Sweeping Beauty

While I was waiting to get to town to find some things to finish off my Snake Charmer, I decided to get working on another doll for the tea shop. I’ve been to town for the Snake Charmer bits, but decided that since I had this doll started, I might as well keep going.

This one is Cindee Moyer’s newest doll, Sweeping Beauty. I love how she turned out and I think Janet at the tea shop will to. She asked me to make something that is silvery white toned as she has a display of stainless steel and glass kettles and wants something to display with them.

I followed Cindee’s instructions with a bit of a twist to the hair. I did what she said regarding the wool and creating the knots, but then I tried something new. I didn’t know if it would work, but it has and I really love the look.

I mixed two colours of Angelina fibres, a non heat bondable silver with a crystal heat bondable. I applied it so that the silver was between layers of the crystal and in one section at a time, held it in place on her head and waved my heat gun back and forth VERY carefully until it grabbed onto the wool beneath it. Don’t ever hold the heat gun in place to do this or you will burn a hole in whatever you are doing.  I knew that already, so no disasters, but some of you may not have experience with heat guns. After I had covered all the flat areas, then I added it to the knots on the head. If formed a skullcap which is what I wanted. I added some extra glue around the edges of the face and finished it off with the rose trim.

The broom is a happy find, I love checking out the dollar store, there’s always something dolly related if you just expand your vision. I took apart a feather decoration and used one part of it. I beaded some wire with crystal type beads and wrapped it around the wire of the feather. I added the trims to the sleeves, waist and shoulder and all in all, I think she turned out really well, she looks very ethereal I think.

The hair done according to the pattern, but not completely finished  like the pattern.

Now it’s done with the Angelina Fibres and rose trim.

The beaded broom.

From the back, because someone will always check out the back.

And the full view. She’s off to her new home shortly….

Just what I needed

The Snake Charmer is coming, but this week has been an exercise in patience understanding and anger management. As timely as can be, is this from a blog I follow. I am sharing it here in hopes that you will enjoy it and benefit from it.

THE MANIFESTO OF ENCOURAGEMENT
By Rob Brezsny

Right now:

There are Tibetan Buddhist monks in a temple in the Himalayas endlessly reciting mantras for the cessation of your suffering and for the flourishing of your happiness.

Someone you haven't met yet is already dreaming of adoring you. Someone is writing a book that you will read in the next two years that will change how you look at life.

Nuns in the Alps are in endless vigil, praying for the Holy Spirit to alight the hearts of all of God's children.

A farmer is looking at his organic crops and whispering, "nourish them."

Someone wants to kiss you, to hold you, to make tea for you. Someone is willing to lend you money, wants to know what your favourite food is, and treat you to a movie.

Someone in your orbit has something immensely valuable to give you -- for free. Something is being invented this year that will change how your generation lives, communicates, heals and passes on.

The next great song is being rehearsed.

Thousands of people are in yoga classes right now intentionally sending light out from their heart chakras and wrapping it around the earth.

Millions of children are assuming that everything is amazing and will always be that way.

Someone is in profound pain, and a few months from now, they'll be thriving like never before. They just can't see it from where they're at.

Someone who is craving to be partnered, to be acknowledged, to ARRIVE, will get precisely what they want -- and even more. And because that gift will be so fantastical in it's reach and sweetness, it will quite magically alter their memory of angst longing and render it all "So worth the wait."

Someone has recently cracked open their joyous, genuine nature because they did the hard work of hauling years of oppression off of their psyche -- this luminous juju is floating in the ether, and is accessible to you.

Someone just this second wished for world peace, in earnest. Someone is fighting the fight so that you don't have to.

Some civil servant is making sure that you get your mail, and your garbage is picked up, that the trains are running on time, and that you are generally safe. Someone is dedicating their days to protecting your civil liberties and clean drinking water.

Someone is regaining their sanity. Someone is coming back from the dead. Someone is genuinely forgiving the seemingly unforgivable. Someone is curing the incurable.

You. Me. Some. One. Now.

And from -Carlos Castaneda

"We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same."

Cirque Du Soleil

I’ve never been to a performance of Cirque Du Soleil, but finally we are going. I got an email from them yesterday announcing their Western Canada stops.They will be here in Victoria from the 8th to the 12th of September and we’ll be part of the audience. So excited. I’m not sure if I’m more excited about the show itself, the costumes or a special date night with hubby, but I’m pretty sure that I’m putting date night in first place…. ;o)))

The performance we’ll be going to is Alegria, “A Baroque ode to the energy, grace and power of youth”. A link to their site to get a taste for it.  Click Here 

At the main Cirque Du Soleil site, you can down some beautiful wallpapers for your desktop. Click on the image to be transported.

Snake Charmer Second Look

Here are a few more images of where I’m at with my Snake Charmer. The more I do, the more I want to keep him. His is so intense and just draws you to him… I guess that’s what they do to Cobra’s, hypnotize them so they can’t look away. I think he’s going to be finished today. I have his shoes drying, I have a pillow to make for him to sit on, a satchel for his money, the snakes of course and some adornments to complete his look.

At the waist, I attached some trim I once got from Joggles and a thrift store earring that seemed ideal because it suits the shirt so well. There is a trim on the legs that I doubled to get a better width and the tassels are made from a length of fringe, just cut to size and rolled into shape and thrift store buttons for the top.

The flute is made with a chopstick, covered in silk, and wrapped with beaded wire. The end is a metal holder that you would use on the strings of a jacket to keep them from disappearing into the hem, then I wrapped it with some gold soutache for extra strength.  Poor thing, I had to poke a hole in his mouth and shove the pointy end of the flute in there with glue, but it’s solidly placed.

I wrapped his turban according to a video I found on Google. The gentleman demonstrating said it’s one of the easier wraps, and that was fine with me. The adornment is a metal button and yet another thrift store earring for him to wear.

This is how he is looking for now. In the next day or two I’ll have more pictures to share….

The Snake Charmer

Our next doll club challenge reveal is at the August meeting. The theme for this one is The Continent of India. I have this wonderful pattern by Shirley Shaw that I’ve been dying to try, so this gave me the perfect opportunity. I also have the companion pattern, the Charmed Cobra, but I don’t think she’ll get done for a while. Still working on doll show things for September. I’m on track with what I want to do, so I’m in good shape. I seem to be showing finished dolls lately, so I thought you might like to see a bit of a step X step of this doll.

He’s fabulous and feels very mystical. I’m not sure I will part with him. I’ll have to price it so that no one will want to buy him…lol  I’ve heard that doesn’t always work though..

Here he is put together, but undressed state. I was very happy that his face turned out with a masculine look, at least to me it looks more masculine than feminine.The fabric is from Dollmakers Journey and the colour is African Light. If you are looking for Ethnic colours of fabric, they have a very good selection and it is Pima Cotton as far as I’m aware.

Here he is with his silk shirt and vest. The trims from my stash were perfect for this. I used the trim twice on each wrist, first I attached it facing up his arm, then turned another piece around and butted it up against the first piece and with it facing toward his hands. Then I finished it off with some soutache around the center of the wrists to finish off the look. There will be more trims added at the end, such as tassels etc. so his arms will be a little more embellished. I know in the picture his nose looks a bit wonky, but that will be fixed with a needle poked in and stuffing moved around.

Grocery Bag Ladies

When Sherry Goshon came out with this little pattern last year, who knew it would be so popular. Of course it is, I mean how cute are they. I had this order on the planner for a while, my customer wasn’t in a hurry but I had time to get them done now and they’re winging their cute little selves off to Oz.

It’s a sweet pattern because it lends itself to so many combinations of fabrics, colours, hair types, embellishments. It’s a good one for personalizing to suit where it’s going.

You can tell when you’ve spent to much time with your dollies when you can hear them chatting in the box as you’re getting it ready to send off. We should all have such harmless addictions…. ;o))))

Esquimalt Lagoon

It was such a beautiful day on Sunday we decided an outing was in order. We picked up a friend and off we went for a very good lunch at the Spitfire Grill. It’s next to the airport and is built inside an old airplane hanger. Lots of wonderful  creative touches like miniature old planes and all things aeronautical.

From there we went for a drive. We didn’t tell our passenger where, we just made her guess until we got there. Along the way, just as we were going to turn, up ahead I could see what looked like a bobble head inside a bag on the back of a motorcycle….We just had to see what it was, but there was a car in front of us, darn.

Just as we came to the turning lane I was able to snap a quick picture. Now this is just the cutest thing I ever saw. I never knew they made helmets this small, goggles yes, but not helmets. I had to take this picture really fast, but I did get one…so yay for me… I don’t know the breed of the dog, but I’m leaning toward something like a Silky…Tiny tiny dog and oh so cute. Her little head was looking left and right, and her pretty silky hair was blowing in the breeze. It also has the cutest little pink outfit with what looks like Rhinestones at the neck edge…. I enlarged the picture I took to see how they had her secured in the bag and I think they have something like straps holding her in. She looked very safe.

Next stop was the lagoon. Had to take this picture coming in, the mountains, the ocean and the shoreline were in perfect harmony.

Once we were out of the van we walked over to the edge to see the birds that live there. It’s a nature sanctuary and all kinds of birds reside there. Pigeons, Ducks, Crows, Sparrows, Starlings, Geese, Gulls, Herons and Swans. Maybe others to, that I didn’t happen to spot. I started down toward where they were to get some pictures and a swan started walking toward me. If I had reached out my hand I could have pet him, but he started to raise his wings and make an odd noise which kind of told me, that if I didn’t have any grain for him, I should just go back where I was…lol

I managed a picture of a Heron. I couldn’t get much closer, the ground is pretty rich with, well you know, and I wasn’t sure I was supposed to get much closer out of respect for their turf.

I thought this was a gorgeous shot of a group of Swans. They are so beautiful. I call this one Seven Swans a Swimming based on the Twelve Days of Christmas song. 

So one more shot looking across the lagoon area. The first picture is looking out from the other side of the road to the ocean. It’s such an amazing place to enjoy the scenery, ocean breezes and nature at it’s finest. Our friend hadn’t been out here for years, so it was a treat for her to see all the changes… A great day for all of us…

Horth Hill Park

We’re very lucky here in that we have so many regional parks to visit and enjoy a hike and thinking ahead even spend time at a bench having a picnic lunch. What’s not to like, no traffic noises, no running errands, doing chores….just spending time in a beautiful place with just the sounds of nature to top that solitude.

With all the rain we had this past year, and cool temperatures, the forest floor is a carpet of ferns, and Oregon grape plants, salal, and all manners of trees that have come down in some of the wind storms and so much more. The parks department doesn’t clear those away, they just clear the walking paths and leave the wood to rot down and go back into the earth. It completes the cycle of life in a forest when they do that. The little organisms, animals and birds thrive and the trees eventually just crumble and turn into that amazing soil that only a forest has that makes everything that grows in it, just grow and grow and grow…

The hike up to the viewpoint seemed much harder the last time we did it, but maybe we were in better shape this time???? I did take pictures of the route going up…

This first part looks like what I envision a fairy garden to be. Any minute now some gnomes will pop out from behind something. Pretty isn’t it.

And up we go….. See how the tree is leaning. Eventually that will fall down and they’ll just cut it up and move it off the path and leave it off to the side.

And up some more….

Yeah I know, it looks tame. But when you feel the boom boom in your chest, you know that your heart is getting a good workout…;o)

Almost there….

Ahhh, the reward…..

Do you know what this next picture is of ?????  Give up ????? ;o))  It’s taken going downhill…..YES!!!  It really is very special to be able to go to these parks whenever we like, I so appreciate that….

Pierrot Maubles

Michelle Munzone came out with her Merry Maubles pattern in 2007 and since then, I can’t get enough of them. They’re wonderful sellers and gifts when you follow Michelle’s instructions for embellishing them. Before long, you’ll be hooked like I am. I made a slew of them when they came out, some went as gifts, some sold but I kept some for me to. I have one I keep hanging near the computer because I just love them. It’s like having a group of little friends that hang around that watch and inspire as I work.

These Pierrot Maubles are a design from her as well. It’s a bonus pattern that she sent to her customers the following year. I’ve had these poor little guys in pieces since then. But in my defence, I also have a bag full of Maubles in the halfway state and have worked on them in between other things as they can be seasonal depending on what fabric you use.

These would normally have the beading strung on their bottoms as the others have been, but instead, I used beaded trims and attached those below the neck ruffles on all of them. These are going with my display to the doll show. I borrowed some primitive Christmas trees from Andrea and a couple of us will be adorning them with our ornaments. The theme for the show is the figurative art, so along with the Pierrot’s will be some of the corsets I made last Christmas.

My favourite one, maybe because I’m having a black and white moment just now.