Octopus....or.....dragon?

OOPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well. My dragon has mutated. For some reason I managed to mis-read the pattern and have ended up with his head looking more like an octopus. Ooops!

Methinks there's some 'frogs' in my future on this one!

Cuff bracelet

Here, as promised, is a picture of the beautiful cuff bracelet that Arlee sent me. She knows my favourite colours are blue/purple and hers is most definitely orange. I think maybe she blended the two together in the hope that she can convince me I should like orange? Maybe it was a happy accident?

Either way, I love it! And, yes, I'm beginning to like orange!!

Thank you

Look at what came in the mail today from my friend Arlee. After what happened yesterday, I was so happy to have something else to think about and this was a great diversion! Arlee always sends me a box full of inspiration and this was certainly packed full of eye candy and fun treats. The picture above shows just some of the little bits of fabrics and embellishments.

This picture (above) shows some more...there's a package of texture plates, some totally decadent embroidery floss (in blue...my fave). The 'shoe' has a notepad inside. There's buttons, and, see those little red hearts?...they're textured!
This is the best of the best...there's a wonderful box (in the upper left corner) that appears to be made of bamboo. There's one of the robot ornaments that were in Arlee's floral store at Christmas (I had fallen in total like with hers and she obviously knew it!); there's coffee (yum); and a piece of fabric that is printed with one of her designs (the heart). There's one of those lovely books (which will be turned into an art journal) AND that wonderful round glass bottle/ornie that is absolutely beautiful.

I'm wearing the pretty cuff she made for me and forgot to take it off for a picture...I'll do that tomorrow. Thank you SO much Arlee...you and the powers-that-be aligned to bring me something special when I needed it most.

Another big thank you needs to go out to all of you that have left such uplifting comments, both here and privately, about our loss of Odin. It's so nice to know people care and it helped so much to read them all. Thank you.

Most of you know that he has had an ongoing problem with glaucoma and had lost one eye last January. He had another bout of it in his remaining eye last October. We managed to get it under control and have kept it that way until this week. We got up Tuesday morning to find he had totally gone blind. The decision was made to put him to sleep so he would no longer be in pain. We loved him, but couldn't keep him with us. He's in a better place - we have to believe that.

R.I.P.

Odin
October 2005 - January 26, 2010

Dragon has arms (sort of)

Today I wrestled the curved needle into some form of submission and stitched his legs on. Once I got the hang of the needle it went fairly well. I don't care for the size of my stitches using that needle, but I'm not about to start over!

His arms in this picture are pinned on and I'm debating whether I like them where they are. I'm wondering about moving them a little further up, but then...if I do that....will he overbalance when his head goes on?

Oh yeah....and I wonder....do dragons wear bandaids? I moved his foot a little and one of the seams popped a little. A dab of Fray Check and some strategically placed paint will cover the problem I think. Lesson learned....make sure the feet are curved correctly earlier in the process! My fault...not Amy's.

PS...don't forget to tell me what you think his name should be. Scroll down to the previous post and cast your vote!

Legs...of the dragon sort

Well, after much putzing (no swearing though, believe it or not!) I have his legs stuffed and pinned on! Now I just have to figure out how to sew them on...not too sure where exactly I am supposed to be stitching. Amy suggested the use of a curved needle...yipes...something else I've never tried! Can't say this isn't a learning 'curve' (pun intended).

At least he seems somewhat balanced at this point and hopefully he won't topple onto his nose once his arms and head are added.

He has also given me some names he might like, but that's not settled yet. So far he likes Zhao, Ellyllon, Moatia, and Fintan. Anybody care to cast a vote??

A dragon is emerging!

Sorry about the awful looking background in the photo - it was either that or taken on my worktable which is a HUGE mess!!

He has his wire armature inside and the wire is attached for his wings. Now he's being stuffed. I made the wire armatures for his arms and legs and it remains to be seen just how they will fit. Stay tuned for the next bit of progress.

Progress of a dragon-ish sort

Would you believe this lump of fabric will be a dragon? Doesn't look very scary does it? Aren't dragons supposed to be just a little bit scary?? Hmm. Methinks this one has a ways to go!

Fabric....of the dragonish sort

I just finished risking life and limb at the local fabric shop. They're having a members 50% off sale (plus they are going to be closing the store the end of March) so...the place was absolutely packed and was a complete and total zoo. I battled my way through the madding crowd (whilst poor long suffering husband waited in the car...his own fault because he was warned) and finally found something that spoke 'dragon' to me.

His main body will be the patterned, with the gold being his tummy, and the orange-y sheer his wings. I also picked up a piece of black sheer which is another alternative for wings. The pattern arrived in the mail yesterday so now I'm good to go. Can't wait to get started! If you want to see what I'm doing, you can check it out on Amy's blog.

I also picked up enough fabric to create myself a long overdue housecoat, along with a stash of thread and another small piece of dupioni silk (my treat to myself every time there's a big sale - otherwise I can't afford it).

Now I'm off to dream of dragons!

Weaving

Now what do you think I might be making with this? It's mind-numbingly boring, that's for sure!

Final 2 journal pages for Camille

Above are the final two pages I completed today for Camille's journal. On the left is my 'Matisse' which I journaled over... "In Tahiti I painted whilst I mourned the loss of my Great Romance". To the right is a dimensional page I made which is closed using two pieces of ribbon. Below is the page opened up for you to see.
The words there say: " I made tapa cloth and then I danced the tamure under the fetias (stars), wearing my grass skirt and my black pearls with a hibiscus tiare (flower) in my hair". You can see the miniature tapa cloth, some hibiscus flowers (deconstructed paper roses!), and her string of black pearls. The whole thing is mounted on a piece of 'stuff' that looks rather like grass to signify her dancing skirt. The 'cover' of this part is a piece of wrapping paper with a map of the world (to represent her travels). Hope you like it Robyn!

More on Camille

Today I finished working on her cape. I found the green sort-of iridescent ribbon in my stash (which tied in nicely with the green in her paper skirt and the wrap on her leg). Then I added the beaded fringe and found some metal 'thingies' from the hardware store in my stash to complete the trim.
This is page 3 of the journal. The background has a local map and then some pictures of local attractions. Common Grounds is our favourite coffee shop and all the dolls end up visiting there before they travel on.

Page 1 of the journal is the 'Matisse' painting I showed you earlier, which I will be adding a journal entry to. Page 2 is coming along nicely and I'm pretty pleased with it so far (you'll have to wait to see it though!).

More pics of Camille

This is what I've added to Robyns doll, Camille. In my research about Tahiti, I discovered that they are famous for their black pearls, so Camille got a black pearl necklace given to her by her long lost sweetie. She wears it every day, hoping he will come back. Black pearls are the jewels of the sea, symbols of purity and perfection.

She also got puffy sleeves to match her gorgeous crocheted top, trimmed with green to go with her leg wrap. Now I'm working on adding some goodies to her cape.
She now has a piece of tapa cloth too (another craft that is popular in Tahiti). The base was a piece of my rusted fabric.

Manula, mauni'uru & nana. (Tahitian for 'To your health, thank you & goodbye').

An artist I'm not!!

I'm working on the journal for Camille, the latest art doll in the Coolaberation,and her 'story' included the fact that she learned to paint in the style of Matisse. Well, by no stretch of the imagination can it ever be said that I'm a painter, but I did my best! The bottom picture is the actual painting by Matisse (View of Collioure,1906). Above that is my very pitiful attempt! (Yes, you are allowed to laugh now).

I still haven't decided if I'll collage over the top and call it a day.

Not the brightest pickle in the barrel

This is one of those sagas where you are free to laugh and mutter such things as 'stupid idiot' under your breath (or right out loud if you are so inclined). I won't be the least bit offended.

Setting: A new bed frame. You know the kind...all metal and sporting casters on the bottom. A metal can on the floor beside DH's side of the bed which holds his loose change. MA (me) in bed first.

Plot: Bed has walked across the floor and is now snuggled up to aforementioned metal can. Any movement in said bed causes metal can to rattle most alarmingly. MA, in the bed, could not move without triggering the rattle.

So....MA, being of not so sound mind and quite obviously lacking in wits, decided that...instead of getting OUT of bed and moving it...it would be a brilliant idea to perform some sort of contortion act and leap upwards IN the bed whilst simultaneously yanking said bed sideways.

Not one of the brightest moves of my life.

Ending: Back now comes complete with pain patch; shares have been purchased in the pain pill company and DH has ample reason to mock me.

Curtain closed.
(You may laugh now)

Erosion and storage

Now how's that for a title?

There are two things I wanted to mention here that I thought you might find interesting...

1. The Erosion Bundle Project. I know this was supposed to begin Jan. 1 and I'm a bit late starting but I simply haven't had time to get mine ready yet. The idea is that you make up a bundle of 'things' (paper, fabric, rusty bits, yarn...whatever), wrap them in fabric and then put them outside in the weather from now until April 15 when you retrieve the bundle(s) and then create art with the pieces. You have until Aug. 1st to complete an art piece with your bundled items. You can hang your bundle outside or bury it if you prefer. You can get more information either at the Erosion Bundle Project site or you can go here to read about a previous project. I think it sounds like fun and is something I would love to take part in. Let me know if you decide you're doing it too!

Wanna see Shudayra?

Yvonne is the latest to work on my Shudayra. I'm so excited about the coolaberation because all the artists involved have been adding such great details to all the dolls.

I feel as though January is slipping away on me, and it's only the 5th. Today we had to get groceries which is always a royal pain. On the bright side though, I got to Michaels and Chapters! I need to make two or three pairs of felted slippers and #2 son has requested a scarf, so I came home with yarn. Paperclay too (this time the 'real' stuff, not the second rate junk from the dollar store). Can't wait to have a play with it to see how it acts!

Of dragons and dreams

I don't think I've ever mentioned that I like dragons. I don't know exactly why I like dragons, but I do. You can just imagine how surprised (and totally honoured) I was when Amy asked me to be a tester on her latest pattern for...are you ready?.....a dragon!! My studio NEEDS a resident dragon and I can't wait to play with this pattern. Amy blogs at An Li Na Designs and has posted lots of pictures of her prototype. Please have a look here and you'll see what I'm excited about! Be sure to scroll down to see more pictures. She has generously allowed me to talk about my dragon here, so stay tuned for updates!

I'm planning to write a list (oh, horrors!) of my dreams for this year, seal them in an envelope which I will open the beginning of 2011. I wonder just how many of them I might manage to make come true? Anybody want to join me just for the fun of it?

Right now I'm totally frustrated because I have several projects I'm so anxious to start working on and, of course, my 'tricky' finger has decided to act up again. For some reason it decides to undergo a massive peel prefaced by turning all hard. Right now it's done the peel part and is just dry and tender. It happens every couple of months & is extremely sore and makes me pretty much at a standstill for any needlework, which drives me completely stircrazy. I have tried every cream/lotion/antibiotic and nothing seems to help or cure it. Sigh. I know, do I have a little cheese to go along with that whine?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Oops. Even the clock is tipsy! I just found out that the Vista program is different from what I'm used to and had to go through a lot of challenges to even get the picture on here that I did!
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Anyhoo....

Because today is the last day of 2009, I suppose I ought to be thinking about some resolutions for the new year, but I won't. There's no point in my making any, because I know by the 2nd of January they'd all be broken anyway!

My goals for the year are pretty much the same as they were last year - to reduce my stash and try very hard not to buy too much in the way of new 'stuff'. I particularly want to reduce my pile of recycled denim to something that will take up only one shelf. I know I could do that simply by getting rid of the excess, but I don't feel right about doing that.

- I am getting the urge to begin another crazy quilt project, but I don't know what it will be yet. I'm toying with several ideas but haven't settled on anything.

- I want to make more art dolls using mixed media and recycled components.

- The pile of UFO's needs to be dealt with, at least partially.

- The yarn I won last year is still waiting to be cast on and I hope to do that over the winter.

- There will have to be another round of felted slippers because the ones I made a couple of years ago are starting to wear out and noises are being made that new pairs are required. Never did make a pair for myself either!

- I hope to experiment more with mixed media, but in what form I don't know. I have this inward requirement that what I make needs to be useful in some way and it's not enough to just churn out pieces of art for the sake of doing it.

- I don't intend to sign up for any more challenges (yeah, yeah, you've heard that before and you know I won't stick to it), other than in the Art Doll group. I'm loving the collaboration and the challenges there so that is important for me to continue.

Beyond those things, I can't think of anything else. I want to expand my RAOK's over the next year and I also want to spend more time with my family and friends.
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Right now, I want to wish all my friends (both in-ternet and in-flesh) and family a very happy, healthy and creative 2010. May only good things happen in your world - for both you, and yours. Happy New Year!

Bliss!

Mitzy and Odin, dozing on the couch after Christmas. Too much turkey do you think?

Another icicle doll & a rant

Here's the little icicle doll I made for Arlee for a wee giftie. She doesn't 'do' Christmas, so I can't really call it a Christmas gift! These are her colours, so I was pretty sure she'd like it.

Now for the rant part of this post. I know I've mentioned before just how lacking this area is in the ability to find supplies for art/crafting. Front page article in our local paper is that our one and only semi-decent source for anything is closing in March. Although Fabricland doesn't carry a whole lot beyond fabric and the necessary things to work with it, it will be sorely missed. The closest one is over thirty miles away.

We have over 200 members in our local quilt guild, many of whom are elderly and unable to travel any distance to get supplies. We have a very active Victoria's Quilts organization here too - where are they going to get materials to work with? Where are we going to get simple things like a decent spool of thread? Sewing machine needles?

I have never been in Fabricland but what it wasn't busy and, according to the paper, they have been doing quite well. So why would they be forced to close? According to the report, they want something bigger (and cheaper to rent) - which is impossible to find here.

We do have a tiny little fabric store downtown, but the fabric is old and moldy (well maybe not really, but it's been in the store forever so it SHOULD be moldy!). The man that runs it is a complete jerk, so not very many people darken the doorstep. His thread is the cheapest you can get and won't work in most machines.

Our town isn't THAT small and is growing but you'd certainly never know it by the services we have. There has been an ongoing battle over the possibility of getting a WalMart - it's been raging for almost ten years and still no progress. Our factories are pretty much gone. We blame the city council for most of it. They refuse to make decisions for fear of offending already existing businesses - and then they wonder why people go out of town to shop?

There are several smaller towns nearby that are doing quite well. They cater to the tourist trade and have shops that reflect that. We could have a vibrant downtown too, if there was a little thought put into it.

Fabricland closing is just another blow.

Another learning curve!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and peaceful Christmas. I, of course, ate too much but that's a normal occurrence at Christmas!! We finally resorted to putting some of the chocolate in the freezer for a later date. If it's out where I can see it, there's no possible way it's going to last.

I had a huge shock when I opened my gifts. Shawn, RJ, Shawns girlfriend, and Jack went together and got me a new computer! I was rather expecting a new flat screen monitor because I've been borrowing one from Shawn for a few months, so I wasn't overly surprised when it was the first gift I opened. It's not quite as big as the one Shawn had loaned me and fits my space much better. I was a happy camper................................

................and then...................................

Gift # 2 also came in heavy box. I had absolutely no clue what was inside and you can imagine my surprise when I realized it was a new computer! I was completely stunned.

It's beautiful, it's wonderful, it's FAST, it's waaaaay smaller than my old one and gives me a lot more desk room. Right now it has Vista, but Shawn has ordered the newest Windows program. Of course Vista is way beyond what I had before, so there's a big learning curve.

I've spent most of today fiddling about with 'the book' because I found that the font I was using on the old computer isn't available on the new one, so I've had to do some changing about. That's a minor detail though!

Now Jack will 'inherit' my old one (despite his protests that he really doesn't want to play around with a computer). Nobody wants it, so he might as well spend some time learning on it.Who knows, I might be creating a monster if he finds out how much fun it is!! He's NOT getting his hands on mine!

Thanks guys! You're the best!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS!!

I don't expect to be on the computer too much until after Christmas, so I want to take this opportunity to wish you and everyone you hold dear a most happy, healthy and wonderful Christmas.

(The illustration is an advertisement from the December 1922 issue of Needlecraft Magazine).

Art dolls to see

If you are interested in seeing what our dolls from the Art Doll Coolaberation 2009 are looking like now, check them out at the blog here. Gail, our fearless leader, has done a great job of keeping the blog up to date and showing marvelous pictures of our dolls.

As a reminder, mine is Shudayra (and I think she's looking absolutely wonderful)!

Another tote

Are you sick of seeing these yet?

That ****** Plant

My white Christmas cactus is in full bloom right now and is exceeding itself with blossoms as you can see.

There is a story behind this plant (which I've told here before but, because I have some new readers, I will repeat it. My mother absolutely hated white flowers in any form and if one had the audacity to rear its' head in her garden, it would meet a rapid demise. My husband had formed the habit of buying my mother a plant or flower for Christmas each year, which was something she always loved.

UNTIL.......


....the year he found a pretty little cactus in her *favourite* colour and couldn't resist buying it for her, knowing full well she would hate it. He has a diabolical sense of humour. So, Christmas came and Mom opened the wrapping and, through gritted teeth, said 'Thank you, John".

She dutifully hung her gift in the living room window and, we know, hoped that it would die - sooner rather than later. It didn't oblige and happily bloomed at least twice a year at which point we would get a phone call to say "You know that damned plant? It's blooming...again".

This went on for a number of years until finally she announced that she was never going to water that thing again and surely it would die. Well, you guessed it....

"You know that damned plant? It's blooming....again!".

Needless to say, when my mother passed away, that damned plant was the only one I kept! It blooms every year and we laugh every time.

Denim tote+stash reduction

I reduced some of my recycled denim stash making this tote for a Christmas gift. The picture above is the front and the side view is below. There's a pocket on each side which might be handy to carry a cell phone.
The pattern is Simplicity 2597 and I know I'll be making more of these!

More icicle dolls...and Peace

Here are three more little icicle dolls I just completed. I think these are addictive because they're so much fun to do. Thanks once again to Belinda Schneider for the pattern!

Icicle swap doll!

Look what came in the mail today - my swap doll from Dolores! I love her and she's already in a place of honour on my tree. Isn't her face pretty - I think she looks so serene. It was really hard to get a decent picture of her, but hopefully clicking on her will give you more detail.

I can't show a picture quite yet of the one I made for my partner, because I was a day late mailing her and I don't want to spoil the surprise. Once she arrives, you will get to see her.

The Decidedly Different Doll group is doing the swap, using the original concept from Belinda Schneider and you can get the pattern and more information from her site here.

Thanks again Dolores!

Tabula Rosa is here!

How nice that the Queen of Hearts and Tabula Rosa (and her llama) have a couple of days to visit before the Queen heads off for her next adventure. I haven't heard the Queen screaming 'Off With Her Head' yet, so she must be happy with her new confidante. All the same, I think I'll keep them in separate boxes - just in case!

Be sure to click on the picture so you can see all the lovely details on Tabby. She has a wonderful felted llama along with her and be sure to check out her hands...gorgeous. She has a beautiful felted cape (serape?) too, and her hat is so stylish!

Yuletide Prayer

The following poem is one of my favourites about this season of the year. It was originally published in the 12/20/88 issue of Woman's Day magazine and was written by Jo Carr. It sums up a lot of my feelings about Christmas....

YULETIDE PRAYER

Dear Lord,
'Tis the season to be merry and I'm not, really.
'Tis the season of goodwill, of general
and particular blessedness, of
worship and praise and warmth of heart...
And I, like the Grinch, have spiders in my spirit, and garlic in my soul.
And I come in confession and remorse,
asking You for.....for Christmas.
Is it the dither, Lord, that sets my day on edge?
Is it the too-muchness, the lavishness,
the extended list that gnaws at my
extended self? Hmmm I do believe I could trim
a thing or two off that list.
Is it that I am trying to make a Production out of
Christmas when what I really want is a Presence?
That I'm trying to guarantee, by my own
efforts, what can come only as a gift, by Thine?
Is it the begrudging, Lord? That I want to
do lovely things for my loved ones,
only I resent the time spent "doing" for
the one I am so irked at right now....
or that I want to do gracious helpful
things for nebulous "others," but I
certainly want to know that they will
appreciate my efforts adequately!
Forgive my begrudging, Father, and my
strings attached.
Forgive my Production, and my dither,
And fill me with carols of hope, and
hymns of praise.
And prayers of deep joy....
fill me with Christmas.
Amen.

by Jo Carr

Just a sucker.....

....for a new book! I've been reading a few reviews online for this book and they all seem positive, so I bought myself an early Christmas present. I haven't really been able to dive into it like I would love to do, but it seems to be as interesting as I have been led to believe. I think it's going to be perfect bedtime reading! (ISBN-13:978-1-59253-531-6, copyright 2009, published by Quarry Books).

Weekend doings

We actually were away overnight which doesn't happen very often. We really can't leave Dad and the dogs for any length of time, but sometimes we can do one night, as long as we come home early the next day.

Anyway...we went to the 'One of A Kind' craft show in Toronto with our #2 son and his GF. It's the first time we've been able to go and it was great. Wish we could have had more than two hours to see everything, but at least we had an overview of what's there and we now know we'll be going again another year.

Two of the artists that really impressed me have web sites, so you can have a look if you'd like. Jamie Brick does the most fantastic sculptures using driftwood, old silver tea service pieces, and a bit of polymer clay for the details. His work is very unusual and very amusing too. You can have a look here.

The other one I fell in love with was a booth full of great little dolls. Kate Church does whimsical and highly detailed dolls. She also teaches classes at the Haliburton School of Fine Arts, but they are quite expensive by the time you are done. I think the week long class itself is $275 which doesn't include the supplies. Then you have to find a place to stay AND your meals on top of that. It would be a wonderful dream to be able to go, but totally out of my financial abilities. Plus which, her work would intimidate the daylights out of me!

There were a number of booths filled with tons of inspirational jackets and vests. Of course our time constraints didn't let me do enough snooping to see what was being done. What I saw sure looked fun though!

Maybe next year.....

Sending out wishes.....

....for a very happy and safe Thanksgiving to my American friends.

ATC's and crayons

Today was our CQTeers meeting and, as always, I came home with some pretty cool atcs to add to my collection. This month our theme was 'artist choice'. The picture above shows what we did. The top two were by me; Sue did the one on the bottom left (encaustic); Kym the one in the middle (zentangle); and Irene the one on the right (a mini doll).

Sue taught us how to do encaustic painting using an iron and kids crayons (who knew!). I can see I have a long way to go with this technique, but it was a lot of fun. I have decided I need to invest in a thrift store iron with a solid plate. Mine has holes for the steam and, despite covering it with aluminum foil, seemed to have spots that didn't work so well. These are done on the cardboard which comes in packages of panty hose...it has a 'shiny' side which helps the crayon wax not to melt directly into the paper. Some of my experiments are below....

Still here!

I'm still here, but been running the roads (altogether too much for my liking!) for the past few days. I will be back to the normal posting schedule later in the week. In the meantime, feel free to chat amongst yourselves!

Internet connections

No picture again today, because it's been another of those non-creative days. I've been considering this post for awhile, so here goes.....
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I've been wanting to comment on how the internet has affected my life - especially the blogging world. I began this blog awhile ago at the urging of a friend. I did not want a blog; I did not want to be responsible; I didn't know what to write about; and all sorts of other excuses I can't remember now. She bullied me into it (and, after all that work on her part, she has subsequently quit blogging herself!).

Initially my blog for for myself alone. I never expected anybody to read it (with the possible exception of my kids and then only when I told them they had to). Suddenly I'm finding myself with readers - and more than one or two at that! How did that happen? What have I managed to find to blather on about that could possibly be of interest to anyone out there in the 'net world? It never ceases to amaze me.

I used (and continue to use) my blog mainly as a form of responsibility to myself. I try to do projects in order to have something to put up as a picture and/or post. It keeps me producing things because I know I 'need' to make that post every day, or as close to every day as I can manage.

Suddenly one person began reading, and commenting! I was blown away. This person wasn't a personal friend (who felt a certain amount of responsibility to read just because of the friendship). No, this was a complete stranger who felt moved to announce their presence and, wonder of wonders, kept coming back. Wow.

Then more people started making the odd comment and I got one of those sidebar 'things' that tells me where people are visiting from. Wow again. I've even discovered other blogs have posted links about me and people are coming and visiting from all over the world. Mind boggling!

I reached the milestone of a hundred posts, then two hundred and now I'm nearing a thousand. Who would have ever thought that would happen - certainly not moi!

There is another aspect to blogging that is the most exciting of all, and that is my being able to 'meet' other bloggers and start to share a bit in their lives and admire their art from a distance. I've taken part in some swaps and received some pretty awe-some pieces in exchange for something I have made. I've done some round robins with people I have met over the web. I've even won a few blog draws along the way.

I never cease to be amazed and humbled by the generosity of other bloggers. Just this week I received a wonderful handmade card (and atc) from one blogger and a package of ephemera from another. Another is sending me some art supplies to play with and another sent me that lovely doll head you saw a few posts ago. They send these things from the goodness of their hearts and expect nothing in return. It's amazing the community that can be built with people whom you've never met in person but feel that you've known over a cup of tea and cookies in your own kitchen. I never would have imagined what has come out of my little bitty blog!

It's a pretty wonderful community I've found and I'm SO glad I jumped in and began this journey. Here's to the future!
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And, yes, there will be a giveaway when I reach that 1000th post (probably sometime in the new year)

Sinning - in the BEST way!

I know I promised this blog would not become a recipe blog, however, if you are a chocoholic like I am - you NEED THIS RECIPE!!!! Sinful, mouth-wateringly delicious, and most definitely orgasmic (sorry, but no other word describes it half as well). Mmmmmmm...

This came from the current issue of Kraft Foods 'What's Cooking' magazine...
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Peanut Butter Cup Pie

1 1/4 cups Oreo baking crumbs (we used no-name)
1/4 cup butter, melted (we used margarine)
1 pkg. (250 g) Philadelphia Brick Cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon Smooth Peanut Butter, divided
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding
2 cups thawed Cool Whip whipped topping, divided
3 squares Bakers Semi-Sweet Chocolate

-Combine crumbs and butter and press into bottom & up sides of 9" pie plate. Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup peanut butter until well blended. Add milk and dry pudding mix. Beat 2 mins. Whisk in 1 cup Cool Whip. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate.
-Microwave remaining Cool Whip and chocolate on High 1 1/2 - 2 mins. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each minute. Cool completely.
-Spread chocolate mixture over filling in crust.
-Microwave remaining peanut butter for 30 sec. Stir and drizzle over pie.
-Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.
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If you like Peanut Butter Cup chocolate bars you will be in love with this pie! Every mouthful is divine and elicits an involuntary 'mmmm' as you're eating it - guaranteed.

Enjoy and let me know if you try it!

Answer to pie questions

A couple of people have asked me what Bisquick is. It's a commercial product marketed under the name of Bisquick and, I think, made by Betty Crocker.

However, there are homemade alternatives you can use if you are unable to find Bisquick in your area. Here are a couple of recipes....

#1
1/2 cup baking powder
1/4 cup white sugar
9 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup canola oil
Sift the baking powder, sugar and flour together. Slowly add oil, cutting in with pastry blender until it looks somewhat like cornmeal. Store tightly covered.

The above obviously makes a large amount. The recipe below makes only 3 cups...
#2
2 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
Follow the same directions as above.

Also, try Googling Bisquick alternatives and you should find several ideas there. Hope this helps!

A hedgehog? Who knew!

I know, I've taken leave of what's left of my brain with this one! However, there IS a reason why this little hedgehog got created. Gail added a wonderful pink flamingo to the Queen's journal and I simply HAD to add the hedgehog to go along with it. Hopefully you remember the story of Alice In Wonderland and the croquet match with the flamingo mallets and hedgehogs for balls?

Jack carved the little body and drilled lots of tiny (and I mean lots!) wee holes. I then cut some 'straw' from our broom and glued them, piece by piece, into the holes to create his 'fur'. Then he got a trim job and a face painting and he's done. The whole thing is about 2 1/2" in size.

The Queen of Hearts has more!

...pages in her journal....
and more pages from her journal.....
and more.....
She has a huge diamond ring!
AND a pillow to sit her Queenly derriere on! Every Queen needs a soft place to rest. Perhaps if she has a nice pillow, she will be happier and not scream 'Off With Her Head' quite so much??
Yeah, I didn't think so.

of heads and totes

Yvonne and I did a trade...one of her wonderful doll heads for one of my denim bags. I got the absolute BEST end of the deal!! Just look at this face. I can hardly wait to start making a doll to go along with it. I just hope I can do it justice!

As for the bag, I tried to make a 'doll' bag, but I can see my photo taking abilities aren't the best. Her hair is pretty much covering her face in the picture. Hopefully Yvonne will have better luck at photographing it. She is juggling..."Wife, Mother, Daughter, Artist, Self" which is a theme I have wanted to do for awhile. This was a perfect excuse! Thanks Yvonne!!!!

Journal pages for Queen of Hearts

Here are two of the journal pages I've completed for the Queen of Hearts....

Dentists and other things

Today I went to the dentist. He is a nice guy. He has a nice office. He has a nice receptionist. He has nice shiny instruments. He has two dead flies in his light fixture.

I have a new filling. My new filling fills the big hole where the old one fell out. I have a big hole in my bank account.

My nice dentist told me that I need one, two, three caps. His nice receptionist told me each one would cost almost one thousand dollars.

I feel sick.

How about Chocolate?

No creativity again today, but lots of errands done. We got the paint for our bedroom after months of saving our Canadian Tire bonus 'money' (points, whatever you want to call it!), which is what Jack and I are giving each other for Christmas this year. It came on sale and, with all the 'money' we had, we managed to get all three cans for $20. Now we just have to come up with the oomph to actually DO the job!!

Pam asked me for this recipe so I thought maybe I would also share it here. My husband came up with this after experimenting for awhile. He finally has made the perfect version and I won't allow him to change anything! Let me know if you make it.

JACK'S IMPOSSIBLE CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE
- 5 eggs
- 3 cups milk
- 1/2 cup margarine
- 5 tablespoons cocoa powder (mixed with an additional 2 1/2 tablespoons margarine)*
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup peanut butter (optional, if you are allergic)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2/3 cup Bisquick
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3/4 cup coconut (flaked or whatever you happen to have on hand)

Combine all but the coconut in a blender and blend on high for about a minute. Pour into a large greased pie plate. Sprinkle with coconut. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until 'set'.
*the reason he mixes the cocoa powder with the 2 1/2 tablespoons margarine is to stop the cocoa powder from flying around the kitchen when you turn the blender on. You don't have to do this, but beware the fine powder that will coat everything and NOT end up in your pie!

Before you ask, no, this isn't going to turn into a recipe blog! I just had to come up with something to mumble about.

Mumblings

I have no pictures. I have no productiveness going on whatsoever. Life is getting in the way of creativity at the moment and I don't like it! So, you shall be mumbled at tonight.
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Just got back from taking my Dad to the local clinic to get some prescriptions refilled. The joys of not having a family doctor are many, believe me. We have to line up outside and wait til the place opens, which isn't such a bad thing in the summer time, but not any fun at all in the winter or when it's raining. It's a delicate balancing act as to what time you should arrive...too early and the wait is horrible but at least you might get in. Too late and you won't have to wait outside, but chances are they will have closed the doors and won't be letting any more in. Such a joy when you figure that the poor people waiting outside in all weather are most likely sick and bound to get sicker out in the cold.

At least Dad got his prescriptions looked after and got two new ones for his bed sore, which, because he sits on his derriere most of the time, is ON his derriere. I never signed up for playing nurse and having to peer at my fathers backside on a daily basis, but that appears to be my lot in life right now. I'm sure he's just about as thrilled at the prospect as I am! Between shoving pills down the dogs throat, throwing drops in his eyes and now anointing human butts with various creams - I'm gonna hang out my shingle for medical care!
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Typed the 235th page of 'the book' today, so that should mean I'm a little over half way through. I know y'all were waiting with bated breath to hear how it's progressing. You weren't? Oh. Sorry.
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If you know anybody who is vegetarian (or anybody who isn't), here's a recipe we've tried a couple of times and really like....

VEGETARIAN SWEET & SOUR MEATBALLS
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup fine chopped onion
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
- 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs (or plain ones work too)

Mix the above together and form into meatballs, approx. 2" in size, & put into a 9x13" pan.

Sweet & Sour Sauce:
- 1/4 c. vegetable oil
- 1/4 c. white vinegar
- 3/4 c. apricot jam
- 1 c. ketchup
- 1/4 c. minced onion
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- dash of hot pepper sauce

Combine & pour over meatballs. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Our DIL-to-be is vegetarian and she really liked these too. Our chef son thinks the 'meat' part could be used to make lasagna, but we haven't tried it yet. We aren't vegetarians, but we do eat meat-less quite a bit.
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We had a skiff of snow on the ground this morning when I got up. I wanted to go back to bed and not look outside again until May!
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There, that's enough mumbling for one day. Can't risk boring my audience you know!! I'll try to do better tomorrow.

Queen of Hearts is here

The next doll, belonging to Jeanne, in the Art Doll Coolaberation has arrived. There was a great ruckus on my front step this afternoon, which set the dogs barking and the cats running for cover. I reached the door just in time to see the postal vehicle screeching away from the curb, obviously in a tearing hurry to get away. I didn't even have to look to know who had arrived! The Queen of Hearts was here and, in her usual demanding way, wanted OUT of her box to see where she was. I think part of the racket was the Simpsons telling her to shut up, but then again, maybe it was HER telling them to get out of her face. I can't say I wasn't warned about her, so I made sure to stock up on ear plugs and I have a padded room all ready.

The first thing she did when she popped out of her box was to look around my studio and she wasn't long narrowing in on the best seat in the house. She turfed my poor doll out and settled herself, all ready to rock. Now she's demanding a cushion to rest her royal bum upon!

She's a beautiful doll and I can't wait for her to tell me what she wants!