Pas de Deux

For the past three weeks I have been a part of a class online with Doll Street Dreamers making a pair of dolls by Barbara Schoenoff called Pas de Deux.

This is my pair finished today.

The girl is 20 inches and boy, as he's bowing, is 18 inches.

Some time ago I bought a Country Casuals jacket in a charity shop for £4.  Not because I would wear it, it was bright pink!, but because I liked the fabric.  The Georgian style flamboyance leant itself to the fabric rather well.  It's the over skirt and jacket, (not the beading, I did that).

I used cotton for the shirts but everything else in the costuming is silk.  (Another tick in the USE box!! )

I know you know I like making my little people but please believe me when I say I can not stand dolls.  I absolutely hate them.  Punch and Judy will send me running, china faced dolls I want to drop forcefully on the floor and those horrid baby newborn type things will have me screaming.  But the art dolls I have been making are something else.  For a start the majority are trolls and hardly lifelike!  With this pair it was the costuming that caught my eye.

I used to love my Sindy, not because she was Sindy but because I could dress her (Tiny Tears was forcefully put in the bottom of the wardrobe and never saw the light of day), I could make her something other than she was supposed to be.  The school play season was very exciting, but I was only interested in back of house never front.  I love the DVD's where you have the extras that include the making of scenes including the wardrobe.

Anyway I suppose this pair have satisfied a little bit of the wardrobe/dressy uppy type person within me.  At least it's another something to shove in a corner for the Open Studios!! (Don't forget you can click on photos for larger ones.)

I hope you have a great weekend.  We have another visit from Livvi coming, she's changing so fast even in two weeks!

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The Creative Weekend Just Past

It was the creative weekend over the last Friday, Saturday and Sunday run by Myfanwy Hart. It's an online gathering which Myfanwy is hoping to run monthly to encourage you to do something creative even if for just 15 minutes.  Any kind of creative counts! Painting, stitching, photography, baking, the list goes on, or you can follow some or all of her prompts.

My effort this month was something that has been floating around in my head for quite sometime and I chose the weekend to put everything else aside and make it.

From the front.

It's made from Khadi and banana paper and is 3 x 4.5 inches (8 x 11 cm).

The thing is, if you can see it you probably can't read it.

With a skewered and beaded spine.

What it actually says is, "Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as the attitude you bring to life," by John Home. 

I hope you like it.


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Cecil has Graced Us With His Presence.

Other than the odd baby cardie or several and one or ten hats, booties etc and a blanket or quilt to add to the pile I have actually been doing other bits too.

This is Cecil.

He's Cedric's brother and where Cedric likes wandering and not staying still for long Cecil is very much Lord of his own manor.  He likes the finer things in life and collects exotic things that Cedric kindly brings back for him from his travels.

I'm not quite sure where is manor is in the garden but he always seems to be smartly turned out so I'm sure he has at least one dressing room in there.

Have a great weekend!

We Have New Neighbours

During all the excitement going on around here I actually noticed this little busy chap (or Chapette).

When we had the conservatory re built on the side three years ago it narrowed the corridor down the side of the house.  There was a little robin box left on the fence line but it's always been empty.  I've been trying to train the holly and ivy to help conceal it hopefully to give it enough cover for a nest builder to find it acceptable. We seem to have some interest!

And just to show how close the box is, from my window to the box is about 4 feet.

They have been very busy as that amount of leaves and fluff has only taken a couple of days to build up.  There are always Blackbirds, Wrens, Dunnocks and Robins flying up and down that corridor and we have plenty of sparrows nesting just to the front of my room.  That is where I sit, usually facing to the left of picture but, as you can tell, using the machine too.  I spend a lot of time in there and I'm hoping that my presence doesn't put them off nesting, they know I'm there and I don't intend to stop using the space!  Robins are very sociable and there are usually several nests in the local garden centre so they will, and should, become used to me.

I'm just off to sneak back in there and hopefully do some sewing so I have something more creative to show you very soon.

Our New Arrival

Elsa started having contractions in the very early morning of Valentines day but they didn't mount to much.  She still had them all through the weekend and on into Monday.  They finally started to make more of themselves later in the day but Elsa was still pushing through like the wonderful, strong girl she is until last night.  When she finally decided she'd had enough and needed some pain relief Mike drove her in (apparently is was rather bumpy!!) and she was admitted to the maternity ward.  Half an hour later this beautiful little bundle arrived.

No name as yet, they're waiting to meet her for a while first but she is so lovely and seems a peaceful and content little thing.  I hope she stays that way!!  Even John seems more than a little smitten with her though he's yet to be brave enough to hold her.  All in good time! I have a feeling we could have a little bit of spoiling going on in our future!!!


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What Happened Next

All the needle-felting and doming mesh and stitching was made up into another chest, upright this time.

No, I can't find the place where you can rotate a picture by degrees on this silly Mac so you will have to put up with it wonky.  A view from the side.  It's a triangular chest so looks a little strange from this angle.

And the inside with it's silk lining.

It was fun to make!

This is a photo of my little tent thing I bought as I had several people ask about it.  It's 50 cms square and came with the lights.  Mind you they are not the greatest of photos as I did take the above rather quickly just to shove them on here as we have a man due to fiddle with the internet aerial any moment and I wanted to just post this quick!!

As I mentioned before the base materials, the prefelt, wool, organza, scrim and yarn came from The Threadstudio as part of the monthly Needlefelting Club.  Great for having all these things arrive in the post colourways already chosen!!!

Don't forget too if you fancy a creative break away you can join Dale in Italy in October this year, just go to this link to find the details. http://www.abruzzoschoolofcreativeart.com/dale-rollerson.php  I am so looking forward to going!!!

John took me to the Craft 4 Crafters Show at Exeter last Thursday.  I didn't have much of a list of things to buy and when I saw things I liked I realised I had the already at home!!  Saved a fair bit of cash but as it's my year of USE that's good.

Have a great week!

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