New Book

I've just received the latest book by Tone Finnanger. What a treasure. If you're familiar with her other books, this one is every bit as good and better. It's twice the size and is 158 pages of absolute perfection. The illustrations, the photography, the theme is carried throughout the entire book. It covers everything from home decor projects, to the garden, the sea, and stuffed animals (oh so cute ones). Make a 3 layer soap cake and lavender filled angel wings, it's all there and more. There are doll projects of course in the way of her traditional angels but done in different themes. I love her Bathing Angels dressed in their mid 19th Century swim suits. Remember those from photographs, everything but the face and toes covered.. ;o~

 

Anyone who loves a book that is end to end projects, this is it. I've waited months for it to be released (thanks for the heads up Colleen) and what a delight. Can you tell I'm impressed. The sheer volume of projects will take you several trips through the book to take them all in.

A few years ago I did a painting swap with a group of online painting friends. I was lucky enough to receive this beautiful book stand created and designed by Jan Fox. It is not only painted, but the wall areas and the arbor are built up with texture paste to give that real feel to it as you stroll into the garden. My new book will reside there now, next to me at the computer and probably cause me to stop often to go through it yet again.

Wordless Wednesday My late blooming Clematis

Tools of the Trade

So I've pressed on and been making my work room nice and orderly. It's looking and feeling so good. I've been putting my "tools of the trade" out and one is now on the wall that  has been sitting worthless and unused in the sunroom. I got this originally from IKEA and that was because Linda Lock had a free painting pattern to go with it.  It's the perfect thing for keeping my Woolly Threads, and my doll sculpting threads in and of course those elusive tape measures.

You've seen this little thread holder before, but now it's on a nice newly painted wall, can't stop looking at it... ;o~ The wall I mean.

This is my big spool rack. Have had this for years. It was originally made by the prisoners at one of the local jails, but I found it at a sewing store. What you don't see is the stem of the rack, but it's like a big Christmas tree. It holds all my serger threads.

My rulers are all front and center now. They had been pushed back and stuff put in front, but not now. They are exactly where I can reach them and see them without lifting the whole board out to find what I want. I love this board, I first saw it at Fabric Traders and it's just the best thing for all those quilting and other rulers that accumulate.

I picked up baskets from Michael's and a store here in Sidney and have put them into the cubby holes of the new wall unit. There aer small pails from the hardware store inside for each item, like the scissors. Now all those little bits of things have a place to live.

 

I showed this wood piece ages ago, but I've changed what I'm keeping in it. I have a stash of black and white fabrics and decided that since I like them so much, I should keep them out so I know what I have and just because I like to see them. And that's if for today.

A Crone named "Shelana"

A while ago I posted that Julie McCullough was coming to do a workshop for us. I finally have my Crone finished and I think she's just so darn cute. Her name is Shelana. I took that from a movie with John Candy, The Great Outdoors. The scene near the beginning is with him and his onscreen wife doing some role playing where he calls her Shelana, goddess of the woods and he would be Bert. It was just such a funny moment, that the name he gave her, stuck with me.

Here she is. She is my Crone in training. She has her chain of responsibilities strung between her hands. Each time she accomplishes another lesson that will help her safe guard the forest, she receives another charm. She doesn't have a lot of bling because she's a Crone, they don't generally wear that, but I gave in and gave her some sparkly eyelashes. She was happy with that.

She has her cape to keep her warm, her bird friends like to walk around with her, so they rest on her arm and shoulder. He dress is embellished with vintage laces I found at the thrift store and the dress and vest are made with batiks that have a leafy pattern. There is beaded leafy fringe around the hem and more leaves sewn to the cape. She's all ready but now has to gain her years of experience. If you would like to see how the rest of the class made their Crones, please follow this link. Enjoy.

Workroom Redo 2

So after an agonizing 3 weeks or so, of painting papering sorting tossing and organizing, I'm at a place that feels so much better. Hubby just watched because he probably knew it was better to do that, than try and have two of us working in cramped quarters.. lol...Creeping around the next wall is the new wallpaper. It looks so much better. I know it's hard to see in this picture, but it shows the new paper, and the prep work for the rest of the wall as I went along.

This picture shows the last wall, which is the feature wall and partially put back together. The lace curtain will go eventually and be replaced with a Roman Blind. It will pull up from the bottom. The reason I wanted this, is because when the time changes and it gets dark earlier, I can pull the blind up from the bottom to where I can give myself some privacy when I'm working at my table. Even though I'm on the second floor it still will make me feel better to not feel like I'm being watched. I've been wanting a way to have the night sky showing, but allow me to continue to work without feeling like people walking by are looking up at what I'm doing ;0~ 

On the weekend I finished the heaviest part of this redo. But, after climbing under my table back and forth, I've now got an aching back and sciatica. So sore..... But, I press on. I used to teach painting classes in my home, and so, the company had sent me tons and tons of paints and more. The majority of the supplies have gone and donated, but the paint remained. So I dumped all the bottles in the middle of room and pulled out one of each colour. Then I got my hat box, picked out the colour's I wanted to keep and whatever didn't fit in that box, GONE..... I now have bags of paints that will be taken over the elementary school nearby when it opens next month.

Here is how the two different painted wall colour's look together so you can kind of get an idea of how it all looks together. The picture is one that I stitched many many years ago. It's called Bunka embroidery. Now that the wall is dove grey, I've moved the picture to that wall since the birds blend in. As I get more organized and tidied up again with so much LESS STUFF, I'll take more pictures....

Wordless Wednesday

Workroom redo

So a couple of weeks ago, I spotted a wall unit that was exactly what I've been wanting for my workroom. It's got cubicles to place things, is  twice the size and is so much better than the one I had, which was unfinished wood and wobbled. This is a picture from their flyer.  Nice huh. It's not by any stretch the most expensive (it's particle board covered with something I'm not sure of, I think it said melamine in the flyer), but it's neat and clean looking. Of course I have filled it now with dolly and more things, but this starts my story.

 

Knowing I had to make room for this beast, I set about moving things out of this room and WHOA !...want an eye opening experience. Start moving stuff around and just see what you own. YIKES ! Someone else had to have put all of this stuff in here, it couldn't have been me.... Once I started moving things away from the wall, there it was. A wall with ugly and aged paint. I couldn't put a brand new (and really heavy I might add) piece of furniture against that wall. Two years ago I made a plan to redo this room, so guess what........This is the time....

It started with new paint. So far I've done two walls of painting, and one of wallpapering. I've never taken off wallpaper before, so this was a new thing for me. The only good thing was that the paper was so old it came off pretty well without to much of a struggle. I set about spackling what I wrecked in my enthusiasm to take the paper off.... Then the old wallpaper paste.... I did two techniques. A sponge and hot water to soften it, and a sander. Both worked equally well, and the sanding was the easiest and quickest. This is an in between picture. The  old ivory colour, the old paste and the new dove grey colour working it's way across.

A nice newly painted wall. In the center will be a shelf I've been needing to finish painting will hang in the center. It's a decorative painting piece with a cat. Soon  I hope.

And this side of the room is now finished and my office/computer area is neat tidy and organized...

The wall behind the bookcase is done, but still have things in front of it, so picture to follow. I've removed a chest of drawers, a plastic stand on casters and a different wall shelf and they lasted at the end of the driveway for less than an hour. Many many things are heading into boxes for the thrift store and some is being mailed off. It is becoming a case of "FINALLY". It's feeling so much better in here, even the air feels lighter. Clutter clearing is exactly what it's made out to be. Will post again when I have more to show (and presentable).

Wordless Wednesday

Things that make me LOL !!! One of the displays at a farm tour we went on last weekend.

Carnival Doll

For those of you who get Adele's Scortino's newsletter, you would know that she had a Carnival challenge recently. The entries were in the last newsletter. Unfortunately, my last name was left off in the newsletter which was disappointing, but maybe I'll be known as that dollmaker, Romona instead of the two part name. ;0~ Others have come a long way with one name....

Anyway, for those who didn't see the newsletter and my entry, here she is. If you go to Adele's site you can enter your email address and then be able to download her newsletters each time and pick up the back issues. Go here for that. Here is my entry. I've included lots of photo's. I always appreciate that on other sites as I would probably never see those dolls up close and personal...You should be able to click each one for a closer look. She stands approx. 26" tall. A big girl, and I have her near my front door to greet company.

If you read the newsletter, you will get a better idea of what I had to do to create the face. It has many layers to it but finally it got done. Do you like the paper roses? Those are from Michael's in the wedding section. Just the perfect thing for Carnival embellishments.

The hairy fuschia fabric was sent to me by a friend in Australia ages ago (thanks E). I didn't know at the time what I would use it for, but the inspiration came, it's just a matter of waiting for the right project.

The shoes were done by cutting and gluing the gold trim around her feet to create the illusion of actual shoes. It is the same gold trim as what is on her waist area.