Excitement Abounds!

I'm all smiles lately! Looking all the way back to one of my first posts last July, you'll note that I submitted a photo of a project for possible publication. I had almost forgotten about it but was excited to find out it was included in the March 2009 issue of Soft Dolls and Animals! I found out and ran out to buy a copy... then did a little happy dance right there in the store when I saw my work on a glossy magazine page! Too much fun!
Here it is again... but do blip back to the July 2008 post for more details.

Christmas is a Speeding Bullet Train

Many were the good intentions for making oodles and oodles of prims and fairies for our local "Hometown Christmas" bazaar, which happened on December 6th. Back around Halloween, I'd committed to sharing table space at the December event with two friends... and was rip-roaringly motivated to sew, wrap, stuff, paint and embellish up a winter storm to make a little shopping money. Well, "LIFE" had other plans, which diverted us (by ambulance, with a little side jaunt to the ER) to a "weekend retreat" in the pediatric ICU at Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, in early November. Many seizure drugs, antibiotics and a pneumonia diagnosis later, Katera took two weeks off from school to recover, throwing a king-sized monkey wrench in Mommy's ambitious crafting plans.

I did manage to finish three prim dolls from Donna Veal's fun patterns... a Santa, an Elf and a Butterfly doll... plus four Salley Mavor flower fairies, which worked just fine to fill up my spot on the table.

By sheer happenstance, we were given THE plum spot in the building... leading all the day's foot traffic directly to us. I sold all three prims in the first half of the day, and all but one fairy by the end of the day. I did price everything quite reasonably, given the economic slump of late... (and given the expectations of our usual "home town" attendees). Still, I noticed quite a few other vendors did not sell much of anything, so I was quite pleased.

Skully's other brother, Skully

I simply can't put this Halloween season to rest without showing off the Skully doll I made for my niece, Portia. Today... the Day of the Dead... happens to be her tenth birthday, so this seemed a fitting gift.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PORTIA!!

Hallowe'en Prim Madness!

I have Donna Veal to thank for my current addiction! I was working furiously right up until Trick-or-Treat time last night, making sure that OUR house had at least one great Halloween prim to deck out the porch.

This Trick-or-Treat cat is one of Donna's great patterns, and is the second one I made this week. I finished one (below) for Sarah the day before... so much FUN!

Here's a close-up of my kitty... wearing the skeleton key that actually fits our own front door (pre-installation of dead bolt)! Is she fun and a LITTLE bit scary, or what?

Now it's time to start whipping up some Christmas prims!

Vampires!

Since I'm currently into reading the "Twilight" series, this project was very appropriate. :)

This Vampire Bat is another great pattern from Donna Veal of Moonchilds Primitives.
Mine didn't turn out as nicely as hers... but I'm going to make a couple more and "tweak" my technique.

"BAT" is a primitive "make do", made from painted/stained/aged muslin. His wings are wired... head and body are stuffed with polyfil and he's standing on a candlestick base that I picked up at Goodwill.
No... I didn't make the fun chenille pumpkin... I bought it last fall at Lily Wiggins in Ridgefield. But I may try to copy it! :)