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Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas!

I'm sure tomorrow will be a very busy day for me, and for any of my readers that celebrate Christmas, so I'm getting my holiday greetings in a few hours early.

Merry Christmas from my household to yours! May the new year find you healthy, happy, and at peace within.


Merry Christmas

I've only been in the ball jointed doll hobby for two years and I'm shocked at how rapidly my resin crew has grown! From left to right they are as follows:

Bobby (Realpuki Pupu), Shannon (Minifee Luka mod), Neelie (Pukifee Bonnie), Peanut (Littlefee Elf Ante), Hickory Dickory (Pet Ari Bobo), Morganna (Minifee Mirwen), Pumpkin (Littlefee Leah), Becky (Realpuki Popo), Panalaya (Minifee Juri '08), Serenity (Pukifee Cupid). 

I've about reached my limit I think!  
My "Wish List" for 2013 (a meme that is going around amongst the doll fans on Flickr) is quite short for that reason. It is as follows:

Not any serious doll wishes, mostly mods to the dolls I already have.
  • Pumpkin (my LTF Leah) needs a more colourful faceup with freckles and eyebrows that go more than half way.
  • I'd like to have my Leah sleeping faceplate modded to become a boy --- which means eyes and boy style wigs are also on my wish list.
  • High on my Wish List for 2013 is a light box to use for doll photography on our far too frequent dark, gloomy days!
  • And a final wish for the year (I think) might be a JID guy. Not positive on that as I already have more dolls than I feel comfortable clothing and feeding, but I love them all too much to get rid of any of them to make space for a male. 
So what's on your wish list for 2013?

Friday, December 21, 2012

Apocalypse Fizzle

Could have been worse.

Any Zombie's show up at your place?

Didn't think so.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Neelie's Worried

Neelie's a bit worried.

Neelie's worried

The last time she wore an outfit like this she was told she was moving on to a new household. She loves it here and doesn't want to move again, especially now that she has made friends with Serenity.

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Luckily when she told the Christmas Plushies about her concerns they were happy to reassure her.

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I also told her in no uncertain terms that she is definitely staying! Only the outfit itself will be moving on.

Needless worry

It's a commission for a SecretDoll Person so I've added a little extra length to both the hat and the dress.

Merino/silk/cashmere hat

It seems that Neelie is still worried! Now she's starting to wonder if she'll ever get to keep one of these pretty grey and pink dresses for herself!







Wednesday, December 12, 2012

The Brutal Truth

Yesterday while crossing the US-Canada border I was slapped in the face with the brutal truth. I've aged a helluva lot in the past 2 or 3 years, so much so that the border guard was not easily convinced that I look at all like my passport photo or my driver's licence photo though both were taken within the past 2 and a half years.


For that matter I look even less like the avatar photo above that I have been using here on my blog, on Ravelry, and on Flickr.



So here is me now. Yeah, like I said, I've aged a LOT! Wondering what the heck happened?


Well, a number of things I think, the most unavoidable being a hereditary phenomena.

I remember that while I was growing up my mother always looked much younger than her actual age. Most people underestimated her age by at least seven years and often commented that she looked too young to have children of our ages. The same thing had always happened to me ---- until recently.


I remember one time going to visit my mother when I hadn't seen her for quite some time. I was shocked at how much she had aged in such a brief period of time! It seems we hide our age very well ---- to a point, and that point is our 50s, and then as though a magic anti-aging spell has come to an end, we rapidly catch up and show our true age!


Yeah, brutal!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Shortbread Traditions

Revisiting an old, but popular post I made 6 years ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, December 11, 2006


When I was growing up my mother always made Shortbread using the family recipe, handed down by her mother. It was shortbread the way it "should" be, three simple ingredients, butter, berry sugar, and flour. I believed in that recipe. I defended it as the best shortbread there was. Until I got married.

My husband grew up knowing shortbread from a different recipe, the one from the "Canada Cornstarch" box. We each thought "our" shortbread was the best. The good natured argument went on for a bit until one Christmas early in our marriage I decided to have a side by side "taste test". I made both recipes and we voted for our favorite. We both liked the cornstarch recipe the best so from that point on it was the one I used, except for one important modification. I made it larger. The recipe on the box only makes 2 dozen. Are they serious? That wouldn't last one evening around this house! Besides I kind of liked the way my grandmother's recipe used up the whole pound of butter.

So here's my adaptation of the cornstarch recipe. I've "super-sized" it so that it takes a whole pound of butter and makes about 5 dozen cookies and I've also simplified the mixing method.

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Using an electric mixer, cream together one pound of (room temperature) butter, 1 1/3 cups of icing sugar and 1 1/3 cups of corn starch. Gradually add 3 cups of flour. Turn out onto a lightly floured board/countertop and knead until well blended. Roll out 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees F. for 15 - 20 minutes until just the outside edges are lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
The recipe itself has not been my only break with tradition. My mom used a medium sized cookie cutter with a wavy edge (like the cookies on the left). When I got married I could not find the same kind of cookie cutter and had to substitute the flower-ish shape on the right. For years I searched for a cookie cutter like my mom's so that I could have shortbread the way it "should" be. Finally last year I found one. In the meantime my own children have grown up with shortbread made with the flower-ish cutter --- the ones on the right.

A few days ago my married daughter mentioned that she had made a batch of shortbread. She was complaining that it didn't look the way it "should". You see, she can't find a cookie cutter with "bumps" like mine. All she has is a cookie cutter with a wavy edge. Bwahaha! Bumpy or wavy, there is one thing we both agree on: Shortbread must have three rows of fork pricks to look "right". Left plain they look naked, or blind, or somethin'.

I guess traditions are whatever you get used to.

Incidentally, my mother eventually abandoned her mother's recipe and made whipped shortbread each year.

Shortbread Traditions

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Dressed for Christmas

Bobby and Becky are dressed in their holiday outfits and waiting excitedly for their first Christmas.

Bobby and Becky


Thursday, December 06, 2012

Sisters!

 It's been a while since I last posted. Things around here have been hectic and I've inadvertently missed let you in on a few things. First of all Becky and Serenity were seeing a bit of the US. They went to Ban's Boutique in New York to get fresh new faceups.

They're Baaaaacccckkkk!

Becky returned with the world's cutest little gappy tooth grin. It makes me smile just looking at her!

Becky

Serenity was delighted to come home and find she had acquired a new friend.

Who are you?

But as happy as she was playing with Neelie she seemed somewhat distracted.

Neelie and Serenity

She kept staring at me, as though she was trying to tell me something.

Fresh faced Serenity

It took me a while to recognize the problem. Suddenly it dawned on me. Serenity was caught mid-transformation. She needed a new wig!

She's now a little redhead with cute baby curls along the back of her neck. And with that.....

Sisters!

Serenity and Neelie have discovered that they have big sisters!

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Meet My New Girl

 I'd like to introduce Neelie, my new-to-me Fairyland Pukifee Bonnie.

She's on her way home with me. Squeeee!

I bought her secondhand from NixiPixie and picked her up today. The doll's name was "Neelsie", and she was named after NixiPixie's Aunt Neelie. I've decided to drop the added "s" and go back to just plain "Neelie" which I find easier to pronounce. I think it really suits her too.

The darling little outfit was made by NixiPixie as a going away present. So cute! Check out those microscopic stitches in the sock. 20sts to the INCH! NixiPixie makes outfits like this, and similar, for several sizes of doll including Pukifee, Persons, and Blythe. If you see stock in her shop better snap it up quick as they go FAST! In fact, if you are seriously wanting a set it might be a good idea to subscribe to her Flickr feed so you don't miss out. Her shop is NixiPixiPuddingPie.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Sending Baby Zoe Home

Okay, last three headbands, this time for real.....

1

She's actually going home today....

2

But I took the time last night to make three more headbands for Dollzone Babies....

3

But these ones aren't destined for commissions. These ones are going into my Etsy shop.

It's hard to let her go!

It's hard to let this little cutie go!

bye bye baby bunting

But she really must get home to her caretaker now, so I've bundled her up in her going home outfit. Now to pop her and all of her new wardrobe into the mail.

Bye bye baby bunting.   :-(


Thursday, November 22, 2012

Maybe Not Yet?

I said yesterday that the three headbands were my last projects with the Dollzone Christmas Baby.

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Well.....maybe not quite yet. While waiting for the owner to pay for the commissioned items I had one more day with little Zoe.

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Another new owner of two tiny Dollzone Babies has been asking if I could also make her doll something.

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With that extra day I was able to squeeze in a few more tiny headbands and another pair of ruffle-bum panties before the little model has to be packed up and sent home.

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These are the items I made for SaraBeara2's little ones. Modelled by the ever adorable Zoe, who belongs to HDoneSix.




Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The Final Two Items

Zoe's ready to go home now.

blue dendrobium orchid

She enjoyed her time here, but she wants to be home in time for Santa's visit.

Zoe's blue flower

I finished her final two items last night. A blue flowered headband inspired by this photo. And a red Chrysanthemum styled after this picture.

Zoe's red flower

I hope she and her new wardrobe have a safe journey home, back to Ontario.

Red Chrysanthemum

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Ittsy Bittsy Teensy Weensy Headband

I'm crocheting tiny little headbands for 3" long Zoe, the Dollzone Christmas Baby. She'll probably get several in different colours.

 Headband details.

I crocheted the flower on this first one using 3 strands of a 6 strand embroidery floss.

Tiny fashionista.

The headband itself is only about the size of a thumb ring and was crocheted using weaver's perle cotton and a 1 mm hook.


Zoe's Headband

Monday, November 19, 2012

Dress for Zoe

The tiny little dress is done. The Dollzone Christmas Baby will be heading home soon. I just have a couple of flowered headbands to make for her first.

Zoe's Dress

Dress for Dollzone Baby

Lace Dress for Zoe

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Rose

The outfit I was making, and blogged about earlier, is now complete. Here it is being modelled by Rose, the rightful owner. She is Kristo's Fairyland Minifee Luka.

Corset for Rose

The slouchy beret in hand dyed, handspun camel/silk was crocheted without a pattern, just trying it on for fit now and then.

Rose's outfit

The corset and skirt were made from men's shirts I picked up at a thrift store. The shirt I used for the corset had a soft, peached finish to it that made a very nice doll-scale velvet like fabric. I hand embroidered the flowering vines. The skirt was made from the other two men's shirts. LOTS of fabric left over of course, which is a good thing because Morganna would like a skirt too!

Rose

Then I used a t-shirt purchased at Micheals to make the detached sleeves and the tights. Poor Rose had to go home in her stocking feet though. Shannon was not about to give up those boots for more than just a quick photo session.

Thursday, November 08, 2012

Rawrrrrrr!

 I crocheted Bobby a new hat.

Bobby the Monster

Now he wants someone to come over to play "Monsters".

"Wanna play?"

His sister, Becky, is away at Ban's Boutique getting a new faceup.

"Rawrrr"

He's feeling a little lonely.

Pretending

Won't you spend a little time with him?

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Baby Bunny

Came here for the cute? Well, do I have the cute!

Baby Bunny

This is the latest piece for the Dollzone Christmas Baby commission I'm working on.

Itty Bitty Bunny

It's a custom designed, itty, bitty, cashmere bunny hat for the 3" resin doll owned by HDoneSix.

Bunny Ears

A few more things to make and then she'll be on her way back home to her caretaker.

Zoe's Bunny Hat