My Artful Gathering Session 1 Finished Project Piece - Let's Go For A Ride

I had been anxiously awaiting the start of Session 1 for Artful Gathering and was so happy when class finally started on June 6.

This is my 3rd year taking online classes at Artful Gathering and I have to say I have loved each and every class I've taken. The instructors are fantastic and I've had a blast in each class learning something new and, best of all, making wonderful new friends.

There were so many fabulous classes to choose from this year it was hard to decide. I really only had time for two and decided to take Julie Haymaker Thompson's Let's Go For A Ride class in Session 1 and  Mary Jane Chadbourne's The Imaginarium: Anthologies of an Art Doll class in Session 2. Both classes dealt with mixed media, which I've been anxious to try.

So, for the last two weeks I have been taking my 4th online class and working on my project. The project called for making an adorable little mixed media shadow box scene with 3 pets sticking their heads out the window of a car that was driving over a hill. The class looked like it would be a lot of fun to take.

A kit was available for purchase from Julie's Etsy shop so I ordered one as it's a lot easier to do that than run around to get supplies. The kit came with everything you needed to create the project including thread and needle. It was fabulous.

For my online classes I like to view all the video's first and then go back to watching them as I follow along with the instructions. Here's where my iPad comes in really, really handy. It's great for this as I can zoom in and out of the video pictures, advance and reverse them as needed, etc.

I tend to be a bit of a rebel when it comes to my classes. For the most part I follow the instructions, but sometimes I just have to be me and do it my way. Such was the case with my "Let's Go For A Ride" project.

The project called for using two twigs for trees in the front of the shadowbox but I decided to go with silk floral instead. Now I know my using silk floral will come as no surprise to any of you as I love silk floral, but this time I had a really good reason for using it. You see I'm allergic to poison ivy so there was no way I was going to get anywhere near the woods let alone touch twigs. Improvising with silk floral was the perfect solution. Worked for me anyway.

Plus, the kit that I purchased came with a box that was deeper than the one Julie was working with in the video's so adding some silk floral to the front of my shadow box versus using the two twigs for trees was a perfect solution for filling up the depth difference.

To do this I cut a rectangle of 1/2" tall florist's green foam about 5/8" deep and wide enough to fit in front of my hill and then glued it in. Once it was dry I painted it with several shades of green acrylic paint to match my hill. Then I inserted the small sprigs of silk floral (mainly grasses) I had cut to fit the height of my scene into the foam. Voila! Filled the area and best of all, no poison ivy!

Instead of creating two dog heads and a cat head sticking out of the car window I decided to go with three doggies. I had to change my doggie heads once the clay was dry as they were too big to fit into the area for the open car window. So I sanded them down quite a bit so they would fit.

I decided to paint one of my dogs gray, one black and white, and one dark brown and black. I should have painted the dark brown and black one a lighter brown color as Julie had done as the three heads I painted are quite dark and a lighter brown would have been better.

The dogs were supposed to be more whimsical looking then mine turned out to be. I had to sand the whimsical noses down as they were just too big for my doggie heads once they were sanded down to fit in the car window.

Painting the doggie heads was a bit of a challenge as they were really small and I couldn't keep my hand, paint brush and/or pencil from shaking when trying to paint their little eyes. So, instead of painting the eyes with a paint brush and/or pencil I used a toothpick. Painting faces is not my forte but they came out good enough for this project.

I didn't realize when I decided to take this class just how involved the project would be and how many different techniques I would learn. It was fabulous and Julie was so easy to follow along with. For me the fun is in the learning and I learned a lot in this class.

I had so much fun with this project that I decided to order a few unfinished mixed media items from Julie's BisBeeBliss Etsy shop so I could experiment some more with mixed media and collage. What I'll make and how they'll come out remains to be seem. The fun part is experimenting with some of the techniques I learned in Julie's class and seeing where this takes me.

Thanks for the ride, Julie. It was a blast.

Gotta Love Fall Dolls

Fall is my favorite season of the year. There's just something about the Fall that makes me want to create something. Maybe it's all the vivid colors or all the holidays and the decorations you can make for all of them.

Whatever it is I LOVE the Fall.  So, of course, I love creating dolls with Fall themes, Fall colored clothing, etc.

Here's some of the Fall dolls I created this Spring::

Penelope Pumpkin Lady

Peter With The Big Eyes Loves His Fall Outfit 

Pamela With The Big Eyes Loves Her Fall

Luther The Folkart Doll Loves The Fall and His Pumpkins 

Lili The Folkart Doll Loves The Fall and Her Pumpkins 

Melanie Munchkin

Morty The Pumpkin Munchkin 

Punky Elmer's Little Scarecrow 

Copyright © 2004 - 2023 - All Rights Reserved - Designed and Written By Linda Walsh

Gotta Love Good Housekeeping Vintage Covers

I don't know if my Great Grandmothers and Great Great Grandmothers subscribed to Good Housekeeping back in the early years of the magazine.  I know both my Mother and my Grandmother on my mother's side did for many, many years.  As a child I can remember flipping through the pages looking at all the pictures.

So when I stumbled upon the Good Housekeeping Vintage Cover Gallery I couldn't help but show you some of the cover I love.

I just love the cover above from the February 1918 issue of Good Housekeeping and the November 1921 issue. Every time I look at them I think of my sister and I. How sweet are they?

The cover below from March 1920 is also a favorite of mine. Now I wonder why that is? Could it be a little girl sewing?

Then again the cover from August 1922 could also be a sentimental favorite.  A little girl and her beloved dog at the beach.

Then with my love of reading I could easily go with the February 1920 cover as a favorite.

Then again my sister and I could select the June 1927 cover as a sentimental favorite.  We both love beautiful flowers.

Then again who could resist the Good Housekeeping cover from March 1925 featuring a little girl and her grandmother. Reminds me of the times I sat in my grandmother's lap while she rocked and read me a book. Of course, for me it was two decades later between 1957 and 1960. Still.....

Gotta love Good Housekeeping vintage covers.

The Emperor Has No Clothes!

Last Sunday was shearing day at at Rock Garden Alpacas.     

What this means for the alpacas is they get all their fiber shaved off.  

This is fabulous news for all of us waiting to see what the new season of fiber will bring and bad for the alpacas as they loose their clothes.       

 Until their fiber starts to grow back they're basically naked.  

However, this is really good for them coming into the hot summer months. 

They're a lot cooler without those heavy coats on.    

And, by shearing them at this time of the year it allows plenty of time for their coats to grow back.

After the shearing the fiber gets sorted and organized in piles as to where it's going.     

The "blankets" may be sent to the shows or processed, the 2nd and 3rd groups may be processed into roving, or may be  shipped off to the fiber banks, or cleaned and then processed and dyed or turned into batts by my sister. 

From the pictures I have to say that the fiber looks really, really good.   

Maybe some of it in one form or another will end up at the post office for "big" sister.  Hint! Hint!   

They're Skinny Mini's

As Doris Marie came around the corner of the Dollie Storage Room she saw Patience pacing back and forth looking at a picture.  She was jumping from one bunny foot to the other.  Definitely not a good situation for such a timid, shy, worry wart of a bunny.  So, she decided to ask Patience what the matter was.

"Oh, Doris Marie I'm so happy you stopped to ask me.  Look at this picture of our alpaca cousins. Somethings happened to them.  Why they're almost naked and so skinny,"  Patience exclaimed. "Make that they are naked and are definitely skinny mini's.  What should we do, Doris Marie?  How can we help them?  Are Debbie and Karl not feeding them?  You don't think they're abusing them do you?"

"Oh, for goodness sake, Patience.  Don't be silly," Doris Marie replied.  "They're just been shorn."

"Shorn?" "What's that?" Patience asked.  "Is that the same as starving?"

"Absolutely not, Patience.  Let's just say they've had a really, really good haircut," Doris said. "And, don't worry.  Debbie and Karl feed them plenty of grass and hay.  They are far from starving."

"That's so good to know, Doris Marie.  But, you can see Roxy's ribs.  And, Sunflower has no top.  I really hope they don't get cold," Patience cried.

"Not to worry, Patience," Doris Marie responded.  "They're alpacas and are used to this."

"They don't shear bunnies do they Doris Marie," Patience wondered? "I certainly wouldn't want that to happen to me."

"Not to worry, Patience.  Linda has no plans to shear you," Doris Marie replied. "And, I know you get plenty of food."

"Oh, what a relief that is," Patience said. "That makes me feel so much better."

Two More Weeks

It's only two more weeks until my Artful Gathering Session I class starts and I can hardly wait.

This is my 3rd year taking online classes at Artful Gathering  and I have to say I have loved each and every class I've taken. The instructors are fantastic and I've had a blast in each class learning something new and, best of all, making wonderful new friends.

There were so many fabulous classes to choose from this year it was hard to decide. I really only have time for two and decided to take in Session 1 - Let's Go For A Ride - Julie Haymaker Thompson and in Session 2 - The Imaginarium: Anthologies of an Art Doll with Mary Jane Chadbourne.

I've got my kits already and I've ready to go.

Meet "Egg Muffs" Series Of Dolls

The "Egg Muff's" are a fun loving group of dolls that love to sneak around and maybe, every once in awhile, drop in unexpectedly. Toni E. Hawk and her brother, Tom A. Hawk, are the most fun loving of the group. You might find them peeking around a corner, peeking over the windowsill, peeking through a keyhole in a door, or sneaking into your room. You just never know. Sometimes you might just catch a glimpse of their eyes and hair as they try to sneak a peek. If you listen carefully, you might even hear them laughing, even chuckling away. Sometimes you might even catch them doing a little jig. You just never know what they may do. They love to laugh. They love to have fun. But, most of all they love to play hide and peek! No, not hide and seek! Hide and peek!

Toni E. Hawk and Tom A. Hawk are twins. She might seem shy and well-mannered, but she is anything but. She is highly intelligent and loves a good joke. She isn't afraid of taking on her twin brother, Tom A. Hawk, or his best friend, Spike A Peek. In fact, Toni E. Hawk actually comes up with the best thought out practical jokes around which makes her just a little bit intimidating to the other member's of the Egg Muff Series. However, when everyone gets to laughing at Toni E. Hawk's latest gag everyone soon forgets how intimidated they are by her intelligence.

Tom A. Hawk is anything but shy and well-mannered. He, too, is highly intelligent and loves a good joke and isn't afraid of taking on his twin sister, Toni E. Hawk, or his best friend, Spike A Peek. Unlike his sister, however, his intelligence isn't intimidating at all. In fact, Tom A Hawk does an exceptional job of hiding his intelligence while showcasing his wit, his charm, and his good looks. The girls just can't resist a charming, good looking, bit of a devil in him type of guy with a tomahawk hairdo.

Spike A Peek is actually the most rambunctious of the Egg Muffs and, generally, the least level headed. He always lets the fun get the better of him and finds that, more often then not, he's in the "Muff House" (the Egg Muff Series version of a doghouse) being "muffed!" This is also known as a "time-out!" Spike A Peek doesn't use his "time-out" and being "muffed" wisely. He uses it as an opportunity to think up his next prank. The one he's going to play on Tom A. Hawk.

Nancy Dew Drop is actually the most well behaved of the Egg Muffs and, generally, the most level headed. Sometimes, even Nancy lets the fun get the better of her and you might just hear her giggling in the background. Just listen for a sweet "tee-hee-hee" and that will be Nancy Dew Drop.

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One Of My Favorite Floral Arrangements

I've made hundreds of silk floral arrangements over the years and have to admit that some come out better than others. Some work out some don't. Some are just stunning color wise and some end up being re-done.  Some I don't like and some I just love.

The above is one of the latter. I created this floral arrangement several years ago and it has to be one of my favorites.

The reason is because it's a combination of silk floral stems and several dried and preserved floral stems I had purchased several years ago. It has dried and preserved eucalyptus stems, glittery garland sprigs, and navy blue dried bud stems.

The combination navy blue and natural basket and blue and silver wire ribbon bows are a good compliment for the colors of the arrangement.

Most of my floral arrangements these days are made with silk floral stems. I tend to prefer the natural look of dried floral versus silk floral but found that the dried floral just don't last.

I used to make them with dried floral many of which were fresh flowers from my gardens that I dried myself. They looked great for a while but didn't last and attracted moths so I gave up using them.

However, sometimes you can find some fabulous dried and preserved floral stems like the ones pictured above.

So far, they've lasted for several years and so far no moths. Cross your fingers it remains one of my favorites for many years to come. I'll let you know.

Time For Spring and Candy Dish Containers

I just love creating silk floral arrangements in all sorts of containers. I might use a basket, a metal container, a typical floral basin, glass vases, wooden crates, etc. Just about anything. So, when someone in the family asked me if I wanted a white milk glass candy dish they were throwing away I said - sure!

So, since I had put away all my winter silk arrangements I decided to make a small, cheery silk floral arrangement for the spring and summer using the white milk glass candy dish.

The arrangement is a combination of silk floral leaves, magnolia stems, lavender stems, and various other small spring like silk floral.

I was pleased with the way the arrangement came out. It was definitely a cheery arrangement for the spring and summer.

Candy might look be better in a candy dish and certainly be tastier - but this looked great. I was pleased with it and hope you like it too.

Sometimes Saving A Few Items Is Worth It

I'm sure I'm not the only crafter that gets asked a lot if I want something before a family member or friend of a family member throws anything out that could be used for my crafts or is a craft supply.

Many years ago I was given a large glass candle cover that someone in the family was throwing away and thought I might like to keep for my floral crafts. So, of course, I took it and stored it away for that one day when I was looking for something just like it.

To understand collecting such things you have to understand that nothing irks a crafter more than to throw something away and then turn around shortly thereafter and need such an item. As a result we tend to save a lot more than we should.

Several years ago I was also sent a Christmas greenery arrangement that had a long flat basin to it. After the greenery turned brown and I had to throw it away I decided to store the basin as I thought I might just have a use for it at some point in time.

Well, a couple of years ago I decided to put that large glass candle cover and basin to good use and created a winter floral arrangement that had a white rose with silver silk twigs inside surrounded on the outside by artificial garlands, white silk poinsettias, small pine cones, and silver wire ribbon bows.

I was pleased with the way the floral arrangement turned out and every winter now this arrangement is proudly displayed.

It just goes to show you that sometimes saving a few items is well worth it.  At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Time To Put The Winter Floral Arrangements Away

Yippee! It's time to put the winter floral decorations away and break out the spring floral decorations.

I'm thrilled that the winter is over with but have to confess that I do like some of the winter floral decorations. They're pretty to look at but it's time for them to go.

Onward to spring. Yippee!

How I Made My Dimensions Needle Felted Snowman Kit

When my sister came to visit last year one of our objectives was to learn as much as we could about needle felting and working with roving.

I had bought two mini roving kits from Dimensions. One Dimensions Needlecrafts Needle Felted Character Kit, Snowman for making a snowman (shown above) and Dimensions Needlecrafts Needle Felted Character Kit, Penguin for making a penguin (also shown above) that I thought would be a good introduction into working with the fiber so we started there.

We just wanted to get the feel of the fiber and how easy or hard it would be to work with before we embarked on our free style hand creations and working with the molds we had bought. I took the snowman and my sister took the penguin.

The snowman was a no felting mold necessary kit that came with the wool roving (white, black, orange, and blue), felting needle, felting mat, embroidery needle, thread and step-by-step instructions.  It called for twigs for arms which were not included.

The instructions were easy to follow and warned that the single felting needle was sharp, which it certainly was as evidenced by the two photo's below where it actually drew blood on my finger.  This is definitely not a kit or craft for small children.  The needles are just to sharp and when you prick yourself it really hurts.

Basically, the idea was to form three felted balls for the snowman and felt the three balls together.  To felt the balls you rolled the white roving into a small ball using the guide they provided for their size and kept inserting the single felting needle into the ball until it was firm, round and the size required.  This is accomplished by holding the roving in your fingers and inserting the single felting needle into the roving while trying not to prick yourself or inserting the roving into the felting while rolling the ball on the enclosed foam board.  Again, the objective is to not prick your fingers which is easier said than done.

To felt the balls together you keep inserting the single felting needle through the top ball into the ball below it until the roving is felted together and will not pull apart. It's quite amazing how strong the roving gets and how well weaved it is when you've done this.

The next step was to form the orange carrot nose using the roving provided and trying not to prick yourself. I ended up creating several noses before I got one small enough to fit my snowman's head. Then you position the nose on the face and using the single felting needle gently felt the nose into the white roving of the head.

After this they wanted you to thread the needle and embroidery floss to create the snowman's eyes and mouth. I opted instead to roll tiny balls of the black roving and then gently needle felt them into the head for his eyes and mouth. I thought this would look better than the thread.

Next they wanted you to roll the black felt between your fingers to create two tiny buttons for his chest and then needle felt them into the middle ball. I created three black balls for this and needle felted two into the middle ball for his chest and one in the center of the bottom ball.

The blue ear muffs came next. Again, you rolled the blue roving into a small ball the size shown on the snowman pattern and needle felted them until they were firm. I pricked my fingers several times doing this.

Once they were firm the instructions were to needle felt them into the sides of the head for the ear muffs.

Following this the instructions called for using the enclosed embroidery floss to create the ear muffs band.  I opted instead to roll and needle felt the blue roving until I got a flat band that was long enough for the band. Then I gently needle felted the ends of the band into the top sides of the ear muffs that I had already felted onto his head.

The pattern suggested using twigs for the arms and gluing them to the sides for arms. I opted to use small cinnamon sticks for my snowman's arms and glued them into the sides for arms.

I was pleased with how my needle felted snowman came out.  It didn't look exactly like the Dimensions picture, but it looked good none the less and I was happy with it.

Both my sister and I felt that the two Dimensions kits were a good introduction into needle felting, getting used to using the needle, and working with roving. Everything came with the kit so there was no need to buy anything else just to give needle felting a try.

As mentioned, my sister needle felted the penguin from the Dimensions Needlecrafts Needle Felted Character Kit, Penguin (also shown above) so she'll have to blog about her experience with that.

If you get a chance please check out my sister's Rock Garden Alpacas Etsy Shop where she sells her alpaca fiber and handmade alpaca fiber products.

Copyright © 2004 - 2023 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Linda Walsh.. Linda is a doll maker and doll pattern designer.