Thursday, November 29, 2007

Nightmare of a Month

Wow, I'm so glad this month is finally ending and HOPE next month will be better!

It all started with a cold I got at the beginning of the month that just won't go away ( Probably from one of the Halloweeners we got this year). Every time I start to feel better it comes back the next day. It makes me so tired I'm having trouble finishing anything. I cut out 5 tree top angel/fairies, 2 elves and 2 snow girls right at the beginning of the month and am still working on the tree toppers (haven't started the others yet). Three are done, whoo hoo!

I'd post pictures but that leads me to my next headache. My so easy to use Kodak camera quit working Thanksgiving morning. The lens won't extend. Seems this is a problem with this type of camera. Wonder if house dust causes this? It sits in it's dock ready to go all the time. Maybe I needed a camera cozy! I'm trying to decide whether to have it fixed, buy a new one, or learn to use the husbands complicated dig cam. It's so frustrating that the camera broke because I'm always SO careful with it. It never leaves the house & never has been dropped. I HATE STUFF BREAKING!!!!

Speaking of stuff breaking there's my clothes dryer. It was working fine, dried 3 loads but when I put in the 4th, POOF! Broke! Worse my regular repair guy isn't answering his messages. That was on Monday and I'm still waiting. This Monday I call someone else. It's so cold out but I'm hanging laundry outside and in the basement. Not looking forward to hanging all the whites tomorrow! I know, I know I could take them to the landro but I hate to sit around in there. It's hard to breath when I don't have a cold but now I'd be a runny mess from all the steam.

Then there's our sewer. It started backing up into the basement drains the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Got the drains cleaned out and then yesterday they started again. Thank goodness I have a great sewer guy who came back, fixed it and didn't charge me again. We have to have them cleaned out every fall. It's either that or cut done trees (NEVER!).

One of the ebay groups I joined is doing an ornament exchange. I got someone who sells primitive embroidery so I'm doing a slide charm ,unsoldiered cause I haven't taken the time to learn how to yet! I finished it this morning and I really like it. I wraped it with rusty wire and added 2 rusty snowflakes and a bell. At the top I put torn strips of plaid homespun and narrow vintage looking tinsel garland. I also plan on making a folded envelope to put it in and will send a few of my tatted wreath pins. Gotta get it in the mail by Sat!

I'm off to see if I can join another halloween group at eBay. It's the one I originally wanted to join but they weren't taking new members at the time, now they are. Wish me luck!

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Dreams of actually finishing things!

I'm trying to move on to making things for Christmas to put up on eBay but have come down with a nasty cold that has sapped most of my strength.

I'm working on 5 tree top angels at one time. Last night got most of an Americana one done. The others need dressed, they all need hair and faces done. I really like making these and hope they'll sell. I saw a tree top snowman on eBay yesterday that looked just like the pattern I had printed in Soft Dolls & Animals. I'm thinking about selling the snowman I made for the magazine. I am filling too many Rubbermaid tubs with dolls from magazines and patterns.

With no Joann fabrics local any more it's become harder to find what I need. I bought some great vintage looking thin tinsel at www.backporchpickins.com and some rusty bells and wire. I'm having a go at folk art prim dolls. This is so new for me. I've cut out 2 snow people and will sew them when I get the toppers done. I also have 2 cute elves to sew up. Don't know if I'll even get to the snow fairies I planned on making. EBay has so many fairy makers, mostly sculpted clay.

I'm finding it interesting finding how folk art designers are staining fabric. Some use tea or coffee with vanilla or cinnamon, some actually rub spices into the dolls for a grungy look, and a few are using dye or watered down paint. I prefer tea or natural dye. For the Americana doll I quick dyed the fabric with cutch bark that I bought years ago. It's a great color but leaves an odd smell. I think I'll spray her with some tea to cover it. I have a box of natural dyes I had planned on using to dye ribbon and pearl cotton to sell but never got around to. Every summer I take some white fabric cut into quilter's quarters and have fun dying it.

It's time to get back to work. Hope to finish at least 3 of the dolls by Saturday!

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Searching For the Perfect Group~

Are you like me and have been searching for the perfect doll making group to join? Just when I said I was leaving most of my Yahoo groups I signed up to join 3 more! Two are pending so I have to wait to see what happens there. One is a local Pittsburgh group and even though I won't be going to monthly meeting it would be cool to be a member.

This time I have to be cruel, I have to try them out and if they're not right get out before I feel I have to stay. Yahoo groups are so easy to and then can take way too much time. I can't be involved any more with groups that expect full participation, no must sends, trades , or must participates. Of the five eBay groups I joined last week I'm ready to leave one, maybe 2.

I find it hard to leave the groups I've joined all because of a graphics tag group I belonged to ages ago. This was before Gmail and my email wouldn't handle the large volume so I had to leave to stop the bouncing. The moderator of this group had a set email to those who leave that was so mean and just down right rude that I now break out in a sweat whenever I leave a group hoping never to come across another leave message like that again. I used to make up being ill but now I just admit I'm too busy to stay. Some one should start a web site with excusses to use when you need to leave any group!

Hope you all had a fun Halloween! I had trick or treaters for the first time in 2 years!

I'm way behind with sewing again having spent too much time on this group fixation I've developed. I had planned on posting 3 baby dragons in a cage on eBay this weekend but I've yet to finish cutting them out. I did get a new pattern from Back Porch Pickins. Yes I do buy other people's patterns! It's the only way for me to learn new techniques other than take online classes. Tonya has great prices on rusty stuff and tinsel garland. She also doesn't over charge on postage. Makes me realize just how bad my web site ordering needs updated!