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!!

Ugly duckling

Saw this on Pinterest the other day and went right out and got some cute vinyl to cover my UGLY cookie sheet.

Of course, I didn't read the directions...ha.  That would have made it TOO easy.  But stay with me here.

If I WOULD have done that I would have bought the strong (heavy duty adhesive spray listed) instead of struggling with my glue gun.  But then she and her friend used just regular fabric and I used something that could be wiped off.  And I added handles.  I am thinking more of bbq stuff and Koolaid pitchers and cookies.

Anyway, I love it so much, I will make another one and then go and buy myself some new cookie SHEETS!!

Here is how she goes...

Get 1/2 yd of fabric...

Buy some handles of choice and measure the width and drill two holes on the top of the rim.  (I didn't use this hand drill and in fact went and bought a new metal drill bit. Worked great.














I then just wrapped the covering around from front to back and began glueing with the glue gun.  Corners were a bit tricky but I just slit them into the corner and forged ahead.

  (I noticed on the video--that with the fabric they just stretched it as they went.  Vinyl doesn't stretch...)  I then cut a piece for the back that hid most of the little pleats around the corners.  I inserted the handles and done!  Fun stuff.

Craving

http://pinterest.com/pin/230528074648512472/ yup..this is the place to NOT go if you are craving soft pretzels.  You should NOT go there and read the directions and know that you have everything on hand, except the butter.  You should NOT have Emma run over to the neighbors and BORROW butter.  BUT YOU DO...
They were so easy and came out a little wonky on the first tray  but better looking on the second.  And did they deliver???Oh, man did they ever.  Chewy, sweet/salty, crusty...just right.  I tried not to eat a piece of all of them.  But then they did disappear pretty fast....

Rachel and Em help on the roll the snake part.  Emma's had a  suspicious lump in the middle.  I almost fired her when she suggested that it was a mouse!

better looking on this tray.....

look at these lovely things....ah.

Spring anyone?

It has been a COLD winter.  The weatherman says that out of 73 days of winter (really only 73?  Feels mor like 773 days to me..) that we have had 66 days of lower than normal temperatures.  BRRRR.  Oh, Florida. Where oh where are you?
So, I decided to just start here in the middle of nowhere and blog again.  I will give the 3 sentence rundown.
Rachel finally got a GREAT job.  Stacey is still at BYU and is instructed NOT to look at boys.  Neil still has no job.  Emma is a middle schooler and loves her cat.  Alicia is expecting #2 pink baby and is the usual sicky, sick.  Brian and Claire continue to read lots of books and watch TC Dvds.  Steven, Meredith and kiddos, Ella and Thomas are flowing along in Denver.  Don continues to travel lots and I don't do very well at housework.
So I will just dump a few pictures in here for good measure and then try to do better.  Do not count on it.

making donuts on Conference morning.

BFF's...really