Happy Thanksgiving To All Of My Canadian Friends

Yes, it's been awhile

I'm not making excuses for myself, but I just want to say that I really meant to be more productive on this blog.  Life gets in the way sometimes.  I will, however, try to keep this more up to date.  Even if it's just to pop in and say a few things unrelated to doll making.

Like now. I am beside myself with worry over my sweet 13 year old dog, Roxy.  She has been a constant joy to have around and she's beginning to show her age.  First of all, she's a German Shepherd-Sheep Dog cross, so she has inherited all of the worst health problems from both, unfortunately.  She was diagnosed with bilateral osteoarthritis when she was only five and later on it was discovered that she has degenerative myelopathy.  Add to that, she suffers from seasonal allergies, so she's constantly licking and chewing at her itchy patches if we don't medicate her.  Luckily we decided to get her pet insurance when she was just a pup.  Otherwise we would have had to mortgage our house in order to pay for all of her medications.  But, it has all helped.  Until now.  Her age is something we can't protect her against.  In the recent months she has had three separate vestibular episodes that have only made her weak and wobbly.  The dizziness from the imbalance makes her sick and when she's sick, she won't eat.  When she doesn't eat, she gets weak and can barely stand or walk.  So, we treat her nausea and help her through these episodes.  But they all take their toll, and she gets weaker and wobblier.

Our vet has told us that Roxy's overall health is good, so she'd be a good candidate for wheels.  I guess we'll see.  We'll continue to take her for her short walks, which she still loves, and when we think she no longer is enjoying herself we'll decide what to do.  Whatever is best for Roxy. Not us.

My Craft Show last week

It was a busy day and lots of people came by.  It was nice to talk to everyone and I actually sold a few things.  Here are some photos from the sale.

I only put out the Rainbow Collection and made a catalogue available of all the others.  The next craft show on the 24th is going to have smaller tables, so I'll have to use my imagination.

 

This table ended up looking too busy.  I'll have to figure out a better way for it too.

 

So, if anyone is around this weekend, please join me at the R.A. Centre on Riverside Drive on Sunday the 24th from 10 to 4.   Lots of stuff to see.

 

Craft Show Looming

For those of you who are in Ottawa and are interested, I will be selling my dolls and ornaments and other stuff at two craft shows this year.  The first one is this coming Sunday November 17th from 10 to 4 at the Tudor Hall on Bowesville Rd.  The second one will be the following Sunday, November 24th from 10 to 4 at the R.A Centre on Riverside Drive.  Getting ready for them has been one of the reasons I have been so silent lately.  Once they are behind me I'm sure I'll have more to say.

Hope to see you there.

Okay, It's November Already

Give a girl a break.  I've been busy with other things, and to be truthful, I can't always think of anything entertaining to write. Not that this will be entertaining, but I do have something to say.

I've been busy getting ready for a craft fair here in Ottawa on the 17th and as I was sitting here hand sewing I was thinking about how much I was enjoying what I was doing.  I was making embroidered felt Christmas decorations and I just really savoured the experience.  I love hand sewing and creating things from scratch.  I just wish I didn't wait so long to get started.  Here I am starting my sixties and I am just getting around realizing that this is what I like to do.  It makes me calm, it relaxes me and I feel like I have accomplished something once I'm done.  It's a very Zen-like feeling.

To think that I spent the first part of my adulthood rebelling against anything remotely domesticated.  I was anti-war (still am), anti-male domination (still am), anti-traditional female roles, anti-you name it.  I now realize that there is a place for all of that stuff we learned in home ec. I know I fought it, but I did learn to sew and I now love it.  I did learn to cook and I love that too.  So now I am finding peace doing the things that I railed against so many years ago.  Whoever said "Too soon old, too late smart" really hit the nail on the head.

So. getting back to my ornaments.  Here are some photos to show you what I'm talking about.  I did other colours as well, but they're already packed away.

And these are some of the lavender sachets I embroidered.

 

Here's a close up of one of my favourites

 

 

So that's all for now.  Don't know when I'll be back, but I'll try to make it sooner :)

 

Oh and I forgot to mention that my new website is almost up and running.  I'm so excited.  I'll let you know when you can take a peak.

 

Listening to Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and REM.

Is It Really July Already?

Well, actually it's almost August.  Summer has sped by like a freight train and I've embarked on a number of new projects.

But first, my sweet little granddaughter was born June 21st.  She's an absolute delight and she's keeping her parents on their toes.  I don't envy their sleepless nights, but it sure would be nice to have a little creature around here again.  As a newly minted member of the grandmother posse (there are 4 of us), I hope to get lots of baby time.  It's been thirty seven years since I held my own baby in my arms and I remember how wonderful it was to have a sweet little human being just snuggled up close and smelling like baby powder and simply soaking in all the joys of motherhood.  That is until she started screaming like a banshee and I wanted to lock myself in the bathroom till it stopped.  Luckily for me those moments were few and far between, but as a grandmother I can always hand off the child if she were to get too vocal.  Grandmotherhood does have its perks.

So, for my projects.  The first thing I tried was to make a dragonfly out of paperclay.  Not my most successful of endeavours, but it was my first try and it wasn't awful.  Here she is.

 

I really enjoyed working with clay though, so my next adventure is to design and construct a BJD, or a ball-jointed doll.  This is a lot more complex and requires a great deal more skill and talent than I think I have, but I'll try.  If it doesn't work out I'll move onto something else, like maybe learning to play the harp :)

 

The ball-jointed doll escapade was prompted by finding some incredible dolls on the internet and saying to myself, "Hey, why not do that?  How hard can it be?"  Here's one of the photos that piqued my interest. 

She is by a Russian dollmaker by the name of Ira-Deneiko.  She is amazing.  Her ball-jointed dolls are so lifelike and ethereal at the same time.

 

 

Then, there's enchanteddoll.com.  Marina Bychkova is the artist and her work is amazing.  Take a look for yourself.

 

 So, as you can see, I have my work cut out for me.  You might not hear from me for awhile.  It just means I am either babysitting (I hope) or trying to perfect the ball-jointed doll.  Failing that, if you hear strains of harp music........

Best Laid Plans

I can't believe I've let so much time go by since my last post.  It has been busy around here with guests and preparing for a baby shower and all that, but I really could have made the time.  I guess my main problem is writer's block.  I just couldn't think of anything to write about.

I've stopped making dolls for a bit while I was concentrating on making things for the baby shower, I've been scouring the internet for new and unusual recipes for food to serve at said shower, and I've been entertaining out of town guests.  I know, excuses, excuses.

I made this really cute diaper cake with little flying elephants made from baby washcloths, and some onesie cupcakes.  They were great fun.  Everyone got a kick out of them, including the mom-to-be.

The food was great!  Everything from real homemade cupcakes to salads, dips, sandwiches, a fabulous cheese tray, you name it.

 

It was so much fun to host and would definitely jump at the chance to do it again.  I just love the creative process and coming up with all of the games and decorations was my favourite part.

 

I've also a had a bit of time to try my hand at making more doll furniture.  This couch pictured is actually a chair pattern that I modified to make a sofa.  There is a doll in it right now, but from time to time I find my sweet tuxedo cat in it and the doll on the floor.  Maybe I should make one for him too :)

 

 

As I said earlier, I think I may be suffering from writer's block.  Can't think of anything interesting to say, except maybe that I think Chris Hadfield should get the Order of Canada.  What a wonderful wonderful man and a great inspiration to everyone!

 

Listening to Gotye and David Bowie.