more of the same....

I started these houses last year and have loved picking this and that to complete them this year.So much fun!

the twelve hundred projects of Christmas..

So I decided that I needed to update this place for all my readers out there...all 29 of you!  If any of you know me, I am always thinking of the next project.  And gathering stuff for it is the WAY FUN part....so bear with me my people...this post is a lonnnnnnnnngggggggg one!

Had an old sweater laying around needing to be a FOX, cuz "WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY" anyway??

 Just love these gnomes from last year and to lead the way...and the "Tompte" that Debra made me.

My newest nativity that I placed inside a childrens bible....

two new garlands for my lamp posts outside that are now covered in FROST and SNOW...

Look close there is a little gnome in there...and these  cloches are made from dollar store plastic goblets!

Such a fun way to make a little scene....cloroxing trees and putting pink fur muffs on little girls....

and there is BABY Evie all wrapped in pink fur!!

My daughter Alicia (my #1 fan) made me this lovely garland that matches last years wreath!!

just the flyer that I sent out with my class order....

Pink trees to go with my pink "PUTZ VILLAGE" that I started last year and am finishing up.  Pics to follow...

So there are more projects to come and I will endeavor to get them posted soon....meanwhile I will be gathering and glueing and not sleeping....

kisses

Alane

The Pumpkin punt

I saw a really cool fall display with a big white pumpkin.

I began a hunt for a large fake pumpkin....

and I found nada, zero and not even a large 

orange pumpkin.

I was not deterred.

I was determined to have a large white pumpkin.

So I began searching online for a tut

on how to make your own pumpkin.

I found out that there is a huge underground

of people that make things from materials that 

I had never heard of.

I GOT EXCITED.

I searched for my own raw materials and started  cutting 

and glueing and trying to figure out 

what the heck I was doing...

I had this vine pumpkin and figured it would be a great armature for what I wanted to do.. I found these plumbing tubes at Home Depot for 2.47 for 4..... that is after I looked several places for foam tubes for swiming..
found one in the basement!

I covered it in foam because I wanted the finished gourd to be larger....

I then began splitting the plumbing foam tubes in two and tapering the ends and hot glueing them onto the base.

I mixed up this concoction that I had learned about on the internet...called MONSTER MUD.  It is a mixture of drywall compound and latex paint....
I applied it liberally over the entire surface.  THIS WAS FUN!!

what i don't have a picture of is the disaster I came to see the next morning...cracking and peeling MONSTER MUD!!
I was so mad.  So I went back to the drawing board and went back to the hardware store for something that could handle the bounciness of the foam...
I got some wood filler and smoothed it over...and mixed another batch of MONSTER MUD..and slathered...
and it worked!

I smoothed between each layer of MUD and latex paint.  It added the elasticity that I needed. YAY!!

I smoothed and sanded and realized that it had been a long time since I had sculpted...and I remembered how much I
loved it in college.  I almost hated to finish it...

but i did and then painted the stem and added a few details.  More drying time and then it was ready for debut!

Look at him there in all his whiteness and glory...Just so fun don't you think?  I had a bit of MONSTER MUD left over and I started looking around for something else to smother it on...hmmm.
Oh and the Pumpkin Punt?
Isn't that what you do when you are out of options?  No more running aound to find a pumpkin...
I punted and made one!

Whoooooo

Hallo Fall.  

Any crafter knows that you must be thinking a season ahead in order to get things done for said holiday.  I began thinking about this guy in late August!  But these things take some real pondering and careful execution of craft supplies.  One might need to go and buy more.  Probably not, but just in CASE.

many coffee filters stacked and glued on each other....

wings are made from music with a wire inserted and cut into feathers.

for his back, some dark colored filters

His eyes are surrounded by vintage ribbon and glitter.

The finished one....love his feathery chest of filters and glittering nose....

Never EVER land

I have always loved dolls.  I asked for a baby doll every Christmas until I was 13.  I played with Barbies and Skipper, Little Kiddles and troll dolls.  I have made lots of doll clothes for my girls and look forward to making them for my grand daughters.
When I make a new doll, I can hardly wait until I start another.  I get a kick out of making little clothes and hair dos and little purses, and shoes oh my.  Well, here is my latest one and I am dreaming up another and calling them the "Penny For your Thoughts" dolls.  Each comes with a tag that says,"A penny for your Thoughts" because they still matter to me.  A sweet way to say hello to a friend far away or across the street.
Because, a penny doesn't hold up much in the world these days, but for a thought?  It still hold lots of meaning...

So the title of this post says it all.  I don't ever want to be too grown up for dolls.  Not EVER.

  I saw a planter like this once when I was on a trip inVancouver WA.  They were stunning and their pots of flowers everywhere were mind blowing.  So this planted the seed to make one of my own.  I looked on the internet and they do sell containers that you can mount on a steel pole for about 75 bucks.  I was determined to figure it out by myself and make one cheaper.

I am thrilled with the result and my cost was well under 35 dollars.  Of course that doesn't include the flowers!

now it is 3 weeks out and growing and filling in like mad...Hooray!!

Studio stuff on hand and being a paper shoe cobbler.

The beauty of having lots of stuff in my studio is that I can have many projects going at once....or is that just me with adult ADHD?  Bad part is never finishing all of them...but that is because I have to come upstairs and cook and clean and yes even sleep.
LATEST OBSSESSION????  These paper shoes...http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
I saw the pattern and tut on Pinterest and so I went there and began gathering and gluing and soon became addicted...and so far?  The only thing I have bought is 72 cents worth of black tulle.  HA!

Okay, so are they not so FUN???  And  they look super cute stuffed with kisses and  tied up with more RIBBON...

oh, and when you have a ribbon, doo-dads, and tulle and cute papers, and ENDLESS FABRIC..well

you must 

MAKE PRETTY SHOES!!