Being Productive

My friend Colleen is doing wonderful things with Charms.  She is using diecuts for patterns and I thought of another method.  I just love the mini DressForm die by Sizzix and thought of using that to make a mold of sorts - I 'm not very good at cutting clay though I do have the tools!  I figured I could place the mold on an embossing folder and press the clay into it.  Actually it worked pretty good.  Need to refine the process a bit. Love how the dress came out. It's more a pendant than a charm.  The drop pearls are from Vickie's and my treasure hunt at CJS in NYC.  Going back Tuesday for more!

I also got a wonderful free purse pattern from Craftsy.  I need a large purse to carry my iPad in and I have had this wonderful piece of purple drapery fabric hanging around for a year or so waiting to become a purse.  Here are pics of the finished bag.  I added pockets inside, a stiff base in the bottom, and pleats in the front and back.  It was a little too large but the pleats were just the trick.  The ornaments in the center front and back are again from our trip to NYC.  The buttons on the Straps were in a button tin gifted to me by Mrs. Youngman, my SIL's Mother.  They were very tarnished to the point I didn't know what color the metal was.  But a little patina and gilders paste and they are Perfect!  Now to go out and it give a test drive!

Just Another Little Witch

I made another witch from my Year of the Witch Pattern. I had the head in my box-o-heads for a while.  Forgot why I made it originally.  This was for a challenge in the CDA-Cloth Dolls group on Facebook.  We had to make a Weather Witch using a pattern that we modified.  So I used my own pattern which is actually a little rag doll type and made her with armatured arms, legs and body so she can stand alone.  I thought I would go with Rainbow Witch.  For her arms and legs, I took some white on white print fabric and added color with Ranger Distress Stains to the wrong side.  Here is a pic of the fabric still wet, and the sewn arms and legs. I used distress Markers to color the flowers on the lace trim and Stickles Glitter Glue to add color to the flower trim around her neck.  I also made an insane splurge!  The yarn for her hair is 100% Kid wool with these tiny sequins in rainbow colors throughout.  Color was right, price not so much!  I must have been temporarily insane - it was $23 for a tiny ball!!!  But it looks perfect!

Shopping Yesterday

Before Vickie Adams Brown and I went to see the Charles James Exhibit at the Met Mus of Art, we did a little shopping at CJS Sales, a whole sale warehouse for all sorts of beads, crystals, jewelry finding and chain.  The place is just JAM PACKED!!!  You could get lost in there for a week and not see all of it.  I found so many interesting things on the FLOOR!!!  My purchases:

Over View.  Cloissionne butterflies, sun charms, Star with moon charms, pointed stars, leaves with the most awesome patina, pearls (for eyes I'm thinking), pearl drops with wires, and beaded necklace that I plan to deconstruct for the awesome beads.  There are metal shapes in the upper left that have a cool patina on them too.  I tried them in my Sizzix, but they are too thick to emboss.  Will add words with my mallet and letters.



These are metal pansies.  Three different sizes, some are enameled, some are just gold.  All have rings that can be used for chains, dangles, whatever but they can also be cut off.  Love these.  Can't wait to play with Ranger Patinas on them.  Very detailed.

All of these strange charms came in one bag.  I really love the horse, had, little violin, the starburst, so many buttons!  I saw only the violin and the hat in the bag.  The rest are a very pleasant surprise!
I got a bag of these lucite buttons.  They don't have Rhinestones in them, it is an illusion but they chould be added.  Swarski Crystals would work too.  I added alcohol ink .  The pink on the left has the ink applied to the BACK!!!!  How cool is that!  The dark pink has a heavy coat on the front.  The turquoise has a light watered down coat on the front.  Oh the possibilities.  I see these as flower centers among other things.  The people there, especially Kim, were just wonderful - giving everyone a guided tour of what was where.  They also offered water and a cloth shopping bag to drag the loot home!  Looking forward to going back.

Miss America is Finished!

Here she is finished with her fingernails and sparlker.  Some close-up following of her shoes, headband, and sparkler that she holds.  Her sjpes are f;elt painted with gold metallic paint, Precious Metal Gold paint by Viva Decor, then Hightlighted with Gold and Indian Yellow Viva Decor Inca Gold rubs. The soles are cardboard covered with muslin and painted to match the shoe uppers.

So close!!

Just needs fingernails and a sparkler to hold.

Decisions Decisions!

This is what is on my work table.  I decided Style of her own needed to be a pattern and I also needed more pics of the process.  This pattern will probably only include a cloth head version but will include both the armatured and jointed.  I am making another jointed version this time in Red White and Blue, colors I have used only once before on a Rag doll baby gift for a child born July 4th.  So here is her progress.  First, since I didn't want to add to my stash, I created fabric for her arms and legs.  I used a glitter cotton that matched the muslin for the body and holding two sharpies together, added red and blue dots.  Worked Great!

Then I needed an interesting fabric for her bloomers so took a piece of muslin (I used Southern Belle Cream) I used for her body and made stripes with the sharpies.  I probably should have done it freehand and made the lines wobbly, but I used a ruler.  Next time!  As you can see, I made the lines really close as first but decided they needed to be opened up a bit.

So here she is with her body all together and also sitting.  Her Knees and Elbows are bead jointed and her shoulders and hips are button joints so she is poseable.  Next pic is of her with her bodice and bloomers on, her head is just pinned in place.  Can't decide if I want her skirt in order Red White Blue or Blue White Red.  Also need to decide if her hair will be red or Blue.  Such Decisions!  Also need to make her shoes which I think will be T-Strap with Gold Star Buttons.  Her head is one of the original 3 I did.

Look who is stepping out!

Today I finished Mr. Cat in a Hat and Tux pattern.  So thought Madame LeChat and Mr. Cat should get together.  She is the last one I have left of my Madames.  They make a cute couple!  He was made with the stretch going Lenthwise so he is a little on the tall side and she was made just the opposite.

Here is a couple more pics including the two males together and the 19"alone  Getting ready to order the CDs.








CD will include both sizes of Mr. Cat  and will include a pattern for the dog too!  Madame LeChat is still available and sold separately.