Next project?

Ok so I've scrapped the curtain idea... Now I'm going to work on matting and framing some pictures of floral arrangements that Kiko did... I've scanned them all and printed them out. Some have been printed to 8x10 and some 5 x 7... and several smaller. Will have to figure out what size frames to buy and what size mats to make. Here's a few of the pictures I will frame. Tomorrow I'll post more pictures...

Egads what now?

Ok so I made one curtain... oh my but it looks awful. The curtain itself is nice but it just doesn't do justice to the windows or the room. In fact it actually detracts from the open airy look that I so dearly love. What now? I think if it was just the lacy sheer it would look ok... but the lining makes it look not good. Still if it were just the sheer, that wouldn't solve the problem of the dog seeing everything.. nervous little thing he is, protective of his territory and he really lets us know if someone is walking by... That shrill bark cuts right inside of my eardrum.. however I am not willing to ugly up my living room for him. So I must go to plan B. Now to just figure out what B is....

J

Idle? You think I've been idle?

Well, I haven't really been idle.. I did finish printing my family reunion pictures from last year and got those all into an album... and I finished the 2008 miscellaneous album. I've scanned and printed out about a dozen pictures of floral arrangements Kiko did. I want to frame and mat them... then I'll make a grouping of them on the living room wall. I'm lacking wall decor in there anyway.

Oh and I'm crocheting a dog sweater. I've never done a crocheted dog sweater before. No pattern either but even if I had a pattern I wouldn't know how to use it.

And reporting on the curtains.... I've finally found the rest of the material. Found it online so am about to order that. I bought the tannish lining material today. I have enough of the lace fabric to do the front six windows.. By the time I'm done with those the other fabric should be here. I'm just thankful I don't have to make different toppers. When I get these done I'll post pictures.

Ok so that's the gist of what I've been doing craftwise.. J



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She's done

Violet is done...





Despite some messups with the scissors, the machine and my thumbs.. she's done and not horrible. I fixed the problems with the sewing machine and know a couple of other things that could have been done differently to make it better so if I do decide to make another one of these and I think I will... the next one will be better. Don't think this one is good enough to give away although I did make the shoes smaller and I opened her feet and added some more stuffing there. Shoes fit better now. I had put too much blush on and she looked like a clown. Couldn't get it off until I hit on the bright idea of Spray and Wash.. that removes anything. So.. she's done and sort of cute too.... J

Window coverings

I made these toppers when we bought this house a few years back. The whole wall was covered with sheers and heavy floor to ceiling drapes. The walls were dark paneled. It was dark and dreary. I got rid of those old curtains and lightened up the walls. I made the toppers and just inset mini blinds inside the window frames so as not to detract from their shape. I could close the blinds and the dog wouldn't see out but that makes the room dark again. I hate dark rooms. So I want to get the same lace material as I've used on the toppers to make inset cafe type curtains. I will line them with a tan color so he won't be able to see people walking by.. but with the blinds open the top half of the window will let in some light. J

Getting there

Here's a couple of pictures.....

I still have to do her shoes but Violet is almost done... at least she's covered and not laying around in the nude. It's a bit harder to do these things now because my thumbs are shot but I think all in all, despite the problems I had with the scissors and sewing machine, she's kinda cute. J.

Violets hair is done !!!

Yea her hair is done... I do want to find a different head band for her though....Hopefully tomorrow I can start on her clothes. Then just a little blush and some nail polish... lookin' good. J

A Little Progress

A few pics of Violet... taking shape

I finished the face sculpting, embroidered the eyelashes and started attaching the lovely pink hair... Would have done more but having dog trouble again today....

J

No pics but that doesn't mean....

I've been idle. I actually got the year 2008 events of our family recorded in pictures and all put in albums. I've labeled the albums so I know which is which and I don't have to drag each one out when I'm looking for something. Oh and I finished Violets other foot and knee...... and now she has a lovely little nose.

I plan on sculpting her face tomorrow..... then I'll take some more pictures.

J

No Doll work today.

I didn't work on my doll because my thumb hurt. Maybe tomorrow. But what I want to show you is some low carb crackers I made early last summer. I worked and worked to get the recipe just right. They are so good my son thought I should market them. Here's a couple of pictures.

I think cooking is a craft, don't you?

J

Sculpting has begun

Part of the face has to be embroidered before sculpting... so that part is done. I did get both hands sculpted and one leg and foot. You have to admit Violet is starting to take shape. Even though I found my sculpting needles... I still find them to be too big.. not too long but too big around and difficult to push through the stuffing. Wish I could find a skinnier needle.. I will before I make another one of these dolls. J

Miscellaneous stuff

I didn't make all these things, but I did make the bunny and the swan.. that bunny was so fun. I had a pattern for it. Wish I still had that pattern.. would like to make another one. The swan I didn't have a pattern for. They are both made from material and stuffed. The bunny was lightly sculpted... Kiko made that floral arrangement.. wish I still had it but dried flowers don't last forever..

One good thing... I found my sculpting needles so tomorrow I'll work on Violet..

J

Wow... Violet must have eaten all night...

Just last night Violet was so thin... now look at her. She's looking mighty stuffed. Yes I got her stuffed. Didn't really do much on her today though. Tomorrow I will try and start the sculpting. Hopefully I can still do it... J

unstuffed doll body

After a really hard start, with the scissors not cutting this thin material well... my arthritic thumb having a heck of a time and the sewing machine acting up, I've finally at least gotten the body pieces fitted together and sewn. This is a picture of "Violet" unstuffed... stay tuned.

J

Pac Man Cakes

So, it's my opinion cakes can fall under the heading of crafts... ya think? Well if it were "Arts and Crafts" it would fit. Remember the old pac man game? Then there was Mama pac man and baby pacman.. Kiko loved them all. One year for his birthday I made his cakes in the images of the pacman family.. And if you know what they looked like, you'll know I did a good job. J

Wishing Well..

A funny little nothing thing we did at work



This is actually made with craft sticks glued onto a can.
Painted and then varnished. I wish I had a picture of the
side of the roof. It actually looks like a real shingled roof.

Once again...

Doggie wear remodeled..... Cut the point off the back and sewed the neck hole together so it slips over his head.

Added elastic to the bottom so I can just slip this on without

using velcro which he just chews off anyway.. Remember

this is still my first try. Next one will be better.

J

Aren't these cute? And so easy. We made these one year at our family reunion. It's just two wooden balls glued together and painted. I've added the face with a fine point permanent marker. Shoes are painted on. A bit of craft felt makes the scarf and the earmuffs are just little store bought pom poms. They just look cheery to me.

J

Reunion hat

We had 'hat' night at one of our family reunions. Everyone who came to the potluck had to wear a hat. Here are two views of the one I fixed for myself. What fun.

J

First try

This is my first try at making my dog a coverlet.

Maybe that's not what it's called, don't know. I didn't have

a pattern so I made one out of a brown paper grocery bag.

I'm not completely happy with the way this fits, but in the picture I can see what needs to be done to make it fit better.

I've used stick on velcro which I do not like and will either find

the velcro to sew on or think up a different way to fasten it.

I've made this with double fabric sewn together and it would be reversible if the velcro wasn't on it.. I also think if this were a stretchy type of material I would make it so it just slips on with no fasteners needed. Now I'm thinking this would be terrific made out of a nice sleek black shiny vinyl... Would make a neat raincoat. Yep this is only the start of a whole new wardrobe.. by the way. Dog was not enthused.

J