How hopeless am I..........

Wishing everyone a very merry yuletide. Life here has been a bit like being on a rollercoaster, lurching from one thing to another. There has been no let up in the day job and family requirements have kept me busy in the home so that I have had so little time in my workroom. Of course Christmas is apon us so soon and I am frantically trying to get organised a week ahead as we head off to Malta next week to visit my sister for Christmas. I have to admit that I am so looking forward to going, it's just all the cramming of stuff beforehand!

I gave this little lady to a friend of mine many years ago, unfortunately her legs drifted apart so she returned to me for fixing...here she is all fixed and ready to go back home this afternoon.

She is a modern reproduction of a Connie Walser Derek doll all dressed up in Mummy's hat and shoes, she was made in 1993, I think!

Can't believe it's nearly December.......

In my attempts to get organised it has just dawned on me that Christmas is not that far away and all my plans to have some festive gifts made and ready to give needs a kick start. I have managed to finish these little Chrismas trinket boxes, mainly 'cos I made them earlier this year but it is a start........

I need to thank my good friend Linda for the inspiration for these, Thank you Linda

We're Back!!

Well we got back, tired but re energised at the same time. Cornwall as usual was great. Windy and wet some of the time but glorious other times. We did get in the sea and caught some good waves and we did several long walks around the Cornish coast. As usual the company was grand and we discovered Padstow this time. I'm just hoping that things will calm down a bit before Christmas when we are off to Malta to visit my sister and maybe I can get some Christmas goodies made and get back to that list and all the unfinished projects......

This is Fred AKA Toffee who we had to look after for the week, what a little sweety!

My goodness where does all the time go. No sooner than we are back from Cornwall and it half term and time to go back down again to get the last of the surf for this year. At least we're not camping this time, we are in a large house, all 13 of us so it should be lots of fun and we'll get a Holloween party in there too which will keep the children happy. I love Polzeath!!

I have been a little productive but not as much as I would have liked. Life is like living on a roallercoaster at the moment, and I'm ready for a break.....but the second little rag doll is on its way and the baby rag dolls are cut out ready to sew.

The rugged coastline beckons,
The winds blow chill and strong
The surf is up and raging
And the Gang to Cornwall throng

The pitching of tents,
Discussing the rules,
Division of labour?
So who are the fools?

No peace to be had,
The joints still to be moved,
Is it donning a wetsuit?
Or solving a feud?

But the warmth of the fire,
And the nearness of friends,
The catching of waves,
And the playing in sands,

All go to make a most wonderful week,
That despite all the protests,
The aches and the pains,
We wouldn't dream of missing ever again!

New cloth dolls......

It has been a dreadful couple of weeks with both of us being quite poorly. I don't usually suffer with colds but I have had two very nasty ones this year and am beginning to think that I really need to do something about my overall health............

But I have managed to spend a bit of time in my workroom and whilst floundering around trying to get the enthusiasm up to start tackling the list....remember the list? I decided to just get on with something very easy and a bit different for me. I bought these patterns by Kezi Matthews many moons ago with the intention of making a set of rag dolls for my daughter when she was small, now aged 11 I'm really not sure she would thank me much for them now! Anyway here is the first one of the series and I really enjoyed making her.

New month and New start......

Real life has been so hectic just lately. The jump up to secondary school for my daughter has been hard to cope with but I think we are there and she is certainly more confident now. I haven't had the energy to do anything other than survive!!

I have been doing a little craft work though, in my campaign to get rid of plastic supermarket bags I came up with these 'souvenir' shopping bags for my friends as a reminder of our holiday in Cornwall this year. Actually we are going again at the end of the month so another shopping bag to make!!

I think these are fun and very easy to make, the photos translated well onto the fabric and makes shopping a lot brighter!!

Where does the time go?

Well I finally got to spend a bit of time in my workroom, nothing to show as such but it is at least tidy and ready to go......

This is the souvenir doll we got from the UFDC convention, designed by Stephanie Blythe

Our Tonner doll collection is growing, so herewith some pictures but for now they will have to be reboxed and stored with the others.

From the Dick Tracey series


The winning costume design
Am really struggling with any available time right now as the day job takes its toll and focus seams to have been lost somewhere, but as I said the workroom is now tidy and I have that list to get through so perhaps with a bit of organisation things might begin to happen.
I am putting together some hopefully good ideas for my costuming classes which i would like to get started very soon. And this neglected blog might get to be a bit more interesting!!

I did it!!

Finally got round to finishing the lovely battenburg lace collar that Pat Poulin started us on in her workshop at the UFDC convention. This is something I have wanted to get to grips with for a long time, so thankyou Pat and here is the result...just the fastening to sort out.

And we're back.......

It has been a fabulous week away in cornwall, not exactly sunny but a great time had by all. I do so love the North Cornish coastline, still very wild and rugged in places.

But...now its back to work, school and routine and I have the weekend to clean my house and get stuck into my workroom....so much to do and show you all.......... eventually!

And we're away again!!

It hardly seams like any time at all and we're packing up to go away again, this time for the annual camping trip to Polzeath for sea and surf, not sure we'll get the sun though. So it'll be quiet on here for another week but then it will be back to school and routine and hopefully I can get some doll work done to show off...........

And more dolls

With the designer of the Madame Alexander Company.


Alice did rather well at the childrens tea party, we had to buy another suitcase to get all the dolls she was given home!

And to the dolls.....

These wonderful doll were wax over porcelain and such whimsical characters, I could have taken them all home.


These were the best carved wood dolls I have ever seen, they really held my attention


I didn't manage to get many photos from the UFDC convention so will have to wait for the published ones. But, here are some of the wonderfu artist dolls that caught my eye at the Washington show.......

Great Plans.......

The view from our hotel room in Las vegas, I was just itching to get up into those mountains!

In front of the bellagio, the half hourly fountain displays were quite something.

One of the benefits of getting away, is to just get some time and think! my brain has been working overtime just lately and busy formulating a plan. I have several new ideas for classes which will be top of the range and a plan to build a new workshop in my garden...I have the space and i'm sure its 'doable' with the right input of energy. I've given myself today and tomorrow to get on top of the disorder that was in this house before we left for the states, because housework will definately not be figuring in my plans for the future!
Our souvenir picture, just for fun...didn't make any big winnings on the slot machines though!!
And there had to be at least one Elvis!

Well we got back....still a bit jet lagged, but a wonderful time was had by both of us. So many dolls to see, Las Vegas is a town that has to be visited by everyone at least once and the Grand Canyon is my most favourite place in the world.



Alice and I at the Hoover Dam


Alice at the Bellagio looking out to the Paris

I still need to sort out all the pictures but will post more here, so watch this space......

Getting really excited now......

Less than a week and Alice and I fly off to Las Vegas. we're soo looking forward to it. It will be the first UFDC convention I have attended and I believe it is BIG! We've planned some really fun days in between that and the Washington Show at the end. Two doll shows, two cities and a whole lot of other places as well including the Grand Canyon, Los Angeles and the Nevada Hills. The problem is getting through the rest of this week.
Two dolls finished, still have a costume to make tomorrow for my Shirley Temple doll and need to finish of some table prizes and gifts fo various people............
roll on Friday!!

And finally...........

I have been very negligent in keeping up with this blog but I do finally have something to show you...still not entirely finished but we're getting there!!

This is my little antique K*R 126 newly dressed as a little boy in Summer wear. he is travelling to the States with me in 10 days time to strut his stuff in the competition........


This is the little bear I designed for the competition - 'Critter with a Las Vegas theme' I'm just happy to call him my souvenir bear.....Elvis, dolls what more could I want?


Here showing some of the detail on the fabric designed and printed just for this event.

It's all over, now its time to get back to work!!

Birthday Parties and family gatherings are over. it was wonderful having all the family together evn if it was for such a short while. A good time was had by all even though the weather for saturday night was so awful, but we had fun the kids enjoyed getting very wet in 'super soaker wars' while the adults enjoyed getting wet on the inside!! the morning after the night before was a lovely walk with the dogs across Old Sarum........


Now it's back to work......only 5 weeks till our trip to the States and two competitions to get sorted!

It's been quite a week, work is heavy and party preparations need to be done.....Our annual birthday bash is fast arriving and I'm feeling out of control despite having such good plans...... ah well!! Alice is beside herself with excitement for her 11th tomorrow, but I am so looking forward to having my family and friends with me soon.

Back to works in progress...........
Antique K*R126 is slowly getting dressed...just socks, shoes and hat to make.
Vintage Shirley Temple needs a good clean and and costume made.
I did have plans to make a special teddy bear for Las Vegas but i fear time might be against me.
Jumeau is nearly finished for Washington show, she needs shoes and wig to
be made .....

Will I ever make it?

I neglected to post.....

Sorry not to have posted recently but the truth is I haven't managed to get on with any craft stuff recently. I've been scraping years of old lead paint off my hall stairs and doors...My hands hurt and I'm bored with it, still it is finally being done, just wish i had some help!!

BUT... we did have a wonderful weekend celebrating my dear friends 25th wedding anniversary in a field in North Dorset our own mini fest and a wonderful time was had by all