Priscilla . . .

 I stayed up way too late (again). . . and finished a Shabby Charlotte doll.  I would have also gotten a Valentine doll done, but I got sidetracked crocheting a cute hat for Charlotte.  I tend to do that . . . get sidetracked.  This doll was special ordered . . . not sure who she is going to - but hope they like her.  Her name is Priscilla. 

 

Priscilla's Story

Priscilla is a happy little doll who loves to be around people.  She can be a little quiet, but loves to have a good time.  She especially likes to celebrate birthdays.  Her favorite color is pink and her favorite candy is lifesavers.  She always has a little smile on her face . . . keep her somewhere close and hopefully she will make you smile too. 

Beanies and Bodies . . .

 

Crocheted beanies with flower clips.  I like these because you can remove the flower and use them on a headband . . . or for that matter, you can clip them anywhere you would like.  I have to try these on Lily and Charlotte and get some pictures taken.  They don't always like to cooperate.  : )

Two little blonde dolls waiting for faces, clothes, and personalities.  I did get the faces on them late last night and hopefully will get them finished tonight - if I am not sound asleep by 8:00.  It was fine coming back to work today . . . just hard to get up and going at 5:00 this morning.  If I stay up too late tonight I know I will really pay for it tomorrow.  What happened to the days where I could stay up to all hours of the night, go to work, and just keep going and going and going.  Too bad they don't have rechargeable batteries for people may age.  I guess they do - it's called sleep . . . damn! (There's always coffee.)

 

Rainy Sunday

I'm enjoying my last day of vacation - back to work tomorrow.  It has been great having two weeks off.  I had hoped to get more done - but that is normal for me.  The important thing is I enjoyed the time off - and as much as I love being home . . . it will be fine to go back to work tomorrow.  It helps that I like my job and love the people I work with.  It is cold and rainy here today.  I have a pot of chili on the stove and enjoying the coziness of being inside crocheting, sewing, and cooking.

A couple of more things my mom sent to me.  This is her first communion dress . . .

. . . and this linen sewing bag that I have always loved.  I am not sure where it came from - but mom always had it hanging somewhere in her sewing room.  It might be fun to make some of these.

I have been shabbying up doll bodies.  When I pull them out of the oven . . . I always think of tanning beds.  I was diagnosed with melanoma last year (I was extremely lucky - my dermatologist caught it early).  I wish I had know more about melanoma before that. . . I would have NEVER used a tanning bed.  I didn't use them very often - usually about one month out of the year.  If you know someone who tans in a tanning bed - please tell them to stop.  If they don't take you serious . . . then read up on melanoma, pass on the information, and scare the shit out of them.  OK . . . that's my little anti-tanning blurb . . . but please - take it serious.

I am taking my shabby little doll bodies and have some ideas for Valentine dolls, maybe a hippy doll, and I really want to make some more zombies.  I also think that one of them needs gray hair . . . with all those ideas in my head . . . I wish I wasn't going back to work tomorrow.

Mom's shirt . . .

My mother sent me this shirt a few weeks ago.  She was getting rid of some of her things after moving . . . and knew I would like this.  She kept it in her cedar chest - and I always loved looking at the things she kept in there.  She embroidered this shirt in 1947. 

 

I love this shirt.  I can just picture her sitting as a young woman - embroidering all the names and sayings. Marshall - is one of her brothers.

Huba . . . Huba . . . Huba

Toots, Leo, and Tub

I believe Toots was a friend of hers.  I remember her always talking about her.

This has to be my Aunt Sue.  : )

My great aunt and uncle.

Tic Tac Toe . . . you win!

You and Me?  I don't think she had met my dad yet - since I don't see his name on it.  They were married 2-3 years later.

I think this may be my great uncle.  Not sure . . . his name was Melbert - but I think he may have gone by Mike.  I have to ask Mom about that.  He was shot down over the Pacific a year before . . . so this could be another Mike.

"Gimmee a Little Kiss Will Ya Ha"

Again . . . one of the photos that I can't get to rotate for some reason.  I am pretty sure that my Grandma drew this face for mom to embroidery.  She would draw this face for as long as I can remember.  I have a pencil drawing that she drew me somewhere . . . I am going to have to find that.

I love that she kept it for over 60 years . . . I love to think of my mother at 17 working on this shirt - so young with her whole life ahead of her . . . I think it is the image of her working on it that makes it special to me.

beanies . . .

I haven't figured out what the problem is with uploading photos from my computer yet . . .  but I did figure out that I can upload them to Picasa - then put them here.  It's an extra step - but it works.  I have spent way too much time this morning messing with this - when there are so many other things I need to be doing . . . but at least I am able to post pictures.  So for now here is a picture of Abbie's beanie.  It sort of flops down in the back when it is on.  I actually have a picture of it on her - but it really wasn't a good picture (laundry basket in the background - poor lighting - it looked bad)  So for now . . . this is it . . . a brown beanie on a brown table . . . not very exciting. 

This will perk up this post a little . . .

Charlotte in her new owl beanie.  I usually don't buy things that I know I can make . . . but this little beanie was only $8 - and according to Charlotte's grandpa . . . I am simply "out of control" when it comes to getting cute things for her.  I suppose that is true . . .

one of the girls . . .

I have pictures  . . . just can't seem to get them on here.  When I go to upload a picture it does not give me the option to "Browse" . . . . like the screen isn't fully loaded or something.  I am able to get pictures from Picasa Web folders . . . it just isn't letting me upload them from my computer?????  My computer seems to working fine otherwise . . . so I don't know what is going on. So imagine a very simple but cute beanie that I made for Abbie, a new shelf that Richard made me for my craft room, coffee stained doll bodies, and some wonderful things that my mom sent me.   Hopefully I will get it figured out.  My vacation is nearly over . . . I have lots of things I want to do today . . . and some things I have to do today - so I better get going.

 



Crocheted Beanie . . . and my little model

I finally got some clips - so I could clip the flowers to some beanies that I want to sell.  I like them so much better when you can take the flower off and on - and also use the flower for a hair clip - or clip it on a headband.  Little girls and accessories . . . the possibilities are endless.

Charlotte gets the job of being the model for any baby beanies that I make . . . she doesn't seem to mind - but it is getting hard to get her to be still enough to take a picture.  My goal is to get some different items in my Etsy shop . . . So this is a start.

These make me laugh . . .

  I guess she didn't like the flash that the camera made.

Oh my . . . what a face!

I found the cutest book for Owen and Charlotte for Christmas.  It is called Tickle Monster

It came with these tickle monster gloves . . . which both my adult sons thought were the greatest things.  Here Luke is just wearing them . . . . 

. . . and Stella - she always makes me laugh!

The New Year is nearly upon us.  I'm not one to make resolutions . . . never really have been.  But looking at these pictures this morning make me think about it a little bit.  So here goes . . .

For 2013

Laugh more

Worry less (pray every day)

Create something every day

Volunteer (something I really need to make happen)

Read more

Take better care of myself (as in lose weight, drink more water, eat healthier, exercise, get enough rest . . . well maybe I won't get enough rest - I'm going to be too busy reading, volunteering, laughing, drinking water, and creating.)

Do you make New Years Resolutions?

“You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.”   ~ Michael Pritchard

Dottie

Meet Dottie . . .

I'm still excited about her cute little glittery ruby slippers.

She comes with her own little dog charm and three green stones in her bag.  I have her listed on my Etsy shop - clarehelen 

I am enjoying making these dolls . . . but this one was especially fun to make.

 

Dottie is an adventurous little doll who likes to meet new people.  She makes friends wherever she goes and is willing to go out of her way to help them.  She is very proud of her sparkly red shoes - in fact she believes they are magic.  Her favorite color is green and she loves emeralds.  She carries three green stones in her bag that she picked up on one of her adventures . . . they remind her that if she ever goes looking for her heart’s desire – that she doesn’t have to look any further than her own backyard. 

Ruby Slippers . . .

I'm not quite done with her yet . . . but loving her glittery, ruby slippers.  I have to put some finishing touches on her before I list her for sale . . . and write her little bio.  I just got so excited about her glittery feet - that I had to take a picture.  I tend to get really excited about little things like this . . .

Lita & Christmas Charlotte

 

I finished up a couple of Shabby Charlotte dolls for gifts yesterday . . . They were fun to make since they were for the two special little girls in my life.  I made Lily's with ladybugs of course . . .

Her bag is full of little leaf buttons.  Each doll that I make has a story or bio that goes with it.  This is Lita's story. 

Lita is a smart little doll with a wonderful imagination.  (Her name means – the little winged one.)  She believes in fairies and loves lady bugs.  She is always on the lookout for them – because they bring her good luck.  She even carries a bunch of leaves in her bag because she heard that fairies and lady bugs like to hide in them. 

This one is Christmas Charlotte.  (the dolls that I am making for my granddaughter Charlotte will all be named after her.  Next comes Valentine Charlotte.)  I had a small scrap to this old fabric that I wanted to use.  I asked my mom - but she could not remember for sure, but I seem to remember a Christmas apron made out of this fabric when i was a little girl.  I don't know if it belonged to my mom or my grandma . . . I just know that this little scrap of fabric has been flying around for quite a few years.

Here's a close up of Christmas Charlotte and her little story.

 Christmas Charlotte is a sweet little doll that doesn’t even realize how cute she is. She makes everyone around her smile. She loves to look at Christmas lights and believes in angels. She even wears a bell around her neck because she knows . . . “that every time a bell rings, an angel gets it’s wings.”

Chtistmas Charlotte has the prettiest little eyelet slip to wear . . . 

I am hoping to use some of my vacation to get some dolls and hopefully some other items in my  Etsy shop..  I have a lot of ideas in my head anyway.  I started a doll this morning . . . that I hope to get finished tonight.  The idea for her has been floating around in my head for awhile.  This picture of my Christmas elf was taken last night . . . I imagine him being a little sad now that Christmas if over . . . just maybe he won't go back into the box this year. 

Merry Christmas

Tonight is one of those nights when all seems right in my world.  Not that everything is perfect and without problems . . . but the problems just seemed a little less important tonight when I looked around the table.  We had everyone together (less one - Sarah, I wish you could have been there.)  I caught myself just watching them and realizing how different they all are - yet how they all fit together as my family. 

Hold the people you love close to you, tell them that you love them, enjoy them . . .  

Merry Christmas to All - and to All a Goodnight!

New Shabby Charlotte Doll - Gillian

I finished up and listed a new doll in my Esty Shop tonight . . . clarehelen 

I love putting little slips underneath the skirts.  This slip happens to be some hand crocheted lace that my grandma made years ago. 

I try to give each one of my little dolls their own personality - which means a story that goes along with each one.  Meet Gillian . . .

Gillian is a bright little doll who tries to always look at the positive side of things.  She can be a little quiet at times, but she is really very friendly and loves to make new friends.  She carries a little bell in her pocket to remind her to smile . . . even when she might not feel like it.  Her favorite color is green and she likes to stay up late watching movies and drinking hot chocolate.