the luv-spud and other 'things'

Hello Peeps!
Happy New Year!!!

I've been a bad blogger... again!!! (methinks far too many of my posts start this way) It being a new year and all that I really should do something about it, especially seeing as my good friend Debbie from Tiny Treasures has been nagging & wagging her virtual finger at me to to update my blog.
So here goes... well I thought I didnt have much to blog about until I sat at the keyboard and now I think shall have to make several posts with all I'd like to say since I last said something! I never learn.

Xmas brought me some lovelies that I hadnt expected, most of you by now have realised I have a 'thing' for pumpkins & chickens, but I also have a 'thing' for mushrooms and a 'thing' for hearts, amongst other 'things'. So imagine my suprise while preparing the breakfast on Xmas morning when this heart shaped mushroom made an appearance.

then my lovely hubby gave me this as a present

I'd admired these mushroom stools for a long while and was over the moon to get one that had heart shaped seats :o) I had no idea he had hidden it in the shed, he apparently got up at stupid-o-clock to carry it through the garden full of snow into the house, whilst I slept!!! (note more of my collection spreading across the background)
and to complete the hat-trick, I also had a heart shaped potato... we called it the luv-spud... and it was luv-ly :o)


I was also delighted that my son bought me another Pendle Witch to keep the one that sits above my workbench happy

my first Pendle Witch above, and below the new one I got for xmas :o)


she has such a kindly face :o)


(you can read about The Pendle Witches here)
... methinks witches should be alone or in 3's so methinks another may be needed... this is beginning to sound like yet another 'collection' brewing LOL it did however leave me pondering if it were possible for me to scale up rather than down and try to make one by myself? I've only ever worked with polymer clay in 12th scale and smaller so this will be a real challenge for me. My miniature 'to-do' list has grown so long, that I really should be working my way through that rather than venturing into different scales. But to be honest, my dream of being able to make miniatures as a business venture has slid almost out of reach due to various health issues hindering my timescale for creativity ... and deadlines... pfft, I'm not the best with them! So, similar to the claims I made for my last new years resolve, I have decided (again) that I'm not pressurizing myself into making anything this year! it'll happen when it happens!!! (which isnt usually very often! LOL) but if I do make anything for sale I shall list it on here first.

When the snow from holidays cleared and the postman resumed his duties, I received a beautifully made xmas ornament from my friend Kat over at 'Little thoughts from an Average mind'.

it will look great alongside the other felt ornaments I made for the tree, but alas, it didnt make it onto the tree in time this year, but has been packed away safely ready for when the big event comes round again. In the mean time, I can play with the other goodies she sent me to go into the sewing shopbox I'm putting together. I shall show pics of its progress next time hopefully.


The Teapot is for Hagatha in my Skool of Majick... and the bear will go into the Santas Toyshop, more buildings which I hope to show you progress of soon!

Another reason I've not posted much is that I have been discovering so many new blogs! for example one I found has given me a numb behind where I have sat reading & admiring her work for so long today! LOL & my head is now filled with so many wonderful images that you just have to go see for yourselves. Pop over to Boxoftrix and have a peep, if you love embroidery,textiles & miniatures, you'll be glad you did.
I have also been remiss in welcoming my new followers, I apologise, and will add links to your pages with a proper introduction SOON x

right, off to prioritize that 'to-do' list!

Suprise!

A little while ago, Ira from Merry Jingle put an idea in my head for some baby sleepyheads after she won Mr Sleepyhead on my blog give-away. Well, I had to have a go! that was two weeks ago and then disaster struck.... I spent a day making various body parts and baby pun-kins , shoved them in the oven and went off doing whatever it is airheads like me do. An hour later I returned and nearly sobbed as I'd burnt the lot!!! (no suprise really!) so I made more..... and then I couldnt work out how to get all the babies on a vine and still be able to reposition them.... and then real life kept pulling me off to do other things and then....

the procrastination ended and I made this....

I hope you like it Ira, it was just going to be a gift to keep Sleepyhead company, now its a special thankyou gift too :o) The candles should glow in the dark (they are only trainee illuminators at the moment until they grow off the vine) although I have no idea how I'm gonna get a picture of them glowing in the dark?? I tried & failed :o(
am now off to the post office .... they dont like to be out of the ground too long you know!

Big Thankyou's :o)

I have been a bad, bad blogger AGAIN!!! (that seems to be how I begin all my blog posts recently LOL)
I almost cannot believe it has been 3 weeks since I last popped in here to ramble.... are you ready for a marathon waffling? ....good!

Firstly, I have a HUoooGE thankyou to give out to a few special bloggers :o) I had been very lucky recently and won a couple of giveaways, and then I also received some wonderful gifts from two very generous blogging friends. This is my new stash of pressies...it was like xmas opening all the little packages!!!! :o)


the first to arrive were the blog giveaway prizes from Nina /Dangerous Mezzo over at The Tudor Medieval Jacobean Queen Anne Dollhouse Project who sent me the tudor sugar cone, fruitbowl, barrel, maps and beautiful book and from from Kate of Katies Clay Corner who sent me the most perfect mini-mail .

then I had the wonderful suprise of 2 more packages!! Ira / Merry Jingle who won Mr Sleepyhead on my blog giveaway decided to send me a thankyou, and then Debbie of Tiny Treasures also sent me a fantastic parcel too!!! I am genuinely overwhelmed by your generosity

look at all these delightful goodies Ira sent!!! I absolutely adore the candle snuffer and the wands are so detailed and perfect :o) you have to click on the pic to make it bigger to see how great all of these miniatures are! and then... as if I hadnt had enough goodies, I had even more from Debbie! this photo really doesnt do the bottles justice! the light catches the tops and they shimmer and almost glow! I shall thoroughly enjoy playing with the marbles too and make more potion bottles for my Skool of Majick's potion room (I'm assuming they are spares for future projects and not just that Debbie felt I had lost all of my marbles !!! hahaha)

So, apart from opening goodie boxes, what have I been up to you may be wondering? well...... the sun has been shining in all its splendour so I have been mainly in my garden planting or nurturing 'stuff' (or rescueing 'stuff' when my dog decides to dig/trample and destroy my hard work) or just chilling outside with a good book! I have also spent a LOT of time down the golf course! I love the game and since my health has started improving, I have found that it is just the thing to keep me fit & well :o) its just a shame my golf isnt improving very much, but I havnt injured anyone with wayward balls....yet! I have also been working on a few commissions, which I shall show you when I'm done. I haven't had 3 dolls on the go at the same time for ....? well, ever! so its interesting here to say the least. I just need to make sure I get all the heads , hands & feet on the right bodies as Frankensteins head may look a little out of place on a gypsy fortune teller!!!

I have also acquired a few more followers
PuNo's Minis 1:12
Minicrochetmad

'Minikitchen' - who I cant find a blog for :o(
#Edit - MinnieKitchen bloglink thanx Debbie for the info
& WitchyWonders ..... who after reading her blog, to confirm she is who I thought she was, and having read much about this matter elsewhere from people who's work has been copied, I would just like to say that you are welcome to follow me if you are genuinely interested in my ramblings but would like to state here & now for the record that if I see ANY of my work copied by you and claimed as your own ideas, then I shall not be pleasant.
Plagarism is just not nice. Please play fair!
I am not an unpleasant person and wish everyone well, but if you are into mini-making for profit, then please at least do the decent thing and ask the original artist and credit those who you have taken your ideas from - It is they after all that are the original artist, not you. Credit where its due :o)
Sorry but it had to be said.
Back to the grindstone.... I love it really :o) I shall continue to pop in when I can and attempt to keep up to date with everyones blogs, but even though today is the summer solstice, it still doesnt extend the day long enough to keep up with all that Id like to, oh for more hours in the day!