Almost there!

The builders have one more day to do and an appointment with the building inspector and then it is finished and I can begin the task of painting and laying a floor and then arranging it all to suit me, really excited now!

From the front, where there used to be a garage door.

Entrance from the back looking through.

Inside, difficult to show as the room is long and narrow!

Inside door from the living room....that was the really messy part, it's going to take me a long time to clear all the dust!!
Next job will be the garden, sorting that out after all the building work and getting the hardstanding sorted out for the sheds. just wish the weather was a bit warmer!

Remembering........

Gosh, two posts in one day!! As I'm in the process of moving things around the house I thought I'd share this doll with you. she came to mind as I have just signed my daughter and I up for this years race for life....An all womens 5km run in aid of cancer research. You can read the details here http://www.raceforlife.co.uk/

Sadly, I have lost my two best friends to the beast, both were Godmothers to my daughter Alice. At the time Jayne Louise gave me this doll, an original sculpture made by her in porcelain. I still have the mould and permission to reproduce 20 of this doll called 'Lucy'. I still don't have the heart at this stage but perhaps soon with so many worthy causes out there.........

Another dear friend, Dorothea, found this box and decorated it to keep 'Lucy' in for Alice. She decorated it with pictures of both Jeanine and Jayne and put a little page inside the satchel on the doll to Alice.

She is very precious to us both, and we will be running (or in my case walking!)on the 4th July in the race for life in memory of dear friends lost too early.

And the building progresses......

I think I might have struck it lucky with the builders, they certainly have worked full days in all weathers and my new workroom is beginning to take shape. they reckon to be finished by the end of next week and then I will have the task of laying a floor and decorating the room. Although it has been one of the most stressful things i have ever done it is beginning to be getting quite exciting now but still see weeks of work for me ahead......just clearing and sorting and moving furniture around....Ho Hum!! BUT...I will have albeit smallish a devoted studio jus for me.....no excuses for procrastination then!

View from the front of the house where the garage once was

From the backof the room looking to the front

From the front looking to the back of the room and through to the back garden

View from the back of the house

And more snow.......

I woke up to more snow this morning, school is closed again, but the builders still showed up and have been working the whole time, though at this moment they are out with kids on the snow boards! and why not!

This was the view from my bedroom window, tent doing its job so far!

Anyway, today I am tea girl, wiper upperer and general dogs body! no sewing going on as too many interruptions and I will need to get into work at some point today!

End of the first day of work, tiles removed and new woodwork in place!

Winter madness.........

Who else puts up a tent in the garden when there is 4" snow on the ground and in freezing temperatures? But, it did seam like the best idea as a temporary shelter for the usual stuff that lives in the garage while the building work gets underway on Monday.....the builders are quite sure they will be starting on Monday!

Just looking forward to the big thaw, whenever that might be and the mud and dead grass that we have just invited!

And the building begins......

The good news is that the builders are all ready to start work on Monday.....The bad news is that I have to get the garage emptied between now and then and in the absence of any new sheds at this point, the lawn mowers and other things will have to go in the tent in the garden! I just so hope its not snowing on Friday, it might be fun putting a tent up in the snow!!

So i don't expect there will be very much doll making or sewing going on for the next few weeks but I'll keep the camera handy...just for the record!

And here are a few shots of the calm before the storm on a gloriously sunny but very frosty morning as i was walking the dog.

First Izzanah Walker type doll finished.....

My task for today was to get the work room cleared and sorted out to start new things in the new year.....But, I got distracted! my very first Izzanah Walker type doll was nearly finished and looking at me so I had to get on and finish her!

So here she is.......

Ready to have another go now, lots of improvement needed but I have at least had a go!

My poor little Christmas Fairy!

Happy new year one and all.

I've spent today putting all the Christmas decorations away and thinking about what a lovely time we all had.

However, I haven't packed my poor little fairy away. This little fairy was bought for me for my first Christmas, so now at the ripe old age of 51, I think it's about time she had a makeover...well, perhaps I need one too!

So this is my first task for this year, and my fairy will look magnificent for next year.

She originally looked like this but with a white dress made of tissue paper. She has had several doily dresses since then and she lost her wand many years ago. The challenge is on to get her looking as near as I can to how she was originally.