teen I wanted kids and to be a mother for them. Yet, when they become adults, I also think it's time for them to move on and make a life of their own and not depend on me either....it's a fact of life. I won't be around for an eternity, and I refuse to be selfish and keep them around me just 'cause I want them nearby. I'd love to have them both closer, but to me it's much much more important for them to have independence than to have them at arms reach. A child is conceived out of love, and they pass on your legacy....they must live an adult life and be it 18 or whatever age, they must make it on their own or your work isn't successful in my view. They can leave your 'nest' and still be your kids...that too never changes.]

caricature found on internet.
no infringement intended.

{ September 3, 2008 @ 3:02 am } · { Autumn, Crafts, Holidays, Home, W W. }
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~…end Wordless
[CLICK HERE FOR COMMENT FORM if you wish to skip the joke below]

A Catholic Priest, an Indian Doctor, a rich Chinese Businessman and an Aussie were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers in front of them.
The Aussie fumed, ‘What’s with those blokes? We must have been waiting for fifteen bloody minutes!’
The Indian Doctor chimed in, ‘I don’t know, but I’ve never seen such poor golf!’
The Chinese Businessman called out ‘Move it, time is money’
The Catholic Priest said, ‘Here comes George the green keeper. Let’s have a word with him.’
‘Hello, George’ said the Catholic Priest, ‘What’s wrong with that group ahead of us? They’re rather slow, aren’t they?’
George the green keeper replied, ‘Oh, yes. That’s a group of blind fire fighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime.’
The group fell silent for a moment.
The Catholic Priest said, ‘That’s so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight.’
The Indian Doctor said, ‘Good idea. I’m going to contact my ophthalmologist colleague and see if there’s anything he can do for them.’
The Chinese Businessman replied, ‘I think I’ll donate $50,000 to the fire-fighters in honour of these brave souls’

The Aussie said, ‘Why can’t they play at night?’

{ August 23, 2008 @ 9:00 am } · { Crafts, Home, MOVIES, PHOTO HUNT }
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About | Theme: “WRINKLED” | Roll
Next week “beautiful“

Aside from me and my body in dire need of a good steam iron, I found these photos of wrinkles around the house. It’s been too hot, too wet and way too humid and rainy this past week to go on photo hunt excursions. Hey! I just thought of something! I shoulda just stepped outdoors for a day and then I’d be wrinkled like a prune! [did you realize they don't call them prunes any longer...they're now politically correct too....they're dried plums!!! Either way...prunes, dried plums they're still quite nasty!]

Okay…on with the show WRINKLES…


This one is ummmmmm, wrinkles! See ‘em?
A blouse of mine that needs ironing. Ewwww, I don’t do ironing much. For me, IRON is a four letter word!


Still, this one is more wrinkles! Can’t miss this one, right?
Bed…ummmm, unmade bed. But afterward, once it’s made, I can bounce a quarter off of it!
Military upbringing. LOLOLOL


Now these next two are putting a ‘wrinkle’ in the whole photo hunt adventure for sure, for sure! See the ‘wrinkled’ ribcage? [outlined in black] Yes…that IS a wrinkled rib cage, trust me!

…a ‘wrinkled’ forehead too.


I just KNEW you didn’t trust me, so I had to prove it. This is of the same from above, and it’s a favorite wood carving of my hubby’s talented ways that I begged him to do for me! I’ve had it for years and years. And yes, the knife is a real blade! And this creature is from a favorite ‘spooky’ movie from decades ago [sometime in the early 70's]…
TRILOGY OF TERROR
starring Karen Black
and the doll [character carving from above]
Zuni hunting fetish, equipped with razor sharp teeth and a spear.
[notice the chain around his waist? In the movie, it breaks off the doll and he comes to life!! And if you click on the link provided, you'll see how close to perfect my hubby's carving is----]
Excellent movie
Spread the Jello!!!! [if you don't know Bill Cosby's comedy routines, you won't understand that remark at all] Irene is still afraid of the carving -but she’ll watch the movie over and over….and Erik loves it just because she’s afraid of it. Yep, that’s true sibling rivalry or a touch of evil. Guess at times those two are synonymous.

{ August 22, 2008 @ 9:43 am } · { Crafts, gift, HALLOWEEN, Home, Show-N-Tell }
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So, I made a special trip the other day, back to Cracker Barrel. The day before I made the return trip, Bud and I had lunch there. Y’know, one of the reasons I love going there once in a while is for their green beans. They taste so much like my mom’s style green beans…it just makes me happy thinking of the good ol’ days when mom was still with me and her good down home cooking! [Not to mention Cracker Barrel's mashed potatoes!] But it’s the green beans I tellya, nothing else. Okay, so I had my green bean fix for the month, and after we finished lunch we went out front to pay the tab. Of course if you have never been to a Cracker Barrel restaurant, you don’t know…out front they have a General Mercantile Store. Again, it’s like going back in time. Candies, homemade preserves, old fashioned toys, clothing…and a lot can be found in barrels like from Nelson’s Mercantile in the Little House on the Prairie series! It’s all so nostalgic. And each season, they have so many specialties displayed around the little store. And of course, this is my time of year for shopping. I like to shop more for Halloween and Autumn than I do for Christmas. Always have, always will. I guess it’s because I buy for Christmas year ’round. If I find something, say, in May for Irene that I know she’d like I buy it and stash it away for sending to her for Christmas. And I normally have a couple of gifts that need to be shipped overseas for the holidays so, that too is purchased way before December and shipped early for the on time arrival. Also, gift giving for Christmas and our immediate family has never been ‘the thing to do’! It was just more Christmas Eve services and then a big huge family get-together and that’s all.

Well, while waiting for Bud to pay for the lunch ticket, I was perusing all the Halloween and Autumn goodies. I saw a fabulous fiber optic witch…two of them actually. But tho one was only $25 the other I really liked was much too much to spend. Then, walking around the same table, there hanging from the table’s edge, were witch boots! On the same concept as a fireplace stocking for Christmas….and was it ever decorated beautifully. Price? Hmmmmm, kinda expensive. So, I talked myself out of buying it.

Then, later in the afternoon, I began thinking of making one for myself. I knew I could do it. It wouldn’t be difficult. Just make my own pattern from scratch paper and buy some festive material for the ‘holiday’, some ribbon and small seasonal flowers and such. Ya, I’d have one. An original. Made by me. That night I was still contemplating making one. I figured out the cost of things in my head, and then realized that by buying the one already made at Cracker Barrel would be the same price or even less.

Of course, the next day, we were out and about as always and I made an ‘off the beaten path’ trip to return and buy the mass produced boot stocking….I think it was less stressful. LOL It will look perfect on the fireplace hearth! And maybe it’ll encourage a visit from the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!!


I ended up buying a yard of black and a yard of Autumn plaid with some gold ribbon and artificial wheat and Fall flowers, some quilt batting for ‘fullness’, along with a black tassel and such to make one!!

I drew my own boot pattern, tho quite primitive, and pinned it to the black material…

After cutting out the black, I then did the same with the Autumn plaid.

And with the cost of material now-a-days, it DID total to a bit over the cost of the ‘already made one’ I bought for myself. I knew it, I just knew it. Thing is I gave my cabinet sewing machine to Irene a long time ago and kept my portable sewing machine for myself when we retired and was downsizing on possessions. So, with the new dining room table, I don’t want to mar the finish — I’ll have to find a place to set up the portable and sew.

Maybe, I thought, I’ll just stitch it by hand. I have nothing else to do for now, why not? So, I did both….Bud set me up a little portable table and sewing by machine made it go a lot quicker. Anyway, once this is finished, I will ship it to Irene – she TRULY loves to decorate for Halloween!!! More so than I do if that’s possible!

She even goes as far as hanging webbing throughout her home, and those huge spiders from the ceilings and well…ya, she goes ‘all out’. I know she’ll like the Witch’s Boot too. And she loves the ‘country look’ so the Autumn plaid will be great for her place!!

And….

It’s almost finished. I just need to stitch on the tassel for hanging [top left of the photo] And it truly isn’t as professional looking as the store bought! :::shrug::: oh well. It’s the thought that counts, and I know she’ll like it.

{ August 16, 2008 @ 10:01 am } · { Crafts, HALLOWEEN, Home, PHOTO HUNT }
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About | Theme: “COLORFUL” | Roll
Next week “wrinkled“

Let me introduce our newest ‘family’ member. Cledus Bodene

And his side-kickDudley DOOright

He’s a cute addition to the family, don’t you think? rofl Our two cats aren’t too sure of him tho! But, they’ll get used to him in time. Bud said “You gotta name him!” So, I laid awake all night last night [figuratively] thinking up a perfect and charming name to go along with his ‘cuteness’. It coulda been Clem…but nothing fit well with that name except for Kadiddlehopper, and I didn’t want that. And being a southerner now, I thought he needed two names -kinda like Billy Ray and Bobby Joe, y’know? I even thought of Willie Nelson…nah!! No way José! But the thought did cross my mind. We two do have an odd ritual of naming things –our car is even named. Sheila if you’re interested. LOL

If you’ve stopped by here this past week, you will remember that I posted on Tuesday about being nearly finished. This has been my project for Autumn decor these past few weeks. It took me a while to get the pattern and directions printed out [the printer ink cartridges were dried out!] and deciphering the broken English terms and different use of symbols compared to the “American” version of crochet directions. It was a challenge from the very beginning…but, I stuck to it and proceeded with will and determination. After crocheting the pieces, then stuffing them with fiberfill, I stitched them together finally, and here he is…our very own Cledus Bodene [nice Southern 'ring' to his chosen name, don't you think?]. When he was completely assembled by me, I used a certain gauge wire through his arms to keep them outstretched. Then, a #4 dowel through the body and drilled a #4 notch in the baseboard [stained with satin finish] and used wood glue to hold him upright. At Michael’s I also bought some small Autumn leaves for the ‘final touch’. Now, I’m wondering if I can actually try to make another one…I miss working on it. It’s funny how you get so involved in a project like this, that when it’s done, you feel lost –’with nothing to do’.

Maybe I can construe the pattern somewhat, change the color combinations and make a witch doll that can sit. You know me and my fascination with witches for Halloween, right? I collect them. And they only come out once a year for a month. [I just found a really cool, cute one, that is a votive candle burner at Ross! That'll be another blog someday.]

The colors used:
Leaf Green for his hat. Blue denim for hat band
Crow: black, yellow and flesh
Jacket: Forest Green for raglan sleeves and lavender for vest/bodice
Lower Body: flesh
Pants: Blue denim
Straw: Lemon Yellow
Face: Pumpkin Orange, flesh to make the pom pom nose -black for lip embroidery stitch
Patches: Magenta, white, light turquoise, dark turquoise and burnt orange [stitched on with black]

PS – next week? Wrinkled? Hmmmmm, a self portrait then? [kidding!]

{ August 15, 2008 @ 3:18 pm } · { ART, Crafts, Home, MOVIES, new table, Show-N-Tell }
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Well, hmmmmmm. Last week for Show n Tell, I did tintypes. This week, it’s still on the ‘artsy’ side….but it’s my own pencil sketches. Just a few. I have dozens. So, I picked out these to show. They’ve been done over the years. I must get back to doing this form of work again. It’s been way too long. It’s a form of relaxation and a sense of accomplishing when it’s done. I love to draw!!! [Now that I found my Kira, the Gelfling, I've always wanted to draw Aughra from the same movie.] :::thinking::: Ya, it’s time to get out the ol’ sketch pad and sharpen my heavy lead pencils again—-

Emmett the Clown

Another Clown & Dog

Mark Twain

Troll Doll

Abraham Lincoln

‘Gelflings’ Jen & Kira
from movie – Dark Crystal
Jim Henson muppeteer -creator

~end show n tell
[comments below new table part of blog]



Yesterday I couldn’t be online much after 7 am –
First, it rained cats and dogs and a lot of lightning. So, in turn, the computer and big screen TV was unplugged for caution’s sake. And I didn’t get back online ’til late, and that means I didn’t get to visit my blog friends like I normally do. I’ll be catching up today if no storms come our way. We’ve had a lot of hurricane/cyclone activity out in the Atlantic most of the week. But, nothing has developed and dissipated. Still, two remain out there. One closer to the EAST which as I type isn’t predicted to develop. While the 2nd one has a larger percentage of developing into a tropical depression. It’s holding steady near Cuba. And on the news late last night, the forecast is if it does become a tropical storm, the predicted path is toward the eastern shores of USA. But, as always I keep an eye on this during the months of June-November…to make sure. There is always a chance of it coming into the Gulf.

Okay, so you know…we had a huge storm. It lasted only an hour or so, and then it began to clear out. And boy howdy was it miserable outside afterward. The heat index was well over 110 degrees. And the humidity was ‘to die for’. Seriously.

Well, that was okay anyway.

A while ago I saw a nice looking dining room table online through Ashley’s Furniture. It caught my eye. I was looking for something new. Something that would go with all the nautical decor, and yet not be too tacky if you know what I mean. Also, the same finish as our dining room hutch [built in - which means I can't get rid of it unless I tear it out...and that, my friend, is out of the question] and the round ‘knob’ effect going around the table is the same concept of the hardware on the built-in hutch. The black leather seats would ‘go with’ the black leather in the living room [which is visible from the dining room] This just popped up one day while searching online. And I liked it. Our dining room set we’ve had here, we’ve had for nearly 30 years. It was time to get a new set. Just this week, I went back out to the site and the same table I’ve been looking at had an ‘online special’…which means, no shipping charges! That sold me. I ordered it, and it arrived shortly after the storm yesterday.

In turn, Bud and I were tearing out the old stuff, getting it ready to take out, and then putting the new set together. Here it is. Sorry for the dark photos, but if you enlarge them you can see a bit better….

The table & chairs set

close-up of knob on table round

…and close up of hutch knobs! This is what sold me on the table…it matched so well with the hutch hardware.

{ August 12, 2008 @ 9:00 am } · { Crafts, Holidays, Home, TUESDAY }
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HEADS – Supply

Hmmmm, well, I certainly had a great supply for this project. I’m always saving my scrap yarns from making afghans and such. Then, I find myself with a huge surplus supply of small balls of leftover yarn. What the cats don’t rip up while I’m working on stuff, I tend to roll up, and stuff them in a big carpet bag of mine along with the supply of books and patterns. [Not to mention this huge 'snake charmer type basket' that is stuffed with scrap yarn balls, too!]

Okay, so now I’ve piqued your interests? Right?

And for the last several weeks, I’ve been working on a project for Autumn. I must admit that the pattern was once in German and then translated into English, and the English isn’t up to the actual language as we speak it…nor is the ‘style’ of abbreviations and directions done in the ‘American’ way. For instance DEC or INC [which would be in my language "decrease and increase"] the style in this particular pattern has V and upside down ‘V’ for adding and subtracting stitches among other little things [like * * instead of ( ) around the number of times the particular pattern must be repeated] that I found confusing at times.

I have started over more than once, and I’m not completely done yet, but so far this is what I have made from the supply of scrap yarns. I guess, in a way, you could say my supply of patience in deciphering the ‘foreign’ pattern has or will pay off eventually —


These are the pieces I’ve done in the last month or so…and I have just a little bit more to add and crochet, then it’s putting them all together and show n tell. Maybe come back soon, I’ll have it done before the week is over if the creek don’t rise! Ahhhh, come on, I know you can guess what it is, can’t you?

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