Tiddlywinks

Summer Fun!

2010-07-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

What a good weekend!

Hubby works on holidays. Always, without question, so he's not around much this weekend so we fill our time with summer stuff rather than the parades and what-not. We've had the sprinkler out since Spring, but I finally was able to talk the girls into playing in it. I'm not sure what their deal was before, but they simply were not interested till now.

When Daddy got home we did a few fireworks in the driveway.

We also made some colorful cupcakes...

And in my quiet time I sewed a few more dolls since my thumb is STILL throbbing and not able to handsew just yet. :)

That's it! Thats our weekend. The girls are picking out a movie to watch right now so that Mom can lay down for a few minutes and catch some rest! Hope your holiday was GREAT!!

Happy 4th of July!!

Little Trips

2010-07-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

We live down the road from a really cute Petting Zoo. We don't go as often as we should, and I think that everytime we do go. :) The kids love it.

chickens

We bought bags of carrots when we go there. These guys would pick your pocket if you didn't offer them one.

The goose hated us. a lot.

another pickpocket...

He's ALWAYS singing...not kidding!

We loved these guys. They still have their spots and they were so soft. And sweet. We went back to visit them a couple times.

He hated us too. He hissed at us and pecked when offered a carrot. It didn't help that he was like 13 feet tall.

She loved the lambs. But not the ones with horns...cause they were "spooky".

Tons of daisies...everywhere...I was in heaven.

A very happy day for everyone!

I cut the tip of my thumb off (literally) yesterday slicing apples on the mandolin...doh! So I can't sew faces on all the dolls yet. As soon as my thumb can take the needle, I will be getting some new dolls listed. :)

Happy Friday everyone!!

Unwinding

2010-06-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

Ahhh....

It was a long weekend. We had a funeral all the way across the state to attend. It was for someone my husband was pretty close to so it was a sad, stressful weekend. I'm glad to be back home and getting back into the swing of things.

I have spent most of the morning cutting out dolls. Hopefully tomorrow will be filled with sewing. Maybe even some of today. ;) But first we really needed to unwind here and get back on schedule.

So....

We made pancakes.

He swiped one...BUSTED!

This CRACKED Mimi up...she said they were hugging. She proceeded to tell us the pancake "conversation" that went on before the hug. :)

Everyone knows that Bedhead helps make better pancakes. :)

We made enough to freeze too. We eat a lot of pancakes.

We all relaxed a little and got back into being together and being at home. And after this weekend, we all really appreciate being together. Sometimes it's easy to forget how special simple things are.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Its All Fun and Games...

2010-06-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

NOT!

We have a lot of days that are filled with yelling..

General disagreeable-ness...

And utter laziness and refusal to participate in life...

*SIGH*

We have a funeral this weekend so I won't be able to answer convos until Sunday evening. :)

Happy Thursday all!

Group Project for Dad

2010-06-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

The best gifts are handmade...right?

My kids have been working away this week (in secret) on our Fathers Day gift. Each kiddo is drawing themselves, and a small other piece of a "family portrait" for Dad.

Now that everyones pictures are done and cut out, I have used Modge Podge to adhere them down into a portrait. A ton of coats over the top and it will be all done and ready to go. I'll get pictures after it's all dry and ready to give away. :) It's all sneaky so we have to do it when Daddy's at work and otherwise occupied.

Happy Fathers Day everyone!

I Fibbed!

2010-06-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

Sorry about that....

The truth is - I was NOT prepared for Summer Vacation at all. My kids were pumped up and rearing to go. I apparently have not had time for this to sink in, and the last few days have been....well...stressful. We're (I'm) working on that. :)

A little peek into the chaos?

Every year the kids have a "nametag" at their seat at the table in school. I save them and put them on the fridge. Not sure why, but this is where we are so far. Next year we will add Mimi's name to the list. *sniff*

The knees...good grief. See her arms? Pure dirt...it's all over the back yard and she has NO trouble finding it.

Belle made a fairy crown for herself (to go with her fairy dress and fairy wand - of course). She colored it for a very long time and then spent even longer taping flowers all over it. It is just lovely!

We got the girls flower flats to plant. Belle chose to plant hers at Granny's house (cause her flower beds RAWK - and ours yawn a little). BUT Mimi...bless her heart...LOVES her flowers and can't be parted with them. She's been carrying them around since we got them. Watering them everyday. Biking with them. They sit on the table while she watches TV. She keeps a running tab on the blooms. She may have secretly named them.

Belle has been working with flashcards. For FUN. She remembers when they were hard for her, so she feels super super smart now that they are so easy. :)

Believe it or not, I do have a batch of dolls cut and ready to sew up tomorrow. Hopefully by the end of the week we can have an update!

Hoping your Monday was a good one!!

Summer Begins

2010-06-11T05:29:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of school.

I think I'm prepared for Summer? We've made a list of Summer Rules (things like limited TV time, My kitchen will NOT be an all day BUFFET, later bedtimes, and Summer Plans (Picnics, tea parties, Camping)....but they usually end up like New Years Resolutions...I still have hope though. :)

Yesterday we took a stroll around the block. It was a leisurely and nice walk.

The girls scoured the roadsides for Flowers!

Lots of daisies to be had.

"Love - Love me Do..." He sang most of the way. I had the song stuck in my head the rest of the evening.

Nobody would stay close by, which makes me super anxious cause CARS drive on the road. I need to chill.

This moment was filled with "If you don't stay closer to me we are going HOME!" You can see they look really worried.

Real treasures were found...Wild strawberries. Soooo sweet....

And tiny. I remember once when I was little my mom made jam, the whole batch was from wild strawberries. I don't think I've ever had jam so good in my entire life.

We cleaned out backpacks when we got home, since we won't be needing them for a while. I found this...

Hmmm.......

Happy Friday all!

Be sure to catch the BOGO in the SHOP this weekend!

Bitty Playsets are Ready!!

2010-06-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love them!

They are in the shop now!

Grab them while they are there! :) Lots of others as well!!

Happy Wednesday!

Oh My!!

2010-06-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

....somethings really melt my heart...

And I'm still hard at work on SweetPeas too!

I'm thinking by the end of the week you will be seeing a good size shop update. Including tiny puppy playsets and (oh my...) kitty playsets too! Now I need to work on bitty bunnies...tiny carrots?

Happy Tuesday All!!

Rainy Day Projects

2010-06-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

I've been hard at play around here while it rains buckets. I didn't feel much like making Sweetpeas and needed a project to occupy my hands.

I think I'm in love....

I'm going to be making up a few kitty sets as well. They are no bigger than a handful! You can watch the shop for them soon...if you like any of these ones pictured, you can feel free to email me to reservee them! ;)

Hope your weekend is great!!

7 Things On My Mind Right Now...

2010-06-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

1. I love FREE flowers from the side of the road!

2. I need to get kitty litter...

3. I need to look for tiny little furniture for the fairy tree at my Mom's house.

4. Will the June Bugs actually go away after June is over?

5. Garage Sales ROCK!

6. Whatever she's doing, I'm sure it's messy.

7. I have dolls to work on today...thank goodness it's pouring outside, maybe I can get something done after all.

Be sure to stop in and see the new Playsets in the shop!

Hope your Wednesday is a GOOD one! :)

Belles Birthday

2010-05-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

Belle is now 6. But she doesn't know that I know that cause I keep asking her how it feels to be 12. She thinks I'm mentally challenged, I'm sure. :)

She wanted to have her birthday party at my folks cabin in the woods. It sits on a lake and has lots of fun stuff to do. The cabin has lots of fun stuff like...

Dragonflies who are afraid of no one.

Spiders...everywhere.

Lots of pretty flowers...everywhere.

Belle got lots of presents...and of all of them, which included a brand new bike...her favorite were these shoes...

Followed only by this fabulous fairy suit. She wore it the rest of the day.

As you know...high heels are HARD to walk in. Especially in the woods...so we often have to ask someone to hold our hand cause we keep falling down.

Everyone spent some time jumping on the trampoline...

Having snacks...

Picking flowers (like all good fairies do)...

We had a tragedy when a birthday present fell through the cracks in the deck and Belle thought it was gone forever.

Hunter told Mimi this was her innertube when she was a baby. She believed him.

It was a fabulous day and splendid birthday. The birthday girl was pretty happy!

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

Happiness Is....

2010-05-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

The season for catepillars...

Having a really great sister...

A good patch of sunshine...

A clam in a cup along with a snail...from the lake....

A really big, fully loaded squirt gun...

Growing up...

Running to Granny's house...2 doors down

Really cute friends...who play blocks with you...

Losing your teeth...

Slip and Slides...and mud....

Happy Tuesday all!

Butterfly Wings and Other Pretty Things

2010-05-21T05:03:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to be playing around with felt and hopefully bringing some old designs back around.

You might remember them if you've followed me for quite a while. You can see some of them here and here and here.

I'm also working on some bitty rainbows...I'm not sure what I'll use them for but they just make me happy to look at them all piled up in such a way.

I'm getting packages ready to go out today.

I will just be working away today. It's supposed to rain soon and that usually keeps me productive. :)

Happy Friday All!!

Making Me Happy Today

2010-05-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

Just a few things keeping me smiling today!

Belle drew this..it's about the size of 2 postage stamps side by side.

Hunter painted this paper mache box on our last Craft Day. I think it's amazing!

These all arrived in the mail today. *love*

Belle is seriously annoyed with her brother and sister and has put their names on the board and given them check marks...

I don't know if this really make me 'happy' but it made me giggle!

Little bits I've been working on here and there...

And lastly...Mimi has finally grown to love my little Snoopy doll. I love seeing him lie around the house.

Hope your happy today too!

Enjoy your Monday!

WIP's and a Pony

2010-05-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

I have SOOO many Works In Progress...it's almost ridiculous.

But I HAD to sew all day. Cause I have an AWESOME movie to watch tonight...

and I need something to do while I sit there...So I sew all day so I can stuff and stitch in the evening.

Here's what we are working with so far...

These are not stuffed yet...

Handknit wraps...of course...

Soooo much floss...

And lots of sweeties just waiting for faces!

Hope your day is GREAT....and filled with Ponies like mine!

We Love Paint!

2010-05-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

We had fun painting yesterday. We got fabulous wooden letters on clearance a while back so each kiddo go their initial. So we got those out and some paper mache boxes and set them loose on the paint.

It's messy..sure...but we have the craft table which is specifically designated for messy stuff...no guilt involved!

You'd be amazed at how LONG they will sit...not arguing...SHARING...loving each other and immersed in their craft...when you get out the paint!

Well...I will be working all day on new doll and more new designs! Hope your weekend is awesome!

Happy Saturday all!

BIG post!!

2010-05-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long absence! Hubby was on vacation last week and I never find time to get to the computer like I should when he's home for that long. :)

I'll share part of our vacation with you. We took a trip downstate to Detroit to hit the Detroit Science Center! This place is awesome, even for grownups. We had a blast.

the trip down (3.5 hours)

Whats a hotel stay without a little Bed Jumping!?

We played in the pool/hot tub for a looonggg time!

There was lots of fun stuff to do and look at.

It rained ALL day...lots of rain.

And finally...I'll leave you with this...cause I love it!

Happy Friday all...be sure to checkout the SHOP UPDATE! :)

Someone New

2010-04-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

I've been so inspired lately! I have been working up a pattern for something newish...and I have a few prototypes in the works....here's a sneak peak at my progress. So far I'm in love with them, but I can see a few tweaks need to be made...

Have a FUN Friday everyone!!

Goings On

2010-04-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

We've been staying busy while I've been getting all better. I'm fully productive again and ready to tackle some projects. Yay!

Just a few days ago I got a brand new afghan, which is always lovely when you're spending a good deal of time on the couch.

And my time spent on the couch was usually accompanied by this...

We did have a mini craft day, cause my kids were going stir-crazy with me being out of order. We got out the Sculpey and made a few goodies. Belle made me this to hang in my sewing room...

And I painted this one evening after everyone was in bed and I couldn't sleep.

Belle drew me a family portrait, knowing that I can NOT resist them at all. It immediately went into a frame, which to the kids is like recieving a blue ribbon.

I've spent quite a bit of time knitting doll sized wraps whilst sitting around....

is this the MOST wonderful yarn?!

I got a few new books to read, this is next in line. Anyone read it?

And finally...

Could she BE. ANY. CLOSER?

Happy Tuesday everyone!

OH...there should be a shop update tomorrow! :)

I'm Still Here...

2010-04-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

I'm still a bit under the weather, but I'm still trudging along on dolls. :)

There was a shop update today...I had a few favorites in this batch...

Doodle

Silk

Bianca

And I've been having new ideas everyday...which is actually kind of fun...

And I've been spending waaayy too much time online when I should be in bed...

I'll keep working on those new ideas...drop a line and let me know you were here...I'll come visit you if you leave a link too. :)

Happy Thursday everyone!!

Brainstorming!

2010-04-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes something will strike me. And then OCD kicks in. Then I can't get it out of my head.

This happened this week while I was sick actually. Belle brought this home:

Obviously she colored it in school. I LOVE this hippo. Then I thought...'I've never made a hippo!'

Hippos pose the problem that they are typically very 3D. Their snouts are long and my dolls are flat. But this can be worked around right?

So I've been doodling...there were lots of very silly, nearly unidentifiable hippos. But then...

Voila!

The test is always the same. I show the kids and ask them..."What animal is this?" If they all can guess it then I know I've got it! They all got this one. So now it's time to try to get it onto fabric. :)

Stubby legs...check.

Big nose...check.

Teeny ears...check.

Ready to sew.

And this is the progress so far. I had a last minute thought and added some little teeth there on the muzzle. And with the wonders of Paintbrush...this is roughly what she'll look like once she's been embroidered. :)

I'm just pleased as punch! You can look forward to a small tribe of Hippos coming soon!

Don't forget the BOGO SALE this weekend in the shop. And if you're a Twitter follower, you can put TWEET in the message to seller when you order to recieve FREE shipping! Which is always awesome!

Happy Saturday everyone!

Happy Birthday!

2010-04-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today was hubbys birthday!

He's not very excited about birthdays.

At all.

BUT...the three kiddos who live here are. Anyones birthday, doesn't matter. They are on it!

I started the day by putting birthday roast in the slow cooker...

We blew up balloons...72 of them to be exact. :)

Belle made Daddy a birthday card...a day early. She couldn't wait.

"Happy Birthday to Dad tomorrow"

We had birthday cake after the roast.

With trick candles...the kids just about busted a gut over these!

If you look real close...in the back on the door...you'll see the Pin the Tail On the Donkey we played!

Shortly after...the birthday boy konked out on the couch...for the night.

Party Pooper! :)

A marvelous birthday, if I do say so myself.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

i WAS busy...

2010-04-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

I had been busy the last few days.... and then last night I found that I have the flu...instantly...with no warning. So I have nothing good to post from today, but I did get my sewing room/studio all spiffy clean the other day and since it's the ONLY space in the house that's ALL mine and it makes me soooo very happy I would love to share a few shots with you...while it's clean, that is. :)

I love my shop sign!

Old school desk = l.o.v.e.

I need more in this corner...

I've had that red quilt hanging on the wall since I was a baby...my mom made it!

never too much yarn...unless you ask my husband...

a jar full of..yup...teddy bears!

***!!!***

These hold pictures...love them too. I can never have too much artwork around me. :)

*ahhhhh*

It'll only be clean for a few days...that's the way it works. :) Hopefully, I feel better enough to sew tomorrow...I'm going through withdrawl over here.

seriously.

Happy Tuesday Everyone!!

My Kids are TOO busy

2010-04-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

It's the last official day of Spring Break! Can I get a collective **SIGH**!

My kids are still busy. They must use much more energy at school than I realize cause being home is non-stop go go go!

All of the softies lined up this morning....

To sing a song composed by Belle...

This one got kicked out for not listening...

Art sessions ensued shortly after...

And I had my portrait drawn...

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a pile of Vampire movies to watch tonight and some dolls to stuff and a couple ideas to try to work out into patterns. :)

Happy Friday everyone!

Oooo...watch for a shop update tomorrow...and this is the last night for BOGO! :)

Working Away

2010-04-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

I've been trudging along quite happily on a rather large batch of dolls right now. I plan on listing them after the BOGO sale is over in the shop. Fun fun stuff...like full size playsets...some not often made animals, like a piggy.

And while I work away my kids are drawing pictures...

And confusing tights for pants...

(she wore them all day)

And of course, enjoying a bit of the good life...

BOGO sale is still on in the shop!

Happy Wednesday!!

Random Bits

2010-04-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

Just a few random bits from around my house just now...

flying the kite on Easter

happy boy

yummy trims, mostly from Sugar Pink Boutique

*love*

girly waiting for clothes

on the window sill

sad collection of FOUR pins?

fabulous pom from Fiesta PomPom

BOGO SALE in the shop for the rest of the week! Stop in and grab a couple. As soon as the shop dwindles down a bit I have a new load of dolls to go up. :)

Happy Tuesday you guys!!

Sigh

2010-04-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Easter! I haven't even dyed eggs with my kids yet...Or found suitable baskets...or much of anything else really. Thank goodness for Grandma living next door...

I'm moving really slow today. I have a bad headache and am super sleepy. The girls are whiny and my house is a mess. Maybe I'm a bit whiny too?!

BUT...I am plugging away little by little on dolls.

The girls got new shoes for tomorrow - and everyday after cause we all just LOVE them so much.

We had a craft day on Thursday, but I haven't got the pictures around yet. Once I do I'll get a Craft Day Post up...we made Fairy Houses. Toad Homes if you're a boy who thinks fairy stuff is lame. :)

And that's it for today...

Happy Easter all!! :)

And You Thought YOUR Kids Were Strange?!

2010-04-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, maybe you didn't. But either way, I'm pretty sure Mimis taking the cake the last couple days.

Yes..she is!

Working away at dolls today...hopefully tomorrow I can list a few!

Happy Thursday!

Untidy

2010-03-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

There's really a lot of stuff around here just laying around.

Always.

Stuff like boys...snuggled up against the heater drawing pictures...

Cats laying around in craft table drawers...

Bows, flowers and the such for dolls...

Pictures kids have drawn...

Oreo cookies that have been stripped of the yummy middle...

Mohair waiting to be cut into adorable little bunnies...

Cat toys...tons of them...everywhere...

And hopefully...in a little bit...me!

:) Happy Tuesday everyone!

Little Moments

2010-03-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

I tried to lay down on the couch for a minute at the tail end of Mimi's nap. She got up just as soon as my eyes drifted shut and I asked her to lay down with me.

ME: Lay down and take a nap with me?

MIMI: It's not naptime, the trees are up.

ME: Do the trees nap too?

MIMI: At nighttime everything naps, but it's daytime so the trees are up and so am I. But not fireflies. They nap at day cause their lights come on at night and they can't sleep.

Happy Monday all!

Such a Lovely Day

2010-03-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

It IS a lovely day today!

The sun is shining and it's not FREEZING!

I actually got my house clean and some dolls cut out before I went shopping...

That is 5 adorable playsets all ready to go.

Each one a different animal, a different color family and just plain fun. :) You can watch for those in the shop in the next couple of days.

Later today I need to help Belle pick some fabric so that we can make her a couple of belts with the wonderfully sparkly, GAWDY, belt buckles Granny gave her...

Belle practiced drawing with big brothers new How to Draw book...

(very obviously NOT the baboon)

I think she did pretty good. :)

A little bike riding was in order -

Hubby finally built my Cosco stool for me! That makes 3 now...

My new batch of notepads turned out lovely...

And there is still a few pieces of banana bread left for me to scarf down!

Hubby took all the kids to his brothers house for the afternoon so I am sitting here in absolute peace and quiet and not sure what to do first. Should I read for a bit? Sew for a while? Ahhh....lovely day!

Hope your day is lovely too!

We Have a Winner...and other good stuff too!

2010-03-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry folks! Yesterday was crazy busy and I got lost in the day. I made a trip to random.org this morning though and the winner of the One Yard Wonders is Liz! (#2) Check your email, Liz! :)

And on to other business!

First of all, Mimi had Kindergarten Round up the night before last. I would be fibbing if I didn't say that this totally bums me out. I'm excited for her to be a "big girl" but I'm no where near ready. Look at her...she's still my baby and I love having her home with me everyday.

*sigh*

As I said yesterday was so busy. We had so much to do. We started the day with a yummy treat!

I needed stuffing...

And I did get to work on some dolls in the evening while hubby watched Hancock...

Belle had a crapload of homework...

My new shop stamps from Kittycrossbones came!

Why is my cat sitting like this? Look at her paws??

I think that's all for today! Congrats Liz! I think I'll do it again next week if you need a book still everyone! ;)

OH- And I just listed 13 dolls in the shop today! :)
Happy FRIDAY!!

Hows About a Giveaway?

2010-03-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

I found THE most fabulous idea! I found it here!

Basically she's gifting her books that she's done with. I am now too! I have piles and piles of crafting books that I no longer use. I buy them for inspiration and ideas. They are still in awesome condition and sad that they are sitting on the shelf with no one looking at them. :)

Want one?

Ok then...here's the book -

It's a great book full of projects that are all made from ONE yard of fabric.

Awesome!

So here's the deal - from today till Thursday morning you can just leave me a comment here or start "following" my blog and you'll be entered to get this goody! :)

That's it!

Happy Tuesday!

Paper Making 101...sorta

2010-03-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

Today was a Craft Day here. Just in case your new to my blog I'll explain Craft Days. Obviously we do a lot of crafts, but only certain ones count as Craft Days. First all kids have to be present. There is no TV or stereo on. We all participate and no one argues. It's always something that everyone will like, as best as can be hoped for anyways. :)

Today's Craft Day was to make seeded paper. After they are all done with this craft, I envision them dispensing adorable little hand cut papers with kid written messages to all of the people they like most. And then I envision the excitement they express as they explain that you can PLANT the message when your done reading it. I'm pretty sure it won't really go like that...but I'm still hoping.

Here's the paper making process in case you'd like to share it with your little ones too. It was relatively painless actually and so far the results are nice.

What you'll need:

1. We used construction paper - about 1-3 sheets per batch
2. A blender - we dug ours out of the garage just in case this went badly (which it didn't)
3. Seeds (we used .10¢ seed packets from the Dollar Store)

You also need lots of towels and a screen and of course water. We used an old window screen over top of the sink.

4. Tear your paper up into little pieces. I'm pretty sure ours were not little enough cause the blender got pretty hot...but you can only argue with a 4 year old for so long.
5. Put them in the blender. Cover them with water, then add some more. You want this to be watery...not sludgy.
6. Our first batch was in fact sludgy.
7. We dumped it out onto the screen and added the seeds to the top. Then we smoothed it out. Most of the water drains out on its own if you made it watery enough. Then we patted it down with a towel on the top till it was dry enough to pick up and transfer to the cookie rack.
8. We saved the seed packets to use as envelopes for our little messages - to be made tomorrow.
9. Let dry. I'm lead to believe this will take overnight.

That's it. Now we have lovely seeded paper, that can be planted directly into the ground. The paper should compost itself and help the seeds along. Voila!

Some tips we discovered along the way...
Very watery is better than thick....and produces a nicer piece of paper.
Yellow construction paper mixed with any other color makes everything look like cat puke.
Hershey kiss flags blend right in with no trouble at all...oops
Black looks a little like goose poo before it's patted dry
You will need LOTS of towels
It was FUN!

New dolls went up today...and my favorite was gone in moments. Here she is in case you missed her. :)

Happy Monday everyone!

Inspired!

2010-03-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

I was needing some inspiration today when cutting out dolls....this is what I came up with.

1. Maddie, 2. Cora, 3. Bacon, 4. Tommy Girl Full, 5. Gabby, 6. Penny, 7. Bandit, 8. Petunia, 9. Ashley, 10. Pearl 2, 11. Purr, 12. Mabeline, 13. Shy, 14. Muffy, 15. Gabby, 16. Bandit, 17. Yolanda, 18. bunlet, 19. Lulu, 20. Bacon, 21. Barnum, 22. Maddie, 23. Starly, 24. Teddy

They are all mine from days gone by...and I'm still in love with all of them.

I'm off to pretend it DIDN'T snow last night and get some work done. :)

Enjoy Saturday all!!

Bor-innnng

2010-03-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Thats us today.

We have done nothing productive, nothing especially noteworthy.

Mimi drew a picture of me...

And then we went shopping for craft day supplies. When we got back the girls painted.

It wore them out so they are all loafing on the couch (with the exception of Hunter, who is half loafing, half perching) with Gogurts.

They'd rather be playing outside but there is a fella out there doing our yard today and I don't want them invading his space (or leaf piles).

I've been slowly working on laundry...

And cutting dolls...

And look....it has to be a good omen when you accidentally make a heart in the new peanut butter.

The rest of my day looks much the same. :) I do have a wonderful project planned for this evening while I watch a movie. You can make it too if you click here!

Happy Friday night everyone!

Guest Tutorial

2010-03-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

Todays tutorial is brought to you by:

Nevermind the hippy hair and cheeto cheeks, the guy is a pro.

HUNTER

How to Make a Perfect Paper Airplane

:) Have fun!

Good Stuff

2010-03-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

We had a fun day! A productive day! A long day!

Hubby was home today, which usually means that I can't get much done. But today in between a slew of other activities, I managed to sew quite happily, as Mimi was occupied with Daddy. :) This is my progress for the day...

There are some amazing fabrics in there and some lambs that I will have a sad time saying goodbye too...you can see them, one is BRIGHT green and the other is BRIGHT pink on top. love.

Mimi spent some time walking one of her doggies...

Hunter went to his Dads...

Belle did what Belle does best...drawing...of course.

And after all of that we took the girls to the park...so fun. It's sooo warm out and they are so happy to play outside...

Now I'm getting ready to sit down and watch American Idol while I stuff that pile of flat dolls. I fully anticipate enjoying the peace and quiet of bedded kiddo's. I will sleep good tonight.

Happy Wednesday everyone...

watch tomorrow for new dolls!

Daisy's, Giraffes, and other stuff too...

2010-03-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

Today is full of lots of good things. As you know, my girl Belle draws. She draws like no ones business and there is nothing I find more inspiring than my kids pictures. My son rarely draws anymore and when he does its usually something gross or something inappropriate for inspiration...he's a boy, he's 9...no hope. But Belle...she's my girl. She drew me this giraffe, and you can see in the corner she started to try to write 'giraffe' (JRA...) but it got the best of her and she gave up. :)

I'm really .... REALLY hoping to get all my housework done today so that I have time to cut out some new dolls. I just got a new shipment of fabric yesterday and...sigh...the colors have been calling to me all day from the counter top...

But like I said, I have loads of housework to get done today. Like this...does your husband DO this? Mine has to wear a tie to work everyday. And everyday he takes that thing off and hangs it over whatever he's closest to, like the coat rack, or chair...so I have to go through every couple days and round up the ties and put them away or he'd never find them again.

Not to mention he likes to hang them on my sweater rack. What...you don't have a sweater rack? I wear so many cardigans, like everyday almost all year, that I have a designated rack for them...don't you?

I sat last night and made these for an upcoming Craft Day. i. love. them. I may make enough to keep that jar full and use them on my dolls. They are so easy to make and quick too. Well, and you know I love jars full of colorful things...

And finally...making me happy today are these...Spring is so awesome.

and

Daisy's do a heart good.

That's it for today...unless you want to peek at what I just snagged...making my day even better. Click here!

Happy Tuesday all!

Variety

2010-03-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

It's the spice of life, right?

I have some pictures for you...nothing related to anything else...just fun. :)

"Do I talk to much?"

What I worked on all weekend...

All these bunnies are Make A Memory bunnies, made from clothing sent to me.

Belle made her own version of a "nice mousetrap"

Mice will come to get the cheese and she can simply pick them up and deposit them outside. Happy mice.

My cats got a new toy in the mail from here:

This is Boobie (don't ask)...they L O V E this needlefelted wool ball...if you have a cat...GET ONE! :)

Gimpy says hello...again...don't ask. My kids name our cats...

And last but not least...there are new playsets and a few bunnies and one awesomondo lion in the shop now...Bunnies from the mohair I dyed myself...yay! :)

You can find them here if they are still around. :)

Think that's it for today!

Enjoy your Monday all!!

Happy Friday!!

2010-03-12T09:29:00.000-08:00

Fridays are always happy - right? :)

Friday means tomorrow I get to sleep in - a little bit anyways.
Friday means Hubby works late and I get to watch any movie I like.
Friday means kids bedtime is not set in stone so there are no huge bedtime crisis.
Friday means that all my orders have shipped and I have nothing hanging around in the back of my mind.
This particular Friday means that I got this in mail - making my day even better...

I love old toys, and the more loved they look, the better.

My aqua mohair came out AWESOME! Just look at this little lady, who will be making an appearance in my shop soon...

It's ok to drool...she's used to it. :)

And look at this...

"The cat jumped out of the tree because the cat was afraid of Joe"

Belle, who is in Kindergarten, brought this home in her folder yesterday and my heart melted. LOOOK at the kitty she drew, and the tree...I love kids artwork...love love love. And her wrtiting is too sweet. I wish I could keep her this age forever. :)

And last but not least...

This Friday means the very LAST BOGO sale before Easter, and quite possibly for sometime after that...so grab your goodies while you can! This scrumptious little set could be yours...

Hope your FRIDAY is awesome - like mine! :)

To Dye For...

2010-03-11T15:13:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited!

I got a big shipment (well, big for ME) of white mohair. Now everyone really likes the minis made from white, but the colors go SOOO fast that I can't keep them in stock. If you're new to mohair, it looks like this...

And can run you upwards of about $100-150. The longer the pile, the more expensive. This is a relatively short pile. It's easier to sew on and thinner so it's easier to turn for little bitty dolls. It took me a long time to just be able to cut into this stuff. It's like a treasure to me.

But today I got brave.

I decided to dye it.

Myself.

And I love it! So fun...I ended up with these...the aqua is still dying (dyeing?) It's not as dark as I'd like yet.

I will be making some minis and playsets from these soon...I have to keep them around for at least a couple days to love first. Treasures. :)

Has your weather been awesome? Ours has. It's was almost 60 degrees out today. Outrageous! My kids are in heaven!

A smooch goodbye...from Belle...and me!

Enjoy your Thursday everyone! :)

It could be Spring!!

2010-03-10T07:22:00.000-08:00

The sun has been out! And my house is filled with light again. It's allllllmost warm out...

It could be Spring!

We decided to go for a walk around the block when the kids got home from school.

Mimi was absolutely disgusted with me when I made her do this....

But she's an infamous puddle jumper and I didn't want her feet to get wet and cold.

Apparently she wasn't the only one who needed baggies on her feet. :) As soon as we got home she konked out...

There are new playsets in the shop!

Oh how I love bunnies! ;)

Happy Wednesday everyone!

i heart Pom Poms!

2010-03-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

Look at this....

I fill empty Smuckers jars with these and they just look so cute and they are a great bunny tail in a pinch. :)

AND...they are a breeze to make. Perhaps you already know how to make Pom Poms, but if you don't I'll show you.

1. Cut a piece of heavy cardboard to about the size around you'd like your pom to be.

2. Wrap your yarn around and around and around. When you think you've got enough, keep going. The more you wrap the denser your pom will be. Plus your going to cut off way more than you realize. I wrapped with 2 colors just so my pom would be marbeled, you can use as many or few as you'd like. Also, as a side note, cotton yarns don't work very well if you like your pom poms fluffy.

3. So now you need to tie it off. Just slide it off carefully, and then tie around the center with another piece of yarn. I usually tie it and then go around again the other way and tie again. Tie it good and tight so your pieces hold together good.

4. Now your going to trim. I usually cut about half and inch off all the way around to start, being careful not to cut my ties. (they are useful if you're going to attach your pom to something later, otherwise don't worry about them) After I've done that, I roll that baby around in my hands real good to get it sort of rounded out and then you just start hacking away until it's all even and fluffy.

And Voila! You have a PomPom!

But you also have huge piles of fluff and it seems such a waste to throw it all out.

So we baggied them all up and used them on drawings. You can glue the fluff onto your pictures. It makes wonderful tree leaves, or animal fur, or - of course - a lions mane. :)

Thats it!! :)

Happy Saturday all!!

Moments

2010-03-05T16:04:00.000-08:00

This has been a l o n g day.

Mimi is sick now...and she's not a happy girl at all. She's tired and grouchy. Belle is not sick at all any longer and she's full of energy and annoying Mimi. Hunter is rambunctious and excited that it's Friday.

I am exhausted and cranky. I've been in the house for a week and a half...literally.

And yet...there are still moments, even in days like this.

Like Mimi talking on the banana like it's a phone.

And making cupcakes that are so riddled with germs that no one should actually eat them...

Belle made me a rainbow...

And an Easter Bunny that 'looks like my dolls'

I got to work on some dolls this morning while Mimi watched a movie in my 'big bed'.

And last but not least I got new dolls listed in the shop. This is my favorite!

:) Hopefully there is a long full nights sleep ahead of me soon!

Enjoy the weekend all!!

Coming Soon....

2010-03-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

to a shop near you...

How We Pass the Time

2010-03-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

Belle was still sick yesterday and she passed some of her time in bed...watching Ferngully and The Neverending Story (remember that one?)

After she relaxed for a while we made a loaf of rye bread. That little window in the breadmaker puts on quite a show...

Mimi plays Spore on the computer...never heard of the game? If you have kids you HAVE to get it...awesome!

Hunter and his DS...

And after a while all three of them played on the Wii...

I worked on dolls a bit. I listed a few today in the shop!

Happy Wednesday all!

Monday was....

2010-03-01T18:41:00.000-08:00

Well, this morning showed up with Belle still running a 101 fever straight out of bed, and as the day progressed a bit it moved up to 103.

So she had her tylenol and was back in bed by 10. She slept till about noon.

During which time I was able to work on this...

I put Mimi to work too...

And these gems came in the mail today too...

New dolls went up in the shop today too...

Like this one...

And this one...

Belle is feeling a bit better now and is happily drawing Easter bunnies. Her fever is still there...so hopefully tomorrow will treat her better.

Should have...

2010-02-28T09:31:00.000-08:00

I made a mockery of most of my priorities this weekend.

Belle is sick. She's been sick since Thursday night and is progressively worse everyday since then.

So....instead of doing this:

Or this...

I did a little of this when I had a minute...

(hand knit wraps for dolls)

and cut out dolls - but didn't get to sew any...

I hung my fancy new clothesline for the kids pictures, but I did it backwards and was too lazy to turn it around....

And I stuffed some mohair minis...but didn't do their faces....

And even though Belle was sick, not much can keep her down for long and she did a lot of this...

and some of this...

It's nearly naptime around here, and I'm considering joining in. :)

Enjoy the last bit of the weekend all!

Today Is Good....

2010-02-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

Why?

Well I got GREAT packages in the mail....

muffinpie

small fabric bowl from Pieceful Design

adorable vintage treat!

I had an awesome lunch...

Today was a craft day. We painted paintings on canvas with acrylics - an incredibly messy treat.

And after all of the pictures were loaded into the computer I found that I'd gotten this one....which I am still laughing out loud at.

I SWEAR she's wearing pants....just not where she should be! :D

And now I have movies to watch with the hubby and some knitting to do.

Hope your day was as nice as mine!

Collecting Scotties

2010-02-24T08:34:00.000-08:00

Do you collect things?

I do...

Did you know my name is Scottie? That might make this make more sense..or make it more corny...whichever. :)

Here's my collection of Scotties...and I'm sure it's not done yet....

What do you collect?

There will be a shop update soon...

Remember, if you follow me on Twitter (you can find the button to your right) you can recieve FREE shipping on any Tiddlywinks order by just putting "Tweet" in the message to seller when you purchase!

Happy Wednesday!

It's a Process

2010-02-23T19:27:00.000-08:00

Well, I made a mini bunny and I thought I'd show you the process, but I got this this morning too, and thought it fit in nicely. Mornings are a process here. We have 3 showers to be taken, 3 breakfasts, 2 backpacks, 2 kids in winter gear (ugggh)...it is such a process! I turned around for 2 seconds after Hunter had all his stuff on and when I turned back around to tell him to get in the car...he's SLEEPING.

Are you kidding??

I got new yarn that I scored on Ebay (is that a bad word?) for next to nothing...which I LOVE. I don't use much yarn and a whole skein is usually way too much for me to use before I get sick of the color, so this little batch was wonderful. Mimi got to open it and the first thing she wanted to do is count it. Here's her process...

She put them in the "heart" circle all on her own. :)

And here is the bunny process...everything but the face I think...

All cut out and ready to go

sewing (notice the lack of pins...so bad)

All the little bunny parts are sewn...time to sew them in.

At this point it's like a little bunny cocoon ready to come to life...

Voila! Flatso complete...now to stuff...

Ta Da!! Ready for a face!

You can see this gal in a couple of days in her own Playset!

I'll leave you with a happy Spring colored shot...Robins Eggs are a treat for me and M&M's are a staple in our house, although Mimi still calls them 'nummy nums'. She was happy that these ones have bunny ears on them. So am I.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

This Weekend Was....

2010-02-21T13:17:00.000-08:00

For all intents and purposes it was busy....

With this:

This:

Yup, those are skulls!

This:

and just so you know...I never sew alone:

This girls were busy too:

Belle is teaching Mimi her letters.

There will be new dolls listed tomorrow sometime, a bunny brigade of sorts. I think all the dolls but 2 are bunnies. Also today is the last day for the BOGO!

Enjoy the last of your weekend!

We're an Artsy Family

2010-02-19T06:39:00.000-08:00

I consider myself lucky. For many many reasons. One of them is that my kids all take after me and LOVE creating things. We have "craft days" here, and all of them, even the 9 year old boy who is too cool for just about everything participates.

Yesterday was a craft day. We painted T-shirts with fabric paint.

Yes, Hunters shirt says...'I'm with Stupid'.

My kids love to draw cause I do...

This is my to-do list for the weekend....

I also got one girly done...

Theres a BOGO in the shop right now....10 minutes after I started it 10 dolls sold...so if you have your eye on anyone you may want to grab it quick! :)

Enjoy the weekend!

Tiddlywinks

Summer Fun!

Little Trips

Unwinding

Its All Fun and Games...

Group Project for Dad

I Fibbed!

Summer Begins

Bitty Playsets are Ready!!

Oh My!!

Rainy Day Projects

7 Things On My Mind Right Now...

Belles Birthday

Happiness Is....

Butterfly Wings and Other Pretty Things

Making Me Happy Today

WIP's and a Pony

We Love Paint!

BIG post!!

Someone New

Goings On

I'm Still Here...

Brainstorming!

Happy Birthday!

i WAS busy...

My Kids are TOO busy

Working Away

Random Bits

**Sigh**

And You Thought YOUR Kids Were Strange?!

Untidy

Little Moments

Such a Lovely Day

We Have a Winner...and other good stuff too!

Hows About a Giveaway?

Paper Making 101...sorta

Inspired!

Bor-innnng

Guest Tutorial

Good Stuff

Daisy's, Giraffes, and other stuff too...

Variety

Happy Friday!!

To Dye For...

It could be Spring!!

i heart Pom Poms!

Moments

Coming Soon....

How We Pass the Time

Monday was....

Should have...

Today Is Good....

Collecting Scotties

It's a Process

This Weekend Was....

We're an Artsy Family

Sigh