Fall and winter are my main crafting seasons. All spring and summer I am gung-ho into gardening. Trips to the craft store, now that we have one in the area, can be impromptu, but I only go when I can afford to. Our super big box retailer also has a craft department and I hit that often too.
My mother and I had doc appointments a week or so ago, follow up consultations after lab work. We both did very well with our meds and diet restrictions so we got pretty glowing reports. Ma wanted lunch and some cookies afterward, and at a spry 75 years young and a whopping 96 lbs soaking wet (she's 4'11") she is certainly entitled to that. I was complimented on my 50 lb weightloss this year, and so I decided not to reward myself with anything edible. Crafting and thrifting works for me! *G* So after some quick shopping that included her lunch, we dropped Ma back off at home to eat and relax, and Lee and I headed back out.
Some recent bead purchases, with the mermaid dolls in mind. They look like pearls but are glass, and so are a lot cheaper. As I recall they all came from the craft department of the department store.
Most of these are from the craft store, I think the E beads in the flat pack were from the department store. They are glass too. The doll buttons get used as either eyes or actual buttons, not sure about the bells but they are cute. The round buttons with the flush stems will likely become amigurumi crochet eyes, they are actually blue. The white snaps I will sew to our flea market rolling totes so the top flap will stay closed. I look at things like this and I see projects.
Do you remember the mermaid doll in progress? Well, here she is in all her glory, completed at last. This is Sapphirina, and she is now living on Lee's side of the office. I gave her to him because he is the one that drives me everywhere; to docs and dentist, the flea markets and yard sales, and the craft grocery, and department stores. All of the materials I used in her construction were purchased on trips with Lee, who does have a thing for mermaids. I think for something that started out as an experiment, she came out rather well. He insisted on the belly chain BTW. The yarn for her hair is Caron Simply Soft, which I really like as doll hair. It has a nice silkiness and the plies separate easily. Couldn't find my fine beading wire or nylon so the beads are strung on heavy sewing thread. I started another mermaid too. In this pic, this one is in its second night of work. I wanted a darker blue one, but didn't have the finer sport yarn so I went with worsted on the tail section, which gives her a fuller figure. So, she is going to be a bit pear shaped - probably too much rice in the sushi... She kind of looks like the Venus De Milo of mermaids right now. The main thing was to try out the pattern I wrote while doing the first one, and see if it works. I found a couple of minor bugs but otherwise she looks fine so far.
Gratuitous kitten cuteness pictures inserted below. My little buddy Mischief sitting in the office window next to my desk and PC. It was a sunny day and there were Asian ladybugs all over the south side (back) of the house, including the screen. Those non-native ladybugs are PESTY at this time of year, looking to come indoors and hibernate with us. Mischief has never been outdoors in his young life, but he has the hunting instinct, and so I had to keep the window closed to prevent him from clawing the screen to get at them. Normally that sill is filled with odds and ends but I cleared off one end for him. Lee took these pics BTW, and even with as dark as they came out, I think they are kind of artsy.
The kittens are really getting big now. Mischief is a love and he is all over me all the time. He likes to smooch and cuddle, when he can sit still long enough that is. I had to eventually chase him off, the sparkly danglies became too interesting as possible toys. I like them hanging up there, in the full sun they throw rainbows all over the room, and there are small windchimes that tinkle. Kittens, rainbows, and fairy chimes tinkling, what a setting to work in! *S*
With our anniversary coming up, I sent away to Amazon.com for something for Frank (OH) and decided to treat myself at the same time. Well I needed the $25 for the free shipping, so why not? I don't add too many books to my overflowing collection but these seemed like a wise buy. I am very happy with both of them.
Another night on mermaid doll #2, and she had an arm. A bit of trial and error as I was watching something on TV and not paying enough attention to my hastily scrawled directions. I eventually got it right. The arms get crocheted in rounds right on the body, and I keep the seam underneath. Stuffing thin tubes like the arms is easier if you work on it as you go along, and having something firm to grip as you crochet
really does help. Just don't stuff to the very edge of where you are working, or you will be scooping up fiberfill as you stick the hook in, and that is a PIA. I roll the fiberfill into cylinders and poke it in with the back of a larger crochet hook. I find low loft quilt batting works best for small pieces like this, it is already fairly compact. Most of the arm is done with an F hook, the hand is done with a D. 
More mermaid doll stuff; yarn for hair and crochet cotton for bikini tops. I will likely make a third one based on this hair color and the aqua top, and likely a green one too. I am on a roll here. I am thinking one of the newer ones will be a Christmas gift for someone.
This is what my 40% off coupon was for! I finally got the big sketch boards I have been salivating over. Those clips hold the thinnest paper tightly, and the rubber band helps too. I like to work with oil pastels, which you can smear around, and that will tend to wrinkle the paper if you don't have it firmly pinned down. I think this puppy will see plenty of use. I have several unfinished pieces I'd like to dig out again.
I grabbed this at the last minute too, I love the trellis design of the frame. This was also $3.99, but is like brand new. I want to put a picture of my boys with Stacey and Grandson Ben in it.
Look at that detail, could you have turned that down? Very nice for something from the big box store. I'd expect to pay at least $15 for that. Jeez I love thrifting!
It has a few minor chips but this little cottage/wishing well planter for 99¢ really talked to me, and it was the first thing I grabbed. I am thinking it would make a nice candle holder. I could write a story about this place...
This one was for my mother, who loves the Chinese pincushions. Only 99¢ too, and never used.
OK, day's end and I worked on the second mermaid doll again. I had just finished her right arm when I realized I had the thumbs on the wrong side. Thankfully crochet and fiberfill are very forgiving, so with some twisting I managed to realign her arms. I think this one will get a big pearl sewn/glued into her hands to keep them in the position they belong in. I will definitely have to type out that pattern so I can read it better. Still she is coming out rather well.
One more gratuitous kitten picture. End of the day for the two babies and they decided to cuddle up on an old doormat and take a snooze. I am glad we got both of them together, they play nicely and keep each other company. Mischief is definitely the more active and aggressive of the two, and he is a bundle of energy. Merlin is bigger, but he is more sedate and quieter. Not actual littermates but blood brothers of the heart. *s*
Another night on mermaid doll #2, and she had an arm. A bit of trial and error as I was watching something on TV and not paying enough attention to my hastily scrawled directions. I eventually got it right. The arms get crocheted in rounds right on the body, and I keep the seam underneath. Stuffing thin tubes like the arms is easier if you work on it as you go along, and having something firm to grip as you crochet
really does help. Just don't stuff to the very edge of where you are working, or you will be scooping up fiberfill as you stick the hook in, and that is a PIA. I roll the fiberfill into cylinders and poke it in with the back of a larger crochet hook. I find low loft quilt batting works best for small pieces like this, it is already fairly compact. Most of the arm is done with an F hook, the hand is done with a D. Um, I didn't notice at that point I had the thumb going the wrong way. The directions did say, "Attach thumb on the shoulder side," but I wasn't paying attention I guess.
The craft store is in a mall that also has a pet supply place. I had a reason to go out and get pet supplies again so that meant I could stop at the craft place too. *w* Plus, I had a 40% discount coupon for 1 item at regular price that would expire within a few days. So off Lee and I went and here is some of the haul.
The findings are copper, I got two sizes of jump rings and crimp beads for my green leaf earrings. The E beads are for the mermaid dolls, one was marked down. The flower buttons I just fell in love with, the shamrock ones are going into my friend's gift bag. I have never seem wiggle eyes with an eyelid and lashes and HAD to have those.
More mermaid doll stuff; yarn for hair and crochet cotton for bikini tops. I will likely make a third one based on this hair color and the aqua top, and likely a green one too. I am on a roll here. I am thinking one of the newer ones will be a Christmas gift for someone.
This is what my 40% off coupon was for! I finally got the big sketch boards I have been salivating over. Those clips hold the thinnest paper tightly, and the rubber band helps too. I like to work with oil pastels, which you can smear around, and that will tend to wrinkle the paper if you don't have it firmly pinned down. I think this puppy will see plenty of use. I have several unfinished pieces I'd like to dig out again.
After the craft store, we took the highway back to a town that is east of where I live that has a Salvation Army thrift store Lee and I like to haunt. They had moved their music up to the front and so he went through it and found this Celtic CD for me. I like to listen to Celtic, New Age, Native American flute or nice instrumental music when I am writing. This one would be good for chase scenes and marshaling the troops in a battle, it is pretty lively. If you buy used CDs, ALWAYs open them up and make sure the disc is actually there, it is the right one, and it isn't cracked, scratched or scuffed. This one was in perfect condition, a well spent $1.99.
I debated on picking up this embroidery stand the entire time I was there because it is missing the top part of the hoop with the clamp. I know they are not cheap so for $2.99 I decided to grab it. I might have a top hoop that fits, but if not I will buy another one and drill the base to replace this one. It just kind of screws on. The joints are not worn at all, this baby was not used much. Very stable too with the wide base. Someone paid a pretty penny for this.
I debated this one too, as I really don't need a lot more dishes, but we do run out of bowls on the holidays. I love the green glass, and the design of these appealed to me. They were sold as a set for $3.99. I will put them away for now in a box with my other holiday tableware.
I debated this one too, as I really don't need a lot more dishes, but we do run out of bowls on the holidays. I love the green glass, and the design of these appealed to me. They were sold as a set for $3.99. I will put them away for now in a box with my other holiday tableware.
I grabbed this at the last minute too, I love the trellis design of the frame. This was also $3.99, but is like brand new. I want to put a picture of my boys with Stacey and Grandson Ben in it.
Look at that detail, could you have turned that down? Very nice for something from the big box store. I'd expect to pay at least $15 for that. Jeez I love thrifting! It has a few minor chips but this little cottage/wishing well planter for 99¢ really talked to me, and it was the first thing I grabbed. I am thinking it would make a nice candle holder. I could write a story about this place...
This one was for my mother, who loves the Chinese pincushions. Only 99¢ too, and never used.
OK, day's end and I worked on the second mermaid doll again. I had just finished her right arm when I realized I had the thumbs on the wrong side. Thankfully crochet and fiberfill are very forgiving, so with some twisting I managed to realign her arms. I think this one will get a big pearl sewn/glued into her hands to keep them in the position they belong in. I will definitely have to type out that pattern so I can read it better. Still she is coming out rather well.
One more gratuitous kitten picture. End of the day for the two babies and they decided to cuddle up on an old doormat and take a snooze. I am glad we got both of them together, they play nicely and keep each other company. Mischief is definitely the more active and aggressive of the two, and he is a bundle of energy. Merlin is bigger, but he is more sedate and quieter. Not actual littermates but blood brothers of the heart. *s*
Aw c'mon, you know you just want to say, "Awwww!!!!!"
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