Northbrook Designs

And lastly

2010-01-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

I made up this gift for someone that I help out every couple of weeks. She has her beautiful Mocha (her Siamese cat) that has, of course, her own chair to sleep on. What cat doesn't... I found the fabric locally and thought it was perfect for the little quilted blanket for "the" chair. She has others, but at least with this one, she can keep up with the Feline News. The backing is just a simple black and white check, but works well with the top.

I also made a set of coasters for her mum and a coffee cup to go with it, sorry, no cup picture... But if you can't think of what to give someone who has a pet, this is a good option. Same fabric but different purposes...

Another pincushion mannequin

2010-01-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

This is another one of the pincushion mannequins like what I did before, ages ago. Follow this link and this one to see the other pincushions. I just had to get back to them. They are my own design as far as the costuming, arms heads etc. The base pincushion is purchased and is such a great palette to work on.

I gave this as a gift for Christmas as well and was well received. I don't know what her name ended up being, but Flora came to mind. I will have to find out what her true identity is. I plan to do more of them as they are so quick and easy and make the best gifts and are truly personalized.

Last of the projects

2010-01-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

These are the last of the projects I did for the holidays. I'll post the others later.

I made up two of Sherry Goshon's bag holders. They went to a couple of friends. First a picture of the twins before they were dressed and ready to be put to work. Then pictures of how they're final look turned out. They ladies didn't seem to mind purple or orange hair, so it's all good.

If you are looking for a quick and easy project for a gift, you can find this pattern over at Dollstreet in their pattern section. Very inexpensive but virtually no instruction on the faces. No diagram just a quick mention of how to colour the faces. If you're confidant you can make it work. Practice on paper first to get the face the way you want it and then transfer it to the doll. If you have other Sherry patterns, refer to them for the faces, or if you have a look that you like to have for your dolls, use that. There is no rule here about what you should do, just enjoy. Good luck.

A New Year is coming!

2009-12-27T09:56:00.000-08:00

Here's wishing you all a great New Year. Poor ole' Santa is ready for a respite. He's worked pretty hard this year especially getting through all those weather systems. That must play havoc on his whole routine...
All the best to you who follow my blog and I'll see you in the New Year. Bring on 2010, I think we're ready for a fresh start...

Doll Club Christmas Exchange

2009-12-23T19:58:00.001-08:00

At the December doll club meeting, we exchanged our gifts. It was a fun night. The meetings are always so busy and full, and the time just flies by in what seems a split second. I studily forgot to take a picture of the doll I made for the exchange, but I used Alison Marano's newest pattern, Half Pint Pixie for it. I've asked someone to take a picture for me, and failing that, she will try and make sure to bring the doll to the next meeting so I can take pictures..

I did take a picture of it wrapped up, makes sense right....Good grief. Didn't even occur to me that I hadn't taken pictures until I was on the way home from the meeting.... But here's the wrapped box....lol

The other two pictures are of the pincushion that Linda Danielson made for me. Linda is a wonderful doll artist and does her own designs, so I feel very priviledged to have one of her creations. It just happens that blue is my favourite colour and I have some of this fabric and to see it used this way is inspiring..... Isn't it lovely....And here is Linda's site to see more of her work. Linda Danielson Site

A Christmas Respite

2009-12-22T09:09:00.001-08:00

Incase you just need a bit of a respite before the big day is here and you're run off your feet trying to keep everyone happy and be that way yourself, take a look here at my post from last year.
Perhaps a few minutes and a bit of time watching a movie or two might be just the fix you need to get that last bit of energy to get you through. It's very easy to spend your whole time thinking of others at this time of year, but really, it is okay to think of yourself to. So enjoy....

Christmas Movies

Father Christmas

2009-12-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

This is a design by Kat Lees. It's also an online class if you're a member of Cloth Doll Artistry. You do have to be a member of CDA but the cost of the class is only $20.00 US. It's a great class, lots of instructions and visuals in the lesson plan, so pop over if you aren't already a member. There are also other classes there and all reasonably priced, for beginners as well.

I intended to keep Father Christmas but someone wanted to buy him, so he's on his way to the other side of the globe. Travelling should not be a hardship for him, after all, it's what he lives for.... ;o)))) I hope you like him....

And more Christmas sewing

2009-12-21T09:25:00.001-08:00

This is Santy Cane. It's a Sweet Meadow's Farm pattern. I used a 20 oz bag of stuffing to fill just the candy cane and that's not being excessive, that was just what it needed to fill it properly. The Santa was fun to do, I used upholstery fabric to give him a woodland Santa look. A fun pattern to make. Noel over at Cloth Doll Patterns carries it if you're thinking it looks like a great project, in time for next Christmas. You'll find the pattern on page 2 of the Sweet Meadows Farm section.

The other doll I have today is Chadwick the Chimney Sweep and the pattern is by Sparkles n Spirit, also available from Noel. Yet another fun doll to make for this time of year, although I'm sure those on the east coast of the US have seen enough snow to last them for some time to come. Chadwick is a great personality and all ready to clean up that chimney of yours for your Christmas day, so you'll all be toasty and warm. Both dolls measure about 30" tall. Santy Cane is a door hanger, while Chadwick could be your greeter..

Snowcone Snelf

2009-12-20T08:03:00.000-08:00

Here is the next little snow person I made. He is a Snelf, or to make that easier, a cross between a snowman and an elf. He's a bit smaller, approx. 12" or a little better. He does have the sweetest little face and was so much fun to make.... Another design by Sparkles n Spirit...

I'm almost caught up showing you my doings for Christmas. A few more to go. By the time the new computer finally gets here, it won't have much to do at this point.. ;o)))

Jacques Frost

2009-12-19T15:23:00.000-08:00

This is a cute little snow person (he's not a snowman so person sounded appropriate)....He now resides in a quilting shop, so hopefully someone will take him home for Christmas.

He's a design from Sparkles n Spirit.

Loved making him and I have done other patterns by them as well and will post another in the morning. All of them so far have been so much fun. Lighthearted characters to make, ones that make you smile while giving them their finished looks.

And more of the corsets!!!!!

2009-12-18T10:09:00.000-08:00

For whatever reason I wasn't able to add all images in one post, so here are the rest of the ornamets. They are approximately 5" tall. Very cute, lots of fun to make. However, when you make as many as I did, prepare to have feathers flying everywhere. Every snip into the boa means much more than you think......Feathers everywhere, even up your nose......

Still no computer, but pictures non the less!!!!

2009-12-18T09:47:00.000-08:00

This is getting to be just a bit much for me. Last piece of news about this whole thing. Dell underestrimated to the volume of sales the particular computer I ordered, would generate. So the absolute latest date it will arrive is January 7th. This news after being on hold for 2 hours, no lie, 2 hours and 5 people later this is what they tell me.

I am having to install programs on hubbies computer so I can at least try and catch up on a few things. I did not want to install anything because it's I hate invading someone else's space. He's very accomodating, but still......

I've got a few things to show you today. I made 40 of these little darlings to sell in a local shop and word has it they are going, so yay...that makes me very happy... They are a Caroline Erbsland freebie on the Dollmakers Journey website. Here are 3 pictures, more in the next post...

I am still here, really !!!!

2009-12-05T15:03:00.000-08:00

What a time I've been having. First I had that miserable bronchitis for 3 weeks. It threatened to return the other day and I ran for the treatments I got from my Naturopath to ward off that horrible thing and it worked.

Since the bronchitis I've been fighting with my computer to keep it going. I've seen the blue screen of death more that the desktop of life and finally yesterday it kicked it's clogs and totally died. Wouldn't let me re-install windows properly one last time just so I could at least do a couple of things like listen to my online radio stations, but it was not to be.

It just crashed and burned so it's living in the hallway for the weekend until I parade past it with the new computer in the next day or two. I want it to know there is life after it died on me. I might even stand the new one next to it for a moment or two just to rub in the fact that it's been replaced.

I suppose I could have taken it to the tech in town here, but really. It would mean leaving it with him for days and days because he's just so busy, and the cost of the repairs might not have been worth it. I couldn't install Internet Explorer 8 ( I know because it crashed every time I tried) and it didn't like the Service Pack 3 any better, crashed even worse. I had Windows XP in there, but even with lots of memory etc etc, it just wouldn't play nice, so it seems more practical to buy new since they have come down so much in price. I'm going to have a system that's miles ahead of this poor thing and I would be feeling like "what if it dies at any moment". I'm bypassing Vista this way to, and that's good. I've heard nothing good about Vista, I'm going straight on to Windows 7. Will post how I like it when I test drive it.

I think besides the computer itself I suspect something got past my security program and messed things up to. It was time I guess. I am feeling positive about the whole experience because I learned a lot more about the computer and that there are things I can do to fix it. I'm not into the inner workings of it, but I can do a lot for myself first before throwing in the towel.

Thankfully I can use hubby's computer to keep in touch, and as soon as my new toy arrives I will show you what I've been working on. I've been busy and maybe for the next few days not having the idiot box staring at me, I'll get more done..... so with that, I'll sign off and talk to you soon....... We're supposed to have a stormy night and some flurries for the next couple of days....so yay, that makes me happy. It probably means it won't be a White Christmas this year if it snows now. Here on the west coast it warms up quite a bit after it snows and it takes time to get down to the right temp again for more snow, but I'll take what we get.

A few things

2009-11-15T08:42:00.000-08:00

Wow, two weeks can sure fly since my last post. I have an excuse, bronchitis. From start to finish, 3 weeks. Gross is the word of the day. Haven't had a bout of it for quite a while and have to say it was probably the worst I can remember having....but it's gone and this is a new week. I did work on some things while I was laid up. Things that were easily propelled out of my hands when the coughing fits would start....

This is a Christmas gift for a friend. It's a Cindy Seiving pattern, called Jeppo De Jester. I love this pattern because it's like a blank palette. You have the basic wall doll pattern and it's up to you how much or how little you embellish it. Use whatever fabrics and trims and create this doll. It was one of those instant gratification kind of things, sort of.

I also caught up on some charity sewing. These are little towels/covers, for the very sick babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care of the Victoria General Hospital. If you would like to know more about this, please click here to go to my regular website and scroll down to Causes on the right side of the page.

I'm also working on some cloth grocery bags. Andrea that owns our local fabric store has done pot holders for about 2 years to put in with the Sidney Lions food hampers at Christmas, this year it'll be either those or a cloth grocery bag.

A friend of mine is going through some chemo treatments until Christmas (not nice timing for sure). She wasn't sure if her hair would fall out or not, the doctor said it doesn't always happen, but in this case it is. I found a great little pattern online for Chemo Caps, originally offered by Hancock Fabrics. Here is a page of free patterns, including the Hancock Fabrics one, if you know someone who could benefit from a cap. I found the material at our local fabric shop, Fabric Traders, and it's like a thin version of polar fleece. Oh so warm and soft without the itch of wool....

I did this painted grocery bag a couple of months ago for a swap, it's a Helan Barrick design. I forgot to post this, but I've also posted a picture of my last grocery swap for the year here as well.

We painted grocery bags (those kind most stores are selling now, to replace the plastic bags), and this is what I painted for my Christmas swap partner. It's a design by Annie Lang. The whole design isn't there as it is done on an apron, but I think it's cute as is. Hope my partner likes it.... That's if for today. I am working like a crazy person on other things, stay tuned.

Sweet Pea

2009-11-01T12:42:00.000-08:00

So this is the other doll we did in our workshops with Cyndi Mahlstadt. This one is done with a press mold for the head and using Apoxie Clay. I now know the difference between Apoxie Clay and Apoxie Sculpt. You still mix both parts of the clay or sculpt together, but the clay hardens in a short period of time and is rock hard (I know because I heard a shriek and a clunk and the rolling sound, as one little head flew off someone's doll and rolled across the floor). The sculpt on the other hand is an air dry product.

Fortunately I was really good at taking my time to prepare the mold properly and didn't have any fix ups to do when the little head came out of the mold. I did another head will sleeping eyes, and on that one, I pressed the cheeks together a little to make more of a laughing expression and I gave the nose a little bit of an upturn. Here is Sweet Pea. She has small wings as I just felt it suited her that way. Perhaps the next one will have big flashy ones, only time will tell.

Sweet Peas body is done the same way as the Garden Fairy, but not so many layers of padding. She is a wire armature and then draped with batting and cheesecloth for the clothing. She's very tiny, only about 9" sitting, but so cute.

The Garden Fairy

2009-10-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned a while ago, Cyndi Mahlstadt was here to do two workshops for our doll club. This is the doll we did on the Saturday/Sunday. It's her Garden Fairy. It's a cloth head, wire armature body. She's a little bit of a bug, so cute, but also the cloth I used to cover her body is a perfect Christmas colour of stretch velour, so she's a Christmas Bug. She's all ready to pucker up with her pretty glossy lips and has picked out the first two ornaments to go on the tree. She's a little impatient..

I messed up her first face by trying to jump ahead, but Cyndi bailed me out. I used poinsettia leaves and feathers for her wings/flower. I've had them since last year, and after I took Cyndi to Michael's she spotted the same things and made a sample pair of wings to show everyone what you can use for wings instead of the Angelina ones she demonstrated. I decided I would do that as well since I had the things I needed. I've actually made it look more like a pretty flower instead of wings. Her name is Chrissie (how original for Christmas huh ;o~) I hope you like her.

Store front display!

2009-10-20T21:40:00.001-07:00

Before I head out to spend the next few days with Cyndi Mahlstadt in workshops and shopping (of course), I thought you might like to see how my friend Andrea and I decorated her store front window. She has a fabric store and we thought it would be fun to put up a display as she hasn't done a Halloween window before.

I tried to take colour pictures, but between reflections and not being able to get a good night time shot, I compromised and turned the night picture I took into a black and white image. That is actually a good thing as it turned out, because it gives it more of a goth look.... Below that are pictures of what I made to put in the window, along of course with the witch and chair that you've already seen...

Halloween Chair

2009-10-14T06:22:00.000-07:00

The chair I've been working on is done and looking quite regal. The witch loves it and is ready to greet those who dare to approach..... She's a young witch so she's been outfitted with only the most current fashions that only a fashionista like her would approve of. She has a diamond stud for her nose, (to young for warts) and one for her ear.

The chair is adorned with the only the best of trims suited to one of her stature. Devilla is very happy with the final look as evidenced by her toothless smile. She's not concerned about the flies, ants and spiders that have landed or crawled up onto her, she's quite at home with that. She's more excited knowing the big Halloween bash is soon approaching and there is one hot warlock that's going to be there that she's got her eye on. Wish her well....

Newest Project

2009-10-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is my latest project. Colleen Babcock asked me to test her latest pattern, "Give Us A Kiss". She was just a joy to work on. What a cutie. Colleen is one of those designers who keeps creating her dolls with a different theme each time and there is always something new to learn or try in each design. She's totally unpredictable and that's why I like her dolls so much. She and a few others are my favourites for that reason.

Where Colleen did her original doll in a softer tone, mine went the other way entirely. I think my little lady is somewhere between Autumn and Christmas. She's just into the Autumn theme, (her favourite) but knows that Christmas is just a whisper away. But, she's ready to go and all puckered up and waiting.

An Autumn Colour Palette

2009-10-10T11:07:00.001-07:00

I was searching the net one day for autumn scenes of inspiration and I came across this. I thought, what a great colour wheel and based on my most favourite season of the year. Whoever it was that first created this, I applaud you. It's brilliant and so much more interesting than the regular colour wheel.

It's going to be a great day for creating. The wind is blowing, the leaves are to, and it looks like some showers might follow. Yes, I'm strange that way. I'm a much happier and creative person when the weather is cooler, so I'm living in the right part of the world here on the island....

I will have a new project to show you tomorrow. ;o))))

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

2009-10-09T08:35:00.001-07:00

To all my fellow Canadians, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving weekend and a great turkey day. Indulge yourself for the diet begins anew on Tuesday. ;o(

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-07T07:25:00.001-07:00

Changing from Summer to Autumn somehow brings calm.

Witchy Ways !

2009-10-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

The little witch is coming together. She's going to look like a little witch for sure compared to the size of the chair, but she's going to love it. She'll feel so regal and ready to rule the world. So here are the beginnings of her reign...

Halloween Challenge 2

2009-09-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

I've put the chair together for my Halloween witch. It's glued in the joints, and now I have to stitch the arms and legs in place. What a great project this is, lots of work but the end result is so much fun...Trims will be added, but I am going to work on the witch first and see how she fits on the chair.

Halloween Challenge

2009-09-24T13:57:00.001-07:00

So here are the first stages of a Halloween challenge I'm working on for our doll club. Lots of work just to do this part, but the end result is great and once it's totally put together, I think it will be amazing. I can't wait now to see it all together... The approx. size will be 22" tall and about 13" wide.

Anyone else working on Halloween goodies...???