The Fairies' Nest - Cloth Dolls and Fiber Fantasies

Winter's Welcome

2011-12-22T00:30:00.000-08:00

This is the solstice, the still point
of the sun, its cusp and midnight,
the year’s threshold
and unlocking, where the past
lets go of and becomes the future;
the place of caught breath, the door
of a vanished house left ajar.
- Margaret Atwood ”Shapechangers in Winter”

Happy Yule!

Autumn, Apples, and Artdolls

2011-11-10T05:21:00.000-08:00

The trees around town have been breathtaking this week. Any window in my house looks out on another spectacular explosion of color...

This is why I adore fall. Well that and the cooler temperatures and of course, apple butter!

Yes indeed I made apple butter this week...LOTS of apple butter...and as I talked on Twitter about the amazing way the smell of baking apples permeated my house, several folks asked me to post my recipe...so here it is!

The recipe I use does make quite a lot...about 4 quarts...but feel free to cut it in half because I've done that in the past and it works fine. It is also usually a 2 day process so give yourself plenty of time. The first stage requires about 2 hours but the second takes all day...you'll only need to be stirring the butter occasionally though so it's not as bad as it sounds.
To start you'll need about 12 pounds of good apples, ones that are crisp and more toward the tart side but not sour. I like Winesaps, Arkansas Blacks, Cortlands, or Macintosh...but use whatever is available locally...and since you won't be peeling these, you'll need to get organic or wash your apples REALLY well with some kind of veggie soap.
Okay you now take your clean apples and core and quarter them and throw them in a big pot. I usually have to use two pots for this part as it's so many apples.

Next add some water to the cut up apples...fill the pot(s) about half way...bring this to a boil and then cover and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours. Your apples will be nice and soft and your house will start to smell wonderful. You'll need to puree the apples, either in batches in your food processor, CAREFULLY because they are very hot, or use an immersion blender...one of the most useful kitchen gadgets I own. When you're done they'll look like this...

Now you add the yummy extras, for each cup of pulp you'll add 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Stir that all in and then to the whole batch add :
the grated rind and juice of 2 large or 3 small lemons
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamon seed (do this fresh if you can, it makes Such a difference)
1 cup port wine (yep, this is the secret ingredient shhhh)
...I know it sounds like the spice amounts are too small but trust me on this...
Now set this aside to cool.

The next day place 3/4 of the puree in a large oven proof pot and place it in a cold oven. Set to 325F degrees and bring the puree to a simmer. You'll want the pot to simmer all day and as the butter shrinks down you'll add more puree by the cup and stir it well. You may have to adjust the temperature up or down as the day goes by, you don't want a hard boil but you do want it to be evaporating the liquid out and turning into yummy apple butter. It will take time. This batch took about 6 hours, but I did all sorts of other things while it cooked merrily away and my house smelled incredible. One thing you need to do while this is cooking is get your jars, lids, and boiling water bath ready...so do that.

Once you've used up all the puree and it's cooked down to a nice thick consistency (if you're wooden spoon will stand up unsupported it's done!) then it's time to put it into clean sterile jars. Process your jars in a boiling water bath for 10 mins....and you'll have this...

...plus probably some extra to put in the fridge. A nice stash to remember Autumn all year...and enough to give as gifts too.

And since no post of mine should be without a doll, here's my latest Fall fairy with more of those gorgeous trees!

Happy All Hallows Eve!

2011-10-31T13:05:00.000-07:00

My newest fae, Nyx, hopes that all of you have a very

Happy Halloween!

Witches...

2011-10-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

Since All Hallows/ Samhain/ Halloween is right around the corner I thought it was time for a few witches. Mine are fairly unwicked, so I thought this lovely poem was apropos.

October

I OFT have met her slowly wandering
Beside a leafy stream, her locks blown wild,
Her cheeks a hectic flush, more fair than Spring,
As if on her the sumach copse had smiled.
Or I have seen her sitting, tall and brown,--
Her gentle eyes with foolish weeping dim,--
Beneath a twisted oak from whose red leaves
She wound great drowsy wreaths and cast them down;
The west-wind in her hair, that made it swim
Far out behind, deep as the rustling sheaves.

Or in the hill-lands I have often seen
The marvel of her passage; glimpses faint
Of glimmering woods that glanced the hills between,
Like Indian faces, fierce with forest paint.
Or I have met her 'twixt two beechen hills,
Within a dingled valley near a fall,
Held in her nut-brown hand one cardinal flower;
Or wading dimly where the leaf-dammed rills
Went babbling through the wildwood's arrased hall,
Where burned the beech and maples glared their power.


Or I have met her by some ruined mill,
Where trailed the crimson creeper, serpentine,
On fallen leaves that stirred and rustled chill,
And watched her swinging in the wild-grape vine.
While Beauty, sad among the vales and mountains,
More sad than death, or all that death can teach,
Dreamed of decay and stretched appealing arms,
Where splashed the murmur of the forest's fountains;
With all her loveliness did she beseech,
And all the sorrow of her wildwood charms.


Once only in a hollow, girt with trees,
A-dream amid wild asters filled with rain,
I glimpsed her cheeks red-berried by the breeze,
In her dark eyes the night's sidereal stain.
And once upon an orchard's tangled path,
Where all the golden-rod had turned to brown,
Where russets rolled and leaves were sweet of breath,
I have beheld her 'mid her aftermath
Of blossoms standing, in her gypsy gown,
Within her gaze the deeps of life and death.
Madison Cawein


And if you enjoy these there are witches post cards in the shop too!

Autumn at Last

2011-09-23T04:44:00.000-07:00

“...At no other time (than autumn) does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, the ripe earth; in a smell that is in no way inferior to the smell of the sea, bitter where it borders on taste, and more honeysweet where you feel it touching the first sounds. Containing depth within itself, darkness, something of the grave almost.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke

Today welcomes Autumn, my favorite time of year. I think I simply exist through Summer, as may be noted by my lack of posts here, I hibernate away from the heat and humidity waiting for the crisp, tangy air of Fall.

Not that I've been completely slack lately, I actually did just post 10 small dolls and 2 pins to my Etsy shop. Once again vintage lace has found it's way onto a couple of the new ones. Like this little Goldilocks...

Here's Mary with her little Lamb, only my second attempt at needlefelting.

Of course with Halloween right around the corner I have to make some witches. I have a big one on the table and here's the first of the tinies...

And in honor of our "girls", who have been hard at work making us honey this summer, I made a couple of Bee Pixies.

So now that Autumn is here I expect to be back posting more regularly once more...see you again soon!

Petticoats

2011-08-22T08:26:00.000-07:00

Today on the table I have so many little dolls in petticoats that I just had to share a picture. Aren't they cute?

So much beautiful lace but these three are my favorites. The middle slip is one of my vintage pieces...so lovely!

Snow White

2011-08-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

A commission that I just finished. Doesn't she look like she could burst into song at any moment? "I'm wishing... for the one I love.."

Little Red Redux

2011-07-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

When last we met I gave you a sneak peek at the doll I was working on. It was another Little Red Riding Hood and here she is...

Red is already on her way to her new home, a fact which I have to admit makes me a tiny bit sad, I was so happy with how she turned out. But there's always a new doll on the table and I have a commission Snow White this size in the works so stay tuned to see how that turns out.

Sneak Peek Thursday

2011-07-14T12:04:00.001-07:00

Here's a peek at what I've been working on the past couple of days...

I'm loving those boots and all that vintage lace! Can you guess who this will be? A hint, she is not fond of wolves...

And I finished my Arctic Merfae earlier this week.

You can find her in my shop now. Enjoy! :)

Cream or Sugar?

2011-07-05T05:33:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce you to my newest Fae, Josephine the coffee fairy.

I've had coffee on my mind a lot lately. I've had to cut back to a very small cup (in my opinion anyway) due to stomach issues and it's been ridiculously hard! As one of my favorite authors says,
"The voodoo priest and all his powders were as nothing compared to espresso, cappuccino, and mocha, which are stronger than all the religions of the world combined, and perhaps stronger than the human soul itself." ~Mark Helprin, Memoir from Antproof Case, 1995

So you can see that of course it's not an easy task. ;) But Joe with her cuppa will have to do the coffee drinking for now. Doesn't she look comfortable hanging out, sipping some cafe in her favorite tree?

Listening to Fabric

2011-06-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

The other day I was talking to my sister on the phone and she said ”fabric speaks to you”. That really caught my attention; my first thought was, well that sounds kind of crazy..and my second was, but it’s absolutely true! That started me thinking about how I choose the fabrics for my dolls and I thought you might be interested in the process.

When I go fabric shopping I’m always on the lookout for the piece that seems to just call my name...one that I can not leave the store without buying. Sometimes the fabric will immediately inspire a doll to me...when I saw this piece I knew exactly what doll I was going to create with it.

It just shouts summer pixie, right?

Other times I will find one that I know I need but I just won’t “see” the doll for it yet. Eventually though it will be exactly what’s called for. I’ve had this little piece for ages, I loved it but never quite saw who it was for.

Then recently I came across it in my stash...while looking for something else...and knew right away that it was destined for an Alice. I mean look at those Wonderland-esque tea cups!

It’s not always as easy as those two examples though. Most of the time finding the perfect fabrics for a doll I have in my head is one of the hardest parts of the process. I’m actually kind of fanatical about it, it’s one of the only times I have to have complete quiet. I’ll start by just pulling out the boxes with the colors I think I’ll be using , but before long they’re all out and the room is covered in fabrics. Eventually, after trying many different permutations of color, I’ll come up with a few fabric groups that I think will work. Then I sit down and I guess “listen” to which ones really seem to speak for that doll. I know, kind of crazy, right? But it works for me!
So how do you choose your materials?

And last I'll leave you with a bit of comic relief. This doesn't look like a comfy place to sleep to me...but of course it's right in the middle of all the action!

Mermaids and Hans

2011-06-09T03:36:00.000-07:00

As a child Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales were not my favorites, I was much more drawn to the simplicities of Grimm and Perrault, but as an adult I found his strange complex tales much more interesting. Of course my appreciation for his lovely writing was engaged as well...

“Far out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower, and as clear as crystal, it is very, very deep; so deep, indeed, that no cable could fathom it: many church steeples, piled one upon another, would not reach from the ground beneath to the surface of the water above. There dwell the Sea King and his subjects. We must not imagine that there is nothing at the bottom of the sea but bare yellow sand. No, indeed; the most singular flowers and plants grow there; the leaves and stems of which are so pliant, that the slightest agitation of the water causes them to stir as if they had life. Fishes, both large and small, glide between the branches, as birds fly among the trees here upon land. In the deepest spot of all, stands the castle of the Sea King. Its walls are built of coral, and the long, gothic windows are of the clearest amber. The roof is formed of shells, that open and close as the water flows over them. Their appearance is very beautiful, for in each lies a glittering pearl, which would be fit for the diadem of a queen.” - "The Little Mermaid"

I've just added a couple of little mer-children to my Etsy shop...fresh from the briny deep via Mr. Andersen and me!

I want to say a big thank you to everyone for their support of my last post. I'm looking into some ways to make my tutorials into PDF files and to improve them so I can eventually make them available in my shop. A silver lining perhaps to the whole episode. Thanks to all my amazing readers here and at Facebook ...you all rock!

A Sad Day

2011-06-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

Today I had to make a decision that makes me very unhappy. I found a seller on Etsy who was selling dolls made from my dollhouse doll tutorials and even copying my individual designs. After I got over the shock, I realized I had to remove the tutorials from my blog. This was a really hard decision for me since I had originally put up these lessons for folks who couldn't afford to buy dolls, they were intended to be for personal use only. I thought that people would understand and abide by that but unfortunately it seems that I was naive. I can't tell you how sad this makes me since I love sharing my art, perhaps one day I'll find a way to do it again.

What's New?

2011-05-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

I've added something a little different to the shop this week...Postcards! For years now I've been making cards of some of my doll photos to send to friends and family and they've been telling me I should think about selling them, so I took a tiny step in that direction. I had a couple of sets of postcards professionally printed and I have to say I think they look gorgeous...but I may be a bit biased. There's a garden fairy set ...

and a set with storybook characters.

But we'll have to see how these do before I commit to having more made. In the meanwhile there's also a new bunny hanging out here at the Nest. She likes to have tea parties with the wooden bunnies...

and she loves the garden...which is lovely this time of year.

And she can also be just a little naughty...

See? :)

Adventures in Beekeeping Part 3

2011-05-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

So at the end of April our bees (or "the girls" as we like to call them) arrived. They were in a Nuc box, 5 frames full of buzzing activity!

We let the box sit on top of the hive for two days so the girls could get orientated to their new home and by the afternoon of the second day they were already coming home loaded with pollen.

Then came the moment of reckoning..we had to open the box and move the frames into their new home. I think getting the smoker going correctly was probably the hardest part. In fact the darn thing never did seem to work right until we had actually finished. Obviously this is a skill we need to work on...

Overall it went really well and putting my hands into all that buzzing activity was quite a rush! Sorry there are no pictures of the actual transfer...I was having too much fun!
Here you see a few stragglers that didn't want to abandon the box...but they all made it into the hive overnight.

Skip ahead to one week later and we're ready to open the hive and see how things are progressing. Once again the smoker was an issue...yeah it doesn't LOOK hard does it? But getting smoke with no fire is harder then it appears.
The girls had obviously been working like gangbusters! The five empty frames were completely filled up and they had pulled out so much comb that we could barely get the frames out of the box to inspect them! Note the drips of honey...yes we're amateurs and yes we did taste it...

...also note the hands without gloves? Not mine I might add. The little buggers have stung me twice already so I'm wearing every piece of protective clothing I can find!

Luckily we had a super ready to go so that the girls have more room to do their thing. This weekend our experienced beekeeping friend is coming over to give us some much needed advice on things like..."how to spot the blasted queen in the milling throng" "what to do about nasty hive beetles" and "how many supers do they really need?" ...important stuff, I'll let you know how it goes!

Magic in my Garden

2011-05-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that the flower pixies are out in abundance lately. Just today I spotted this one hanging out in the Maple tree...

and a bit later I saw that she had befriended a ladybug.

That maple seems to be a favorite place to hang out...

but the clematis makes a very dramatic backdrop!

Have the fairies been in your garden recently?

Give Away Time!

2011-04-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

Hi there! I wanted to give my followers a heads up that I will be giving away this lavender baby set today (Saturday April 16 ) over on the Natural Kids Blog. So prepare to head on over there, get your comments in and Good Luck!

I've also added these new sets of babies to the shop. Polka Dots...

and Spring.

and a little dollhouse sized bunny girl...

and because it's (finally) Spring here at the Nest and my garden is bursting with blossoms, I leave you with a couple of gratuitous flowers pictures to wind up my post. Enjoy!

A Dirty Little Secret

2011-04-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

I've posted pictures before of my very organized studio, containers and drawers all neatly stacked and labeled, but I'm here to tell you that beneath that lovely organization I hide a terrible secret... the horror that is my thread drawer!

Pretty scary, right? And what's even worse is that there are 3 of these drawers and they are all just as bad. Everyday I open them, sigh at the mess as I paw through trying to find the color I need, think "I really need to clean these up", and then shut the drawer.

One of these days I will have a better way to organize thread...but not today.
Does your studio hold a dirty secret?

Pasta with Beans and Greens

2011-03-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I posted a recipe so I thought I'd share one today since I made this last night and actually remembered to take some pictures. This is a wonderfully easy, nutritious, and super fast recipe that we like to make all year long, but particularly when beautiful bright green spinach is starting to show up in the local farmer’s market.

My trusty assistant doing a superb cleaning job on the leaves.
Aren't they a gorgeous green?
The leaves, not the hands of my assistant.....

Pasta with Beans and Greens

1 can of organic navy beans, drained
Olive oil (about a tablespoon)
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
1 med onion chopped
White wine about ¼ cup
2 bunches of spinach (This really cooks down fast, see before and after below.)
Cooked Pasta (I usually use 8 oz for 3 people but you can stretch this and add more to feed a larger group)
salt to taste

Bring your pasta water to a boil while you sauté the onion in some olive oil until it's wilted and golden. Then add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add the beans and the wine. Start your pasta. Then add the spinach (slice these into manageable pieces). Once all the leaves are wilted, give the sauce a couple more minutes to cook but not too long, you want the leaves to still be green. Add the pasta and a little of the pasta water. Eat! Yum!
The whole process takes about 20 minutes tops.

We like to serve this with a bit of grated Parmesan and some hot chili oil on top…

Before

After

You can substitute chard, a little fresh basil or oregano, and some fresh chopped tomatoes in the summer; kale, thyme, and peppers in the fall. The meat lovers can throw in some Italian sausage, use different cooked beans, and you can even sub cooked diced potatoes for pasta! There are tons of variations so use whatever is in season and available for a super yummy dinner in no time.

A Forest Fairy

2011-03-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

I have been seriously remiss in blog posting...no excuse really except I didn't have much to say. The events of the world have been pretty depressing lately and I've been indulging in a lot of time reading and enjoying the lovely weather to help lift my spirits. I've also been working on some art dolls...hooray! I've got two still in the works but one is finished so I can share her with you today.

My forest fairy! Do you recognize the fabric in her top? I posted about making it way back here. So it's only taken me a year to get her made? Sheesh!

The funny thing about this doll is that my vision of her was completely different from the final result. She's one of those dolls with a definite mind of her own. I saw her with a long, flowing gown and long, wavy, loose hair...as you can see she had her own ideas. I find that it's usually best to go with what a doll wants, they're awfully good at the silent treatment you know. So we ended up with pants and braids, which of course are much more practical for jaunts through a forest, so you see she did know best.

Do you ever have bossy dolls or am I just completely crazy?

Adventures in Beekeeping Part 2

2011-02-27T10:49:00.000-08:00

Spring seems to have sprung here at the Nest. I'm sure we have cold days to come yet but today the windows are open and more importantly there are blooming flowers to be seen. Change is in the air and that means it's time to take the next steps in preparing for our bees. They're on order for April so we needed to get their new home ready. First a couple coats of paint...

and then putting the frames together. Oh my those frames smell SO wonderful...just like honey! Now all we need are the bees!

And with the flowers starting to bloom there of course come flower pixies. These flew into the shop after a brief visit in my garden.

So what signs of Spring (or Fall for my friends in the South) are happening where you live?

Before and After

2011-02-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

Alice looks so funny before she gets her hair "done" that sometimes I just can't resist... here she is before...

And now after a trip to her hairdresser...

To My Readers...

2011-02-14T07:11:00.000-08:00

Weirdness in the Hall of Heads

2011-02-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

So the past couple of days I was making heads...20 heads to be exact...and eventually these will become all sorts of cute and sweet little dolls. But right now my workspace is covered in bodiless heads and the song "Here in the Hall of Heads" by They Might be Giants keeps running through my head and well...it has all the makings of creepy. So, egged on by a couple of friends, I went with it...

Creepy, right?! I'm liking the zombie kittens and rats...

I guess since I started the week making a two headed rat named Rafe and Reginald that things just had to stay weird.

So what kinds of weirdness are you creating these days?

New From The Nest

2011-02-05T06:23:00.000-08:00

Here's what I've been up to this week! First let me show off my newest item. Remember back when I told you how I keep making things smaller? Well I've taken my Kitkin dolls and shrunk them down into cute little pins with needle felted tails. Here are a couple, there are more in the shop. What do you think?

I also finished a couple of commissions. First a two headed rat...I love these... in fact I should finish another one up this weekend to add to the shop.

And second a little red riding hood doll.

I'm hoping to make more storybook dolls next week...we'll see how it goes. This month has been a series of interruptions so I'm keeping my expectations low. How do you cope with those pesky interruptions that life throws your way?

A Green Witch

2011-01-25T07:12:00.000-08:00

Here's a commission piece I finished last week. I love crows so this was fun to make...

It was good to make a larger doll again...I plan to do much more of that this year!

Slices of Winter

2011-01-19T07:09:00.001-08:00

Recent episodes to the contrary, Winter here in the South is rarely made of snow and freezing cold. It's a quiet time of gray days, frequent rain, and subtle hues.

A time to rest and renew...and of course here at The Nest it's a time for furry friends to spend much of their time sleeping and stretching by a warm fire...or heat vent if no fire is handy...

All we need is...

2011-01-14T16:26:00.001-08:00

Love ...of course! :) I've finally finished a few little dolls for Valentine's Day! What do you think?

A couple of heart pixies...

Some lavender babies...

and a sweet little pin doll... I love this shot of her.

Enjoy!!

New dolls and a bit of Silliness

2011-01-06T06:21:00.000-08:00

So let's start with the silliness...of course! I took a photo of all my girls hanging out in the den the other day and it wasn't until later that I realized there was an impostor in their midst...it reminded me of the game from Sesame Street, one of these things is not like the others...

I've started the year with a couple of toys in the shop. I don't make many of these teethers anymore but I had a commission for one so I made 2. They're so cute...

And I recently was given a black angora (already accidentally felted) sweater so I wanted to try making a little Waldorf bunny from it...I think it turned out quite well.

Next up a commissioned art doll and 2 headed rat, and then on to some valentine pixies. I also have some new pins in the works that I'm really excited about...so stay tuned!

A Brand New Year

2011-01-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

A new year dawns; the holidays are over, the cookies eaten, the decorations put away, and it's time for new beginnings and maybe a bit of reflection on the year past. It was a year of ups and downs, as they usually are...a bit more in the way of downs so let's hope that the new one has a more positive tilt.

I didn't follow my last years resolutions very well...I did make some art just because I wanted to, but not as often as I would have liked. And though I did keep a list of books that I read, I left off many simply through forgetfulness. I did keep track of 64, and the ones I left off were probably forgettable anyway. It is nice to be able to go back and see the ones I really enjoyed. My favorites were; The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt, The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, The Hidden City by Michelle West, Just Kids by Patti Smith, Except the Queen by Jane Yolen & Midori Snyder, Bone and Jewel Creatures by Elizabeth Bear, and Under Heaven by Guy Gaveriel Kay...2 memoirs, one historical novel, 3 fantasies, and I'm not sure what to call Under Heaven ...historical fantasy? It was marvelous though, I highly recommend it!
I see I didn't read much in the way of non fiction last year, something I should try to do more of in this one. I'll probably keep a list again, it was fun to see what I've read. I'm always looking for new things to read, what amazing books have you read that I should look for in the coming year?

I'm back in the studio today working on dolls in what seems like forever, it is good to be back! I'm going to try again this year to see if I can make more art... just because I want to. Maybe I'll be a little more successful?

And finally, thank you so much to all my readers for following along on my blog journey. Your comments are always so appreciated, they make me feel so connected and even inspired...please keep them coming!

Happy New Year!!

Candy Canes, Holly, and Holiday Fae

2010-12-10T05:33:00.001-08:00

These sweeties are in the shop and ready to ship....Enjoy!

Happy Holidays!!

Snowflakes and Kittens

2010-12-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

Isn't that in a song..these are a few of my favorite things? I'm not sure, but it would certainly be a fit description of my weekend. On Saturday we had one of our rare Southern snows, even more rare in December. I'm sorry to say that I didn't take a single picture especially because it was so gorgeous...but you see I kind of had my hands full at the time. A friend called me a week ago, she had taken in a rescued Momma cat with 3 kittens and wondered if we might be willing to adopt a new baby. At first we said no, but then we thought about it and well...we took two. Yes, we are crazy, thank-you.
Our new babies arrived Saturday morning so I spent the afternoon watching the snow fall while curled up with two sleeping kittens and I can tell you life doesn't get much better then that. My only sadness was thinking about how much Mattie would have enjoyed these two little girls, she always had a big soft spot for kittens.

Here are my two little girls, Ella on the right and Edith on the left.

The snow melted away quickly...a very ephemeral pleasure...and while I may not have pictures of it I do have some little snow pixies to share with you...I promise these won't melt and all can be found in my shop.

Mattie

2010-11-30T11:04:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time my husband and I thought we were not "dog people". We liked dogs just fine but when it came right down to it couldn't imagine owning one...cats certainly, we always had a house full, but dogs just weren't in the picture. But then we had three boys and when those boys were old enough they really wanted a dog! The pestering began...and if you have kids you know how that goes. We kept putting them off, but one day a neighbor came to us and asked if we would be interested in taking her 2yr old corgi because she was moving to a much smaller house and with 4 dogs already she just didn't have the room. We decided we would try it for a week on a sort of doggie day care basis...Mattie, that's the corgi, would come and spend the day with us and then we would take her home at night. All went well...in fact it went so well that after the second day Mattie simply refused to go back...she had found her home and we had found the perfect dog. Within a week even the husband was saying things like..."who's the prettiest dog?" something I never thought I'd live to see.

For 13 years she was a constant part of our lives. She went on every trip, kept me company when all the guys were off to school, and was adored by all our cats who considered her an honorary member of their tribe.

Her funny bouncing run and the way she loved to dig through snow, how she slept on the AC vents all summer, her wonderful smile...she took over our hearts in the way that only pets can do.

Last Monday, Nov. 22, we had to put our sweet Mattie to sleep. She had gotten progressively weaker and more ill over the previous month until at last she couldn't stand, and we decided it was time. It was so hard. Luckily we have a wonderful vet who comes to our house and she took care of everything so she passed at home surrounded by the people she loved.

I don't know if I'll ever have another dog but I'm sure that I had the honor of sharing my life with one of the best dogs ever.

Adventures in Beekeeping - Part One

2010-11-15T08:35:00.000-08:00

Back in late Spring my husband and I began the first steps in becoming beekeepers. We took a class... my Dad went along for the class too because I guess he wants to be a vicarious beekeeper. It was fascinating stuff and we were ready to dive in and start but it was too late in the year to actually get our hive, so plans were laid and the idea began to grow. Last Friday we took the next step. It was a gorgeous Fall day and we all hopped in my Dad's truck and made our way to Brushy Mountain in western NC to pick up our hive. It wasn't that far, about a 90 minute drive...or it would have been if some people listened to directions...and soon we arrived here...

We had a wonderful time poking about and looking at all the cool bee stuff. Here's my DH looking bemusedly at our haul.

We got everything we needed (hopefully) to get started, piled it all in the back of the truck and began the journey home ...or at least that was the plan..but my Dad has never met a dirt road that he didn't want to explore so we spent an hour driving up and down some tiny back roads and seeking some adventure. The trees were gorgeous...

...but eventually I had to nicely tell him that if he didn't get me some sustenance very soon I was going to probably start gnawing on his leg...low blood sugar makes me extremely cranky, it's a family trait...so we made our way back to civilization and some lunch. Next up we paint our hive and then wait until Spring to get our bees. I'll keep you posted!

And I leave you with our inspiration for beekeeping. This is our friend Mark, the bee whisperer, in the act of capturing a swarm and convincing them to live in one of his empty hives. It was taken by his wife and is such a cool picture.

Autumn Snapshots

2010-11-09T07:39:00.000-08:00

Autumn is without a doubt my favorite time of year. I love the cooler weather, the sharp scents of woodsmoke and decaying leaves, and the colors...oh my the colors! Brilliant blue skies and leaves in amazing shades of red and gold. Here's a tree that is directly across the street from my house. For a couple of weeks every year the setting sun shines through it in the afternoon and bathes my home in the most amazing golden glow...

This one I saw on my walk this morning. I love how the reflection looks like an Impressionist's painting.
A tree by the corner on my way home...gorgeous.

Finally, a collection of things I stuck in my pockets along the way...

There are places in the world where it is Winter all the time and others where it is Summer, but I think in the lands of Fae it must be constant magical Autumn.

...And I have no idea what this guy was talking about but he seemed very happy to discuss it at length....

In Celebration of Things that go Bump in the Night

2010-10-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

So Halloween is only a few days away...mere shrieks of time... and I have something extra special to share with you. One of my favorite poets has agreed to let me post one of her marvelous poems here on the blog and I think you'll find it absolutely perfect for the season..

Strays from Halloween's Dream
by Carolyn Cox

there were three of them;
tall and thin and stuffed with straw,
held together with twigs and twine;
clothed in a patched motley
of midnight black and october orange.
eldritch candlelight flickered from within
hollowed out skulls,
identical jack o lantern grins penetrated the murky twilight.
silently they ghosted down st. andrews in the rain;
on bicycles fashioned from the mottled ivory of ancient bones.
the lonely wind whispered softly through spokes choked
with rotting leaves as crows cawed rustily;
perched upon telephone poles and november bare branches,
heads cocked; watching the eerie procession below.
they disappeared from sight, these strays from halloween's darkest dream;
the moment the harvest moon rose, a sinister orange above the trees.
the crows took wing then, to follow them into the wood;
and in their wake there lingered the haunting perfume of samhain:
hoarfrost and sweet cinnamon, decaying mulch and the acrid tang of woodsmoke.

Isn't that wonderfully evocative of All Hallow's Eve? I love it!
Now add in a couple of Witches with black cats ...

and you have ...

Happy Halloween!!

Inspirations and Insights

2010-10-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

It's kind of funny how inspiration finds it's way to my door. Hiking beautiful wild places always seems to make my mind fill with new ideas and reading is a constant source of inspiration, but every once in awhile I get an idea from one of my customers that is just so right and then that can lead to a completely new insight.

A long time customer recently asked me if I would make her some Gnomelings but give them braids so they would look more ...well girly! So I did...

and I loved how they looked so much that I went and gave braids to my little Pink Gnomeling too. I also did a bit more to her face which made her less Waldorf I guess, but I think she looks awesome!

Interestingly this little process really got me thinking about my art in general, particularly as it involves the toys I make. I love the whole concept of Waldorf dolls, but I've realized that the minimalist faces are just not me. I love them on dolls made by other folks...if you want to see one of the best check out Little Jenny Wren's gorgeous beauties ...but when I put them on my dolls I always feel like I'm doing someone else's art, not mine. So I've decided that I'll continue to make all natural dolls...even my art dolls are made this way...but from now on I'm going to stick with my kind of faces. To do anything else is just not being true to my own art and the older I get the more important that becomes to me. What do you think?

Turning Tricks

2010-10-13T04:59:00.000-07:00

So now that I've caught your attention with that snappy title, I'll have to admit that this post is about how to turn tiny fingers for cloth dolls and not something more salacious. I've had quite a few folks ask how to make such small fingers and as with many projects the trick is to have the right tools. Here are mine..

Sharp scissors
Turning Tubes (available here)
Hemostat
Fray check

As you can see my turning tubes have seen some heavy use over the years but even bent and tarnished they still work great. I got the hemostats at one of our many trips to the emergency room...BOYS!...but you can avoid the trauma and find them at a doll supply store. So here's what you do...

You need to make a template for your hand pattern. You'll want to trace the hand onto your fabric and then sew carefully right on the line you've drawn with a very tiny stitch. Make sure you have at least one stitch between your fingers so that when you cut them later you can clip a curve. Woven fabric is much harder to turn then knit but it makes smaller hands because it doesn't stretch so much when stuffed.

Now you will cut out the hand but don't worry about cutting close to the fingers yet. Apply Fray Check on the seams of all your fingers. You can then let it dry naturally or hurry things along and use a hot iron.

Once everything is dry, it's time to cut out the fingers. Cut very close to the seam and make sure to clip a V between the fingers like this...

Now it's time to turn the hand. Place a larger turning tube inside the finger...the largest that will fit.

Then place a smaller tube at the top of the finger and carefully slide the fabric UP the smaller tube...this is the tricky part so give yourself a few times practicing to get the hang of it.

Once you have the fingers turned take the hemostats and grab the inside of the wrist and turn the hand right side out. I then use the wrong end of a small crochet hook to push the fingers the rest of the way through.

So now you have hands with fingers, ready to be stuffed however you'd like! I usually use pipecleaners for the fingers so they can be posed.

I hope this is clear, if you have questions don't hesitate to ask!

Eeeek! WIP Wednesday

2010-10-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Okay I really did plan on organizing my work table today But I just kept starting new dolls and trying to get all my commissions begun and the pile just- kept -building. So right now my table looks like this...

I know, pretty scary.

Witches and Fall Fae

2010-09-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

I promised to share some photos of the new dolls in the shop so here we go...

A Candy Corn Witch (sold)

A Pumpkin Witch (sold)

This one has both so we'll call her a Halloween Witch

Autumn Leaves Pixie

Autumn Berries Pixie (sold)

Happy Fall...Enjoy!

A Lovely Surprise!

2010-09-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a long day...a long day at the end of a very long week. It was a week of non stop excessive heat, nagging illness, looming deadlines, and a few tedious commitments thrown in for good measure. Then we had to get up Saturday at what should be an illegally early hour to drive to the mountains to do a College open house. Even though it turned out to be a fun day, we were totally exhausted by the time we finally managed to drag ourselves in the front door of our own home. But then I got ... The Lovely Surprise!

In the mail there was a satisfyingly mysterious package with Air Mail and Royal Mail stamps all over the brown paper wrapping. I tore off the paper and found this...

Even the note was lovely with its pretty embroidery ...and what could be in the box?
Well, all this!!

Buttons, and lace, and beads, and crystals...Oh MY! I can't tell you how delighted I was and how much this sweet surprise lifted my spirits. And how cool to think this came in response to my blog post about making Red. Thank you SO much Liz! I'm sending a little thank-you your way too.

I think this was just the lift I needed to finish up a slew of dolls today, I'll post some pictures tomorrow. The weather here has finally cooled, we might even get some Autumn eventually, and for now I have some more of those dang tedious commitments...but I face them with a bit more cheer. Thanks again Liz!

WIP Wednesday

2010-09-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

Here's what's on my table at the moment...mushroom pixies, little witches (yes, that's who's getting the pointy shoes from the last post), and a couple of fall fae.

Can you guess which is witch?

Can You Guess!

2010-09-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted much this week, my health issues have started up once again and I've been having a hard time getting my mind into my work. Which is pretty unfair since my work is actually something I love....sigh. But I did get some tiny shoes made yesterday and there were a set that made me laugh...

Can you guess who might wear these funny pointed slippers?

I'll give you a clue. They would probably have a creature that looks much like this lurking about their house.

(My kitty Natasha condescended to pose for this portrait. You can see how happy she is about it.)

So who do you think it might be?

Predator and Prey Story

2010-09-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

This gorgeous lady has been hanging out in my garden...

Now this is the same garden where, as I mentioned before, all these fellows have been congregating as well...

Today I watched as the two came closer and closer, tragedy seemed inevitable. Would I intervene or let Nature take her course?

Luckily I didn't need to decide. For today, butterfly was not on the menu. ( But I did give her a fat, juicy tomato worm as a consolation...better she eat the worm then it eat my tomatoes!)

Red Riding Hood

2010-09-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

For this Wednesday instead of a WIP I actually have a finished piece. I made Red Riding Hood, or Red Cap as she's known in older translations, for the current ADO challenge which was to make a character from one of Grimm's fairy tales.

The story of Little Red Riding Hood has undergone some amazing transformations over the years. In the older versions the heroine saves herself with her intelligence and quick thinking, but in the later versions she is completely witless and has to be rescued by a man. In the middle are the versions , including Perrault's, where she and her grandmother are eaten as an example of what happens to bad little girls who don't follow the rules. Fascinating to think about that process of revision and what it says about the role of women, isn't it? For a fabulous take on this process and some analysis of the story read Terri Windling's marvelous article over at the Endicott Studio archives. I promise you won't be sorry.

While I was never that fond of the story as a kid, having access to only the latter version, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Little Red Riding Hood dolls. When I was about 5, I had a handed down Ginny doll that had a red riding hood outfit, and this doll was one of my all time favorites. We called her Luleela, which I think came from my baby sister's pronunciation of the story, and I played with that doll to death, losing all her clothes over the years and most of her hair as well... as my husband says, "we all lose our charms in the end. "...sigh.

I also think part of my attraction to the story currently is that I would LOVE to have a crimson red cloak...well who wouldn't?

So here's my Red, 12 inches tall cloth "skin" over cloth and wire armature. Wool and silk cloak and lots of vintage lace. ...what do you think?

And a inside shot of her lacy underthings...oolala!

You can find more photos on Red in the shop.

WIP Wednesday...sort of

2010-08-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

I know it's actually Thursday not Wednesday ... sometimes life gets in the way of the best laid plans. But here at last are the preview pictures of my new Little Red Riding Hood...

I delved into my stock of vintage laces for this one...so much fun! Her apron is going to be made from the large piece on the left which dates back to Victorian times and is an amazing piece of needlework. The lace on her underwear is from the 50's and the tiny cobwebby stuff which will go on her dress, is French but I'm not sure about the time period. I love working with these beautiful old remnants, they're all small with damaged spots so would be unusable for most projects, but can be recycled beautifully into doll clothes and appreciated anew! I'm always on the lookout for old lace so if you find a good piece keep me in mind! :)

Give Away!

2010-08-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks! Just a quick message to let you all know that I'm giving away these 2 lavender babies over at the Natural Kids Blog . So go on over and enter!

And If you're wondering who the NaturalKids are, click on the box on the right ---->

I'm working on a Larger art doll version of Little Red that I can't wait to share but she needs to be a bit further along. Hopefully I'll have some WIP pictures up on Wednesday. Have a great weekend!

A Tiny Bunny

2010-08-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't made one of these little dolls in ages so I thought I'd share her with you all...

...Just added her to the shop yesterday! And Etsy just implemented their new wider shop pages so check out my new banner too, I'd love to know what you think.

I'll be giving away a couple of lavender babies over on the NaturalKids blog soon, so please stay tuned for more info on that as soon as I get it.

A Summer Tart

2010-08-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have been busy busy busy making dolls that unfortunately I can’t show to the world just yet...bummer.... So instead I’m going to share a fabulously yummy tart recipe that I invented this summer. After all as I’ve stated before, I am the Queen of Tarts! The garden and CSA bag have been full of squash and lovely heirloom tomatoes lately...not to mention that my basil plants have become bushy beasts...so with that in mind I went to work. Since it’s so hot, I went with a frozen puff pastry crust which makes things really easy. Here’s a picture to whet your appetite...

and here’s the recipe...

Squash and Tomato Tart
1/3 cup room temperature basil pesto ( I make mine without cheese but you can go either way here)
2Tablespoons olive oil
1 sliced Vidalia or yellow onion
2-3 minced garlic cloves
2 lbs halved & sliced yellow squash
A splash of dry white wine
1/2 package of frozen puff pastry thawed
extra flour for dusting
2-3 sliced heirloom tomatoes (different colors is really lovely here)
A handful of sliced black olives (kalamata or oil cured preferably)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

In a large skillet heat the olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until softened slightly. Then add the squash and season with salt and pepper. (I sometimes toss in some thyme too.) Saute for a couple of minutes more and then add the wine. Cook until all the veggies are softened and most of the moisture has evaporated. Transfer to a strainer and let the mixture drain and cool. It needs to be completely cool before you go to the next step.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle a little flour where you’ll roll out the pastry and roll the dough out slightly larger then it comes from the package. Be careful, work quickly and don’t use excessive pressure. Then place on a baking sheet and fold up all four sides. Prick the bottom all over with a fork.

Spread your pesto over the bottom of the tart, then layer in the squash mixture. Next arrange the tomato slices over the top. Scatter the olive slices over the toms and pop the whole thing in the oven for about 45 mins. Sprinkle with pine nuts when it comes out.

Cut into slices, a pizza cutter works best, and enjoy summer’s bounty!

Flutters in the Flowers

2010-08-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

My flower garden has been just filled with butterflies and bees lately, sometimes to the point that the flowers vibrate with bees! Now I love to garden but I have to admit that I'm not extremely diligent about the watering and weeding when the weather is hot, so over the years my garden has slowly become full of flowers that will grow no matter how neglected. Luckily this means that its main components are also plants that attract lots of insects of the fluttering and buzzing persuasion; phlox, lantana, salvia, Russian sage, and Rudbeckias. Here's some photos I took one morning out there...

And with all the blooming, I've been using the garden for doll shoots frequently. Here's another gnome-lette...

And a Gnomeling...

Both hanging out with the black-eyed Susans!

Tiny and Then More Tiny

2010-07-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

There is something in me that loves tiny. I'm not sure what exactly in my history leads me to be drawn to the minuscule but it never fails to attract me. I have a collection of tiny German paper mache animals that I just love, I also have a thing for teeny little tea sets, and then of course there are dolls. I have always loved dollhouse sized dolls and I'm pretty sure that's why I love to make them ...duh right? But also, every time I design a new doll , I get it finished and start thinking of ways I can make it smaller. And that's what I've done with my gnomeling dolls. So let me introduce you to my newest creation...a tiny Gnomeling...a Gnomelette!

And here's the Gnomelette with a Gnomeling for comparison...

You can find the new doll in my shop ... more soon!

A Vacation State of Mind...

2010-07-19T17:28:00.000-07:00

There were no blog posts from the Nest last week because I was away on Vacation! This is a practically unheard of occurrence for me, we rarely go away for more then a weekend, but this was an entire week away without TV, internet, offspring, or even pets! My husband and I went to a lovely cabin in the beautiful mountains of Floyd, VA and had a wonderful relaxing time. So today I thought I'd share a few photos...

Of course there were fabulous views...

I have never seen so many butterflies!

And Blackberries everywhere! We brought home a bunch...jam making will commence...

If you see a magical path through the woods, of course you should see where it goes!

It may lead to a quiet spot for resting.

And with all that free time, I even finished my sock!

Alice at Last!

2010-07-08T05:27:00.000-07:00

Today is reveal day for the 2nd Annual ADO blog event...Hurray! The challenge this year was to make a character from "Alice in Wonderland" and if you are a regular reader of my blog, you know what an Alice fan I am! This was a challenge I couldn't refuse. I did reveal a few WIP pictures of my Alice in earlier posts here and here , but now it's time to see the complete finished product... so Viola!

My Alice has cloth skin over cloth and wire armature, painted shoes, Lots of pintucks in her clothes, and mohair curls. Chessie is made from a felted sweater and has an embroidered face.
So what do you think?
This Alice has been sold, but I'm planning a dark version later this month so keep watching to see how she progresses. I also have plans for a White Queen, but for the moment she's still "percolating" in my head.

On July 9th you can click this link and find a list of participants in the blog challenge. Go take a peek at some of their wonderful dolls...you'll be amazed at what you find...just don't fall down a rabbit hole!

A Bit of This and Some of That

2010-07-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

I had several dolls languishing in the shop that I decided needed new photos so with the lovely weather we had yesterday I got to work. First I took a few bunny shots and I thought this one was especially cute...note the "what's up?" look...

I also finally added this little crocheted bunny sweater to the shop..next I want to design some knitted ones...if I ever finish my socks! :P

Then some nice pictures of a tiny purple pixie. These are so much better at showing off her pretty dress...

And lastly a few of Calida with some funny props.

Then, with chili peppers on my mind, I went and made a treasury in honor of my husband and boys, who never sit down to a meal...even breakfast...without an assortment of hot sauces. Go take a peek and see what you think!

East of the Sun, West of the Moon

2010-06-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

For the longest time I've wanted to make an East of the Sun West of the Moon set of dolls. It's always been one of my favorite fairy tales, right at the top of the list with "The White Snake", but that's another post. I thought about this for a long time...probably over thought it which is my normal working mode. The bear wasn't the problem...well considering I'm a novice needle felter he wasn't exactly easy but at least I knew what he needed to look like. It was the girl who was the issue. I love the Dulac illustrations but I knew that wasn't my style and I just couldn't see how she should look. Then I did a bit of research and found that the story is Scandinavian in origin, and that's when it clicked for me. I could see her in my head perfectly! Don't you love when that happens? Sometimes an idea just has to percolate! So here they are...

You can see more photos of them here. What do you think, did I get it right?

WIP Wednesday

2010-06-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

Lots of tiny shoes waiting for tiny feet...

And lots of Storybook dolls on the table!

Can you guess who they are?

Confessions of a Fiber Addict

2010-06-15T09:14:00.001-07:00

Hello my name is Cynthia and I am a fiber addict. It's true; to me the lure of nubby yarns, silken embroidery flosses, crisp fabric bolts, and rainbow felts are completely irresistible. Wool, cotton, silk, they all seem to have a magical pull on me; enticing me to run my fingers down the length of a piece of fabric, to rub a strand of yarn against my cheek...I can't resist the siren call of a fabric or yarn shop...it's just beyond me. And don't even get me started on all the wonderful fibers and fabrics to be found online. I try to be good and to limit myself to things I know I'll use but sometimes it's SO hard.

Here's a bowl of my current yarn passions, two are wool/ silk sock yarns and the other two are alpaca (the brown)and angora (the white) for knitting bunnies. The wonderful blue gray sock yarn is hand dyed and from the marvelous Phiala. See what I mean about online supplies?

I've been knitting since I was a child but never as well as I could crochet. I've done scarves, mittens, hats, and the occasional stuffed animal but never the biggie...socks! Recently however, I've found myself in the strange position of teaching several of my friends how to knit. Since this is something they all want to do eventually (shoot, one of them has outpaced me already!) I decided it was time to take the plunge and finally learn to knit socks. It's been a slow process but I eventually found a great pattern and since then I've been making good head way. I love how organic it looks so far, like a creature found in a coral reef. I'll be coming up on heel turning soon...wish me luck!

In addition I recently made a trip to the mountains and of course had to stop by School House Fabrics...that place is so amazing...and added these to my stash.

Won't that bunny print be sweet on one of my felt bunnies? That and the pink print both have a wonderful retro feel.
Lastly, and since you've made it this far, I'll leave you with a sneak peek at the fairy I'm making to donate to The Night Garden. We had a vehement argument on the length of her hair, I wanted short, she wanted long...you can see who won.

A Sweet Tribute

2010-06-08T05:30:00.000-07:00

These lavender babies found a wonderful new home. Check out this blog post to see how well their new mama is taking care of them!

New Lavender Babies

2010-06-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

I've finally had some time to add a few little dolls to the shop. One set of solstice babies and one set that for some reason makes me think of an ocean boardwalk...blue skies, aqua water, and bubblegum. What do you think?
These lavender babies have a funny story behind their name. Way back in the day when I just made these dolls for my boys and their friends, I called them Spice Girls...with the promise that they would never sing! But once I started selling them I had to change the name of course. My older son, who at 12 was too cool for dolls ;) suggested "smelly girls". This was deemed not very sales-worthy and we instead went with the name "lavender babies". But I have to admit that we still affectionately call them the smelly girls around here.
So now you know their secret identities...but they actually smell divine...just in case you were wondering. :)

Here There be Dragons

2010-06-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

What would fairy tales be without Dragons? I don't know about you but I have always loved the idea of dragons...the wise, the evil, the beautiful, and the slimy...I want them all to be real. So today's Fairy Tale Finds are all about dragons... "Unfold your flaming wings and cover out of sight The nets of day and night." - Yeats
Here there be dragons my friends....

A dragon Mirror from Lady Mudwerks

A blue cat back dragon by Creatures From El (one of my favorites!)

The Gray Sentinel by Unicorns and Dragons, another favorite...sensing a theme here?

A Dragon Mask from Merimask Designs

And wouldn't your tea or coffee be extra special out of this mug by R Honey Pots?

I hope you enjoyed this week's bit of enchantment. Have a wonderful weekend and as the White Queen suggests, try to "believe 6 impossible things before breakfast" it can only improve your day!

Little bits...

2010-05-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

As I said before I've been busy with lots of commissions this month so I thought I'd share some with you, my loyal readers. Here's just a few bits of what I've been working on....

Mice Friends

Dorothy, from the movie version.

A Crow Lady in a very jaunty chapeau.

And here's a little one still in the shop that I just took some new photos of...she's so cute I just wanted to share.

Have a lovely weekend!

My New Table

2010-05-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

I've been swamped with commission work this month and hence my blogging has suffered greatly. So I thought I'd at least give you a quick post and show off the completed cutting table my very wonderful husband made me. It is perfect for cutting, ironing, and (hopefully one day when I learn more about lighting) taking photos. I love it! The cool marbled paper propped on top was made by a dear friend of mine when I was at her house recently. It was a fantastic accident that occurred because the liquid was too cold...I love how it looks like sliced agates. We're planning on a fabric marbling session when school gets out, I can hardly wait! Oh and the drawing over the table was done by my sister and is one of my all time favorites. (It was supposed to be a loan but she'll probably have to pry it from my grasp...so shhhh.)

Speaking of commission work, I've decided to make some changes there. From now on I will only accept 3 commissions a month so that I actually have some time to design new dolls ( and play with other arty stuff!). I'm already full for June and July and have 2 for August, so if there is a doll you'd like me to make please plan to let me know a good bit in advance.

And here's a close up of the paper...gorgeous stuff!

Collage Fabric

2010-05-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

I've been working on some collage fabric for the past few days. It's an extremely laborious process but, as you can see on my Wood Wife doll above, the results are amazing. Here's the results of many hours of work...

and some close ups...

and this is what the back looks like...

You can see that it's a LOT of sewing. I wish I could show them to you in person because the iridescence and subtleties of color just don't come through in photos. I'm planning on using the white for a White Queen from Alice Through the Looking Glass and the green for a forest fairy. Here are a couple more examples of how I've used it in the past...I save even the tiniest scraps to reuse...or to put in the next batch of fabric I make!

To make the collage fabric: I scatter glitzy yarns, fabric, and other fibers on a piece of satin; place a piece of netting in a matching color on top, pin the cloth and fiber sandwich together, run a few seams over it to hold it in place, take out the pins, and then go crazy sewing all over it with metallic threads using free motion embroidery.

Fairy Tale Finds - Rapunzel

2010-04-30T05:18:00.000-07:00

Today's finds are from Rapunzel. Poor girl: given away by her parents for a craving, locked in a tower all her life, forced to use her hair as a ladder, abandoned pregnant in a desert where she wanders with her two children for years...a pretty dreadful life! And can you imagine having to wash that hair!? So here's a little homage to Rapunzel, it's a good thing her story has a happy ending.

I think this illustration sums it up perfectly!

Rapunzel by BadBird.

If you want to walk a mile in her shoes you'll need the hair,

Two double helix Rapunzel extensions by puppycatmeow.

and of course a tower.

Hand Carved Tower Lamp by River Otter Rustics.

This lovely set would make taking care of all that hair a bit less of a chore.

Vintage Vanity Set by Monday Pie.

And finally I couldn't resist sharing this set. It a bag with a notebook and keychain pocket mirror all with lovely Rapunzel illustrations.

Rapunzel Set by Ying-Chieh Liu.

Enjoy!!

WIP Wednesday

2010-04-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

Well Alice has acquired some very lovely underthings. Lace and pintucked drawers...

...and an embroidered 3 tiered petticoat. I've also finished the bodice of her dress and she's sitting on her skirt, which also has pintucks, and I hope to get that on her next. But her hair is not attached or styled...in fact it's just there because she didn't want to be photographed bald again.

The Cheshire cat is still amused.

More Signs of Spring

2010-04-27T06:35:00.000-07:00

I've been mainly working on commissions these days and, with the weather so enticing, spending lots of time outside. Here's a few Spring sightings...

I love the bright red seedpods of the Japanese Maple

What would Spring be without Nests, Fairy or otherwise. :) This robin is a return lodger in the wild rose bush.

And the Rhododendrons have just begun to open their awesome blooms.

How's the season progressing in your neck of the woods?

WIP Wednesday

2010-04-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you can guess who these two are. And though Poor Alice is bald, mostly naked, and her legs are unattached...the Cheshire cat looks quite pleased!

The Mysterious Mushroom

2010-04-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

Today's topic for Fairy Tale Finds is not a specific tale but a denizen of many an enchanted forest, the mushroom. The prince picks some on his travels through the wood, fairies dance wildly in their circles at night, the Caterpillar perches on top smoking his hookah, and the wicked witch places them carefully in her boiling cauldron. You know they are magic...
First a bit of poetry...it is after all national poetry month...

The Wild Mushroom by Carissa Bielamowicz

The Fern,
With its green fingers
of lace
and lilac
With its heavy lavender tresses
Are held above you-
The ugly duckling cousin
Who hides among
Fallen leaves
Or peeks out humbly
From beneath the
Tree trunk's shadow.
Yet not scorned by all
Is the wild mushroom...
Who has been
Chosen by fairies
Who dance in moonlit circles,
And riddle-weaving
Caterpillar of Wonderland
As his throne.

And now the finds...
How about a bit of enchantment you can keep on your desk?

Red Mushroom Garden from Wandering Lydia

Or if you prefer, you can wear this tee and take the enchantment wherever you go!

Mushrooms of the World Tee by Critter Jitters.

I love these sachets made from a gorgeous linen with their subtle print.

Spring Balsam Sachets from Sewn Natural

You could even stick your shopping list on the fridge with some...

Mushroom Magnet Set from Track and Field

And lastly, because I am such a sucker for gorgeous toys...I'll never grow up...here are a couple of fun mushroom toys from fellow members of the Natural Kids Team...I love these!

A sweet bendy doll from Princess Nimble Thimble with wooden mushrooms from The Enchanted Cupboard.

And a lovely wooden set of hedgehogs and mushrooms from Imagination Kids.

And don't forget that many of the Natural Kids team (including these shops!) are having sales this week. You can find the complete list here.

Earth Day Sale!

2010-04-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

In honor of Earth Day many of the members of the Natural Kids Team are having sales and since I'm a member... I'm having one too! Starting tomorrow, April 14th and running through April 22nd, I'm offering 10% off on all items in my Etsy shop. I'll refund the 10% through Paypal after purchase. If you want to see what sales other members are having, you can find out here.

And just in case that's not enough incentive, how about a peek at my newest additions? I've added a couple of magnets and ...drum roll....Kitkins!!

And yes, I did go a bit crazy with the applique and embroidery...what can I say, it was fun!

A Beautiful Apple for You my Dear!

2010-04-09T04:45:00.000-07:00

Where did this week go? I can't believe that it's been a whole week since I posted, but there it is...Friday staring at me once more from the calendar. But that means that it's time for Friday Fairy Tale Finds...so there's that! But first, I have added a few new dolls to the shop so let me share...

Aren't they cute? There are some more too (and some coming later today) but you'll just have to go see for yourself....:)
Now on to the Fairy Tale! Today's finds are from Snow White. Did you know that in the original story the wicked queen was NOT a step mother but the poor girl's actual mom? Horrific parents abound in fairy tales, but on to my finds...
First I have to share a gorgeous representation of the famous girl:

Snow White with Poison Apple by one of my favorite illustrators, Darkling Woods Studio.

Wouldn't this gown would be perfect for channeling your inner evil queen? The Sorceress from Legends by Lara.

And of course you'll need a mirror. I think this vintage one by From Gray to Gold looks like it would be perfect!

Now for some apples! How about these lovely felted ones created by Cozy Cottage Creations?

And last but not least we have to have a dwarf or two! I love this little fellow from my friend Orit of Orit Dotan Dolls.

And we'll finish with another dwarf from another friend, Kelley of Little Elf's Toy Shop.

I hope you enjoyed your wander through the finds today, have a great weekend!

Into the Woods

2010-04-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

I've decided to start something new for my blog and once a week (okay I may be thinking a bit optimistically but go with me here) post some fabulous fairy tale finds (sorry, word geek alliteration frenzy there). I'm going to try an have a theme each time and this weeks theme is "Little Red Riding Hood" or "Red Cap" as she's known to some. Enjoy!

I love this print, "Tea Time With the Wolf" by TASCHA

Isn't this box by Minasmoke lovely?

I'm so coveting this messenger bag from Kitty Empire.

Two adorable dolls from one of my favorite shops, Two Left Hands.

And this little change purse from Zemphira is beyond cute!

Last, but definitely not least, I had to include this adorable little wolf from adatine. Who wouldn't want to meet a wolf this sweet?

Have a wonderful weekend!

A Fairy Mother

2010-03-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

Hello my faithful blog readers, I'd like to apologize for neglecting my blog...and you... lately. I had a terrible creeping crud head cold for awhile last week that pretty much knocked me off my game for several days and when I was well I was working very hard on a special commission that I finally finished today, a mother Fairy and her tiny baby Fae. I'm really pleased with them and I'm reminded why I need to make this type of art doll more frequently. What are you all (or youze guys depending on your location) working on these days?

And the Winner Is....

2010-03-26T04:46:00.000-07:00

Number 13, Wehaf! Thanks so much to everyone who entered!

WIPs and Such

2010-03-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

There's been lots going on here at The Nest and I have two works in progress that I want to share. But first let me say Happy Spring!!!! Since it's official and we're all pretty happy because last winter was a bit rough. Now on to the projects...

First up; my wonderful husband is building me a new table for my studio. It's going to be a real work horse because I plan to use it in a number of ways. Not only is it big enough to use the top as a cutting table (and thanks to my mom I now have a fold up ironing pad that turns it into an ironing board) but it also is the perfect height to prevent back pain when I have large amounts of fabric to cut or iron. He's going to hook it up for electricity and I plan to eventually set up lights so I can use it as a mini photo studio as well. And of course he designed it with plenty of room for storage underneath, something I can always use.

Isn't it great?! Of course the guy making it is pretty great too...
The second project I'm working on is a larger sized art doll commission. It's a fairy mother and her baby fae. Here's what I have so far...

The mom still needs her "skin" put on but they're coming along pretty well. I love having the chance to make the bigger type doll. I need to make an Alice doll for an upcoming challenge but it's still "percolating" in my head at this point. I think I'd like to do a more Alice Liddell type this time....but we'll see. So what projects are you working on these days!

2010-03-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Well the problems with my computer turned out to be much larger then I had anticipated. The hard drive on my brand new, only 35 days old to be exact, Mac laptop completely crashed. But the folks at the Apple store were amazing and not only gave me a brand new laptop but also spent an entire day retrieving my information off the old one and transferring it to the new. So last night and early today I finally got the new dolls loaded to the shop. Here's a peek!

The Princess and the Frog

and Snow White

What do you think? Also, I've been putting larger pictures on the blog lately and I'd love to know how they look to you. On my screen they're great but are they wonky on yours?

More to come...

2010-03-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

I will be taking better pictures of these lovely fairy tale ladies and loading them to the shop later today, but first I have to take my brand new computer in and find out why it's misbehaving lately. I'm sure it's IT boggles and I'm hoping the Apple Geeks can exorcise them. Wish me luck!

A Surprise Gift Away

2010-03-04T05:27:00.000-08:00

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away...wait... wrong script.... a long time ago, well 2007 to be exact, a group of women led by Amber of Woodmouse got together on Etsy and started the NaturalKids team. It was a small group, with a small presence on Etsy. Since that time members have come and gone but the mission has stayed the same. To be a group of sellers dedicated to creating natural products for children. NaturalKids is a diverse group of artisans who make natural toys, utensils, clothing and accessories for kids and our goal is to support, promote and have fun together while building our businesses.

One of our 1st Team Blog Post read as below and it is still true today....

We are a diverse bunch from all over the globe who have at least one thing in common: we all work with natural materials in our products for children. Oh yeah, and we're all pretty darn crafty & talented too! Wool, wood, cotton...just simple materials direct from the Earth.

brown sheep by mamma4earth

So who are we?

Some of us are mothers of small children.

Some of us are mothers of grown children.

Some of us make dolls, some of us make hats, some of us make toys.

Some of us have been selling our wares for many years

Some of us are just starting to discover our talents and start selling.

Some of us work with natural materials for environmental reasons.

Some of us work with natural materials as part of the Waldorf educational philosophy.

Some of us work with natural materials because we believe they are healthier and safer.

Some of us just like working with natural materials.

Some of us sell our wares for a living.

Some of us sell our wares as a hobby.

Since that time, some of us are also fathers! :)

wooden robin toy by Imaginationkids

And today in honor of Spring, and our team, and heck just because we want to, the NaturalKids team is having a blog-a-thon with many of the team members also having give aways...I know, cool right?! Here's a list of those who are participating so go forth and see!

http://thereluctantcitydweller.blogspot.com
http://SewnNaturalstudio.blogspot.com

http://www.tribaltimes.blogspot.com/

http://katsinthebelfry.blogspot.com
http://polarbearcreations.blogspot.com

http://fairtradefamily.blogspot.com

http://germandolls.blogspot.com
http://curlymonkeyandco2.blogspot.com

http://bananabottoms.blogspot.com
http://woolies-woolies.blogspot.com

http://birchleafdesigns.blogspot.com
http://pinpon-dayanara.blogspot.com
http://sqrlbee.blogspot.com
http://viltalakimblogspot.com

Bunny by LittleElfsToyshop

And for my part I am giving away one of my Bunkins. Yep that's him peeking out at the top of the post...and here he is in all his furry, all natural, recycled, glory.

To enter all you have to do is leave a comment below and on March 26th I will pick a winner...easy peasy!
And if you want to see LOTS more lovely spring things (ooo a poet!) check this out!

And while you're here you may have noticed that I've added some clickable pages to my blog...they're right up top under the banner. Please give them a look, I'd love to know what you think.

Spring Bunnies

2010-03-02T11:05:00.000-08:00

Okay it's not really Spring yet. In fact it's snowing like crazy outside as I write this... you know this is the South!?! ENOUGH already!!... but it's March and Spring has to be just around the corner, right? I'm hoping that a bit of positive reinforcement might just hasten the process so I give you a basket of March Hares ready to jump into Spring...now appearing in my Etsy Shop!

Art with Friends

2010-02-26T04:01:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been doing some art with friends or, thanks to Kristen, "social crafting"...I love that term! It's a great way to spend some time learning (or teaching) a new skill while hanging out with friends for some fun. It's also been a way to keep my new years resolution to spend some time each week doing art just because I want to! Last Friday a friend and I got together to try our hands at some needlefelting. As we were pretty much completely new to the craft, we started by buying a couple of kits from Woolpets on Etsy. They were everything you could possibly want in a new craft experience; lots of supplies, great instructions,...and she shipped them incredibly fast! I highly recommend her shop if you're as new to this as we were, it rocks!

So we sat down and started to felt and had a marvelous time! Eventually our husbands arrived bearing wine and appetizers to cheer us on at our play. It was great and the finished products were very satisfying. I had ordered a Polar bear kit as I want to eventually make an East of the Sun, West of the Moon set of dolls. Here's a couple shots of the finished product:

Isn't he great?! Everything you could want in a Polar Bear. And my friend made a kitty. Here's hers;

Total cuteness!

I've also gotten a group of friends together that meets every couple of weeks to craft ( I had mentioned I was thinking about doing this in my previous post...rant...on the word "craft") and so far it's been terrific fun. I've been teaching them to knit, which is actually pretty hilarious since I'm a mediocre knitter at best, but none of the rest of them can knit at all so, by default, I'm teaching! Whee!

Have you tried your hand at social crafting lately? If so, tell me about it, and if you haven't, give it a try! See you next month...Spring is almost here!

The Perfection Predicament

2010-02-17T05:45:00.000-08:00

Okay I admit that I'm more then a bit of a perfectionist..I don't just like a clean house, on some level I need it to be clean in order to function. I so envy people who can just let things go and concentrate on their art. I believe that on some level my perfectionism is due to growing up in a house that was always in a constant state of disorder...and not just the physical mess, though that was pretty awful...but there was always some sort of psychological upheaval going on as well. Maybe that's why I feel the need to have as much calm and order as I can achieve around me now. I think I'm getting a little better about choosing to let some things go ...gosh I hope so...the older I get, but there's always an internal dialog. "That bathroom is getting really disgusting." "OK, not really...I can work on that tomorrow, finish those dolls today." And for me perfectionism can be a form of procrastination as well...I can't start that because it won't be exactly right....I just have to keep telling myself that the process of discovery is the fun part and messing up can lead to a wonderful finished product....repeat as needed!

Ah and then there's the perfectionism in my work. Yesterday I decided that a doll that I had already finished and listed in my shop, just didn't look right...the mouth was too big, the arms too long...yuck. so I took the entire thing apart and redid it. Well you be the judge...was I right?
Here's the original...

and here's the redo...

Much better? Or was it all in my head?
I finished another one as well and I think she's just fine the way she is...Thank goodness!

Happy Valentine

2010-02-14T07:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day from the Fairies's Nest! Spend lots of quality time with the ones you love.

Ta Da! The Answer!

2010-02-11T11:33:00.001-08:00

And the correct answer was Crow woman legs...but bird legs will do as well. :) So these

became this Crow Woman.

Isn't she lovely in all her feathery glamor? I'm making her my entry for the ADO Burlesque Challenge because I love the way crows like to strut and show off; they seem the perfect candidates for a burlesque show; loud, boisterous, teasing, and full of fun...and lets not forget those iridescent feathers!

I also finished a new Gnomeling child this week...and hopefully I'll have another done soon. My aren't we being productive?!

What is this?!

2010-02-10T05:35:00.001-08:00

Can you guess?

Thanks and A Bit of Work

2010-02-02T16:46:00.000-08:00

Wow...the responses to my last blog post were simply amazing! My inner word geek was thrilled ...of course now her head is so swollen that she may pop back in here at any time so you are all forewarned. But seriously I'm thrilled that so many of you stopped to read and comment and help give the word "craft" the respect that it deserves. Hugs and kisses all around!

I actually did manage to get a bit of work done last week, even a couple of projects...in keeping with my resolution for the year, heretofore known as the NYR because ...well for no good reason except I get tired of typing it all out and acronyms seem to be all the rage. Anyway there were two NYR projects completed. I made a postcard to send to the swap that the Cloth Paper Scissors magazine is running this month...

and I finally got around to playing with a paperclay head. I've been wanting to make a little fox maiden for awhile...I don't know why, it just was floating around in the back of my mind and this seemed to be the medium and the time. I Love how she came out! That tail took forever, each piece crocheted and locked in, but thankfully there was a fascinating episode of The Splendid Table on the radio at the time to keep me occupied. I'll definitely need to make more but this one is MINE ALL MINE!

And lastly I made a few flower fairies and this little gardener for the shop...Can you tell I'm ready for Spring!? We're on the third day of no school because of snow and ice, very unusual for this area, and I'm ready for it to go away. Yesterday was Inbolc so, YES!, we're half way there!

And for those who might be interested, I now have a Twitter account . I'm still trying to figure things out but it looks like fun so far!

Craft - A Digression from my Inner Word Geek

2010-01-28T12:07:00.000-08:00

Okay I want you to do something for me... think about the word "craft". What's the first thing that pops into your head, and be honest. Now hold that thought because today we have a visit from my inner word geek and she's really worked up about the denigration of this word. Oh my, she's here already, "denigration"?! Usually I can keep her in the back of my head, though she's prone to popping out with comments like, "Don't use the word "wonderful" again, plu-eeze!", and the occasional non sequiter remarks like"I love the word exacerbate", or "why doesn't anyone say popinjay anymore?" but she's here and toting a dictionary today so watch out!

This all started with a conversation I had last weekend. A couple of my friends were discussing getting together for a craft night so we could bounce ideas off each other, maybe learn some new skills, and generally let our creative sides out to play and grow. I asked another friend if she might like to join us and she got a horrified look on her face and replied that she wasn't "crafty" and that was "something she would do with her kids." I was astonished! What would make a terrifically intelligent and highly creative person respond so negatively? "Crafty?!" Ouch!

So I started thinking about the word "Craft" and I just couldn't stop. According to Merriam Webster Craft means:
1 : skill in planning, making, or executing :dexterity
2 : an occupation or trade requiring manual dexterity or artistic skill
3 : skill in deceiving to gain an end
4: to make with skill artistry or precision SYN: see ART
5: plural usually craft a : a boat especially of small size (okay geek, this one's not really relevant...)

So the main word I'm seeing there is "skill". Skill is something that is learned, usually through hard work and lots of practice right? Some lucky folk are born with innate talent but they still have to acquire skill. Skilled artistry is the major component of most of what society considers "Art" and most artists will describe the process of acquiring that skill as "learning their craft". But here's the problem, despite the fact that they are synonyms, somewhere along the way craft and art became separated in our minds. Art became an acceptable and admired way to work but craft was relegated to a frivolous pursuit involving popsicle sticks and lots of glue; an unimportant activity best left to women with nothing better to do and small children. Somehow we went from William Morris and the Arts and Craft movement to an occupation for children, camp counselors, and Martha Stewart wannabes.

Now I can see how it happened. First off there's the tendency to discount any craft that is mainly practiced by women. Sewing, knitting, embroidery, crochet have always been seen as arts that women learn, making them "woman's work" and thus less important or artistic. Making the practice of these arts a "crafty" pursuit belittles the amount of time involved in really learning these skills. These crafts are seen as somehow less worthy than say painting or pottery...despite the fact that they require the same amount of skill to do well. So we venerate the great painters, writers, and musicians of history but the seamstresses remain unknown.

Secondly, for years now we've had all kinds of folks on television telling women that they can make this and that craft with just a little time and almost no effort if they'll just buy this book/paper/glue/pattern. It's become another form of mass consumerism. And as a veteran of many craft shows I can tell you that lots of people have bought into the notion that just about anything constitutes "crafts"...just wind some wire and beads around a wine glass or glue some silk flowers to a pin and you're in business. On one hand I think it's wonderful that more people are exploring their creativity and playing with all kinds of art mediums but if it doesn't require skill can we really call it craft?

Since I'm not really much of a writer I don't have a conclusion to this muddle of ideas. It just seemed important to me that I put up some kind of defense for the word and hopefully help it to recover some of the respect that it deserves. Let's embrace the word "Craft" and fight the derogatory baggage that it's acquired in the 21st century. Don't be afraid to craft...you just might learn an art!
So now what did you think of when I first mentioned craft? Did I change your mind any?
Okay end of rant, now let's put her back in her box!

And just in case you're still with me, I did load some new dolls in the shop so go take a peek. And I promise to keep the word geek in check for awhile.

Finished Dolls and Free Stuff!

2010-01-25T17:47:00.000-08:00

First the Free Stuff ...for a very cool give away head over to the ADO blog. Several doll artists are participating in the one World One Heart Giveaway and there are some wonderful pieces on offer. Yours truly did not get her act together soon enough to participate ...sigh...maybe next year.

And now the Finished...

and...

This one is named Calida (which means fiery) and is a chili pepper fairy in honor of my husband who is a Serious chili head (Well my 3 sons are too, you would faint at the amount of hot sauce this family can consume in a month.)

Next time a discussion from my inner word geek on the word "Craft"! See you soon....

WIP

2010-01-21T13:30:00.001-08:00

Not one ...not two...but three art dolls! Two are a commission and one for the shop. Hopefully finished by the end of the week.... week two of resolution kept (and I'm up to eight books read so far, see list at the bottom of the side bar if you want to know what I'm reading.) Not too shabby....
I'll post again with the finished dolls as soon as they're done and we get some sun.

Old Crow, or Keeping a Resolution

2010-01-16T08:34:00.001-08:00

So here is the finished work I began last week. I wish you could see the colors better as the purple and green silks are very iridescent. I've already hung it in the kitchen, finally filling the space that has been waiting for months. Yay for the keeping of my New Years resolution...now let's see if I can keep it up....

Someone's been eating my porridge!

2010-01-14T11:40:00.000-08:00

And it just may have been this little scamp!

Actually Goldilocks is a reformed cat burglar and now she feeds little bear instead of stealing his breakfast.

It was fun perusing the web to find info about the history of this fairy tale. For some reason I thought it was one of Grimm's, but it's not at all. According to Sur La Lune, (a must read site for anyone interested in fairy tales) the earliest recorded version is from 1831, which in the realm of fairy tale literature is not that long ago, although it was probably told as an oral tale for many years previously. In that version, as well as later ones, the intruder is either a fox or an old woman and not the golden haired child so familiar to readers today. She didn't appear until much later.
And that is your little fairy tale factoid for today!

Happy New Year ...at Last!

2010-01-08T10:59:00.000-08:00

Gracious! A new year and I'm already running behind...ah well it's pretty much situation normal for me. I hope you all had a lovely holiday and are finding yourselves more up to speed in the new year then yours truly.

As a rule I don't make resolutions... but this year I've made two! First , inspired by a friend who is going to try and read 50 books this year, I've decided to keep track of how many I read. I think it will probably be way more then 50, I've finished 3 this first week, but I really have no idea and I'd love to know. So I'm going to start a new record in my side bar there ---> and perhaps I'll even be inspired to do the occasional review. Secondly I've decided to take some time Every week and make or work on something just because I want to! I know, radical right? I figure it's one way to cope with the art versus commerce dilemma. So this week I began work on a small hanging for the kitchen that has been kicking around in my head for months now. Here's the first stages..

That wonderful moon is a vintage mother of pearl button that my wonderful sister gave me for my birthday...it is SO fabulous!

I also reopened the shop this week and added a bunch of new dolls...most of which sold out immediately...Yay !...but these two are still there and I'm back to work to make some more. See you soon!

Happy Solstice!

2009-12-21T07:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Solstice everyone! After today we can look forward to the days getting longer and Spring's eventual return.

We experienced one of our rare winter snows this past weekend,

lovely coming down

and mostly gone by today, typical for NC. Some of the Nest residents were not at all happy with the snow, but they found the bird watching to be excellent.

Decking the Nest and A Recipe Too!

2009-12-15T07:42:00.001-08:00

Well the tree is up, some of the presents are wrapped, carols are in heavy rotation ( my favorites being Jethro Tull's Christmas Album and The Sounding Joy by The Mair Davie Duo...good stuff!) and the cookie making is about to commence! I thought I'd share some pictures of my tree and a great easy cookie recipe. First the tree and it's trims...

As you can see, it's a mix of handmade, antique, and just plain silly...note the crab? Also it was recently pointed out to me that a lot of the ornaments are vertical...well I do love icicles and of course I have all those gorgeous okra!

This last ornament is very special to me because it once belonged to my great aunt Florence. She was my grandmother's older sister and one of my favorite people of all time. Her own grandchildren lived far away, so she lavished all of her huge store of affection on the four of us...in her eyes we could do no wrong. Aunt Florence was a fantastic cook and going to her house always meant some wonderful treat would be waiting for my siblings and me. This recipe was one of our favorites and in my mind Christmas just isn't the same without these yummy cookies.

Flossie's Party Cookies

1 cup Butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sifted white flour
10 oz. milk chocolate ( can sub bittersweet chocolate)
chopped nuts ( for Xmas can sub crushed peppermint
candy)

Cream butter and sugar until light. Add egg and beat until fluffy. Add vanilla then flour. Blend well. spread in an 11x17 jelly roll pan and bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with broken bits of chocolate. Let these sit for 1-2 minutes, so they melt, and then spread evenly over the cookies with a knife. sprinkle with the chopped nuts (or peppermint). When cool, cut into squares and store in a tightly covered container in a cool place.

To give credit where it is due, the dark chocolate and peppermint idea comes from my sister and it really does make for a lovely and yummy Xmas version.

Last Ones!

2009-12-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

Well the last ones for this year anyway. I loaded these ladies into the shop this morning and now I'll be working on presents for the next few weeks. Every year I say I'll get them made in advance, and every year I end up with a bunch to make right before the holidays...I must be a pressure junkie. I'm planning on closing the shop on the 14th so I can concentrate on cookie making, present wrapping, egg nog drinking and all that other fun holiday stuff, but I promise to still keep updating my blog until I reopen in January. So wish me luck and no tangles as I delve into my tasks... and I will see you soon!

...and in the same Holiday spirit, I made a fun Ornament treasury today that you should definitely take a peek at here!

A Winter Fae and an Okra Digression

2009-11-30T09:15:00.000-08:00

Well I managed to get her finished in time for the last day of free shipping in my shop...Whew!

And since I have you here, I thought we might discuss Okra. For those of you wondering what the heck does okra have to do with anything...I'll get to that. Since some might not even know what okra is, let me start there. Okra is widely grown and eaten here in the South. It's used to thicken stews, sauteed and frequently dipped in batter and fried. Frankly I'm not a fan, I think it's slimey and disgusting however you cook it. BUT a dear friend of mine has for years now been making the most incredibly beautiful ornaments out of dried okra ...the best use for it in my humble opinion! Each one takes an incredible amount of time to make, all that hand painting and gluing of individual beads, and they are simply stunning on a Christmas/Solstice tree. I have about 30 on mine that I've acquired over the years so I can attest that they are fantastically durable too. But probably the best thing would be to show you, so check these out.....

Aren't they amazing? I would go blind putting on those beads! She also turns tiny ones into beautiful brooches.
And the best part is that she has now opened a shop on Etsy, Fabricated By Dena, so go right now and take a peek. If you're looking for something truly unique to add to your wishlist this year, I think you may have found it... and you don't even have to eat this okra to love it!

Free Shipping!

2009-11-29T09:13:00.000-08:00

Don't miss out on Free Shipping world wide on all items frommy Etsy shop, the Fairies' Nest, today and tomorrow only. And just in time I've added a couple more pixies to the shop ...

I'm hoping to add another bigger doll as well so stay tuned!

New Dolls at last and a bit of a Sale!

2009-11-25T06:42:00.001-08:00

At last... meet Holly my new art doll! Yes, I have finally finished a new art doll as well as a couple of little holiday dolls. There are two more of the larger dolls on my table almost ready and I'm all caught up on commissions, so I'm feeling pretty productive these days. Of course I'm spending the rest of today and tomorrow getting ready to serve Thanksgiving for 23 people so I imagine that feeling will be very short lived.
But here's a little Holly pixie as well....

And in the big news folks it's sale time once more! All items in my Etsy Shop will have free shipping for 4 days; Friday Nov. 27th through Monday Nov. 5th. So come by and take a peek!

As I mentioned, Thanksgiving is almost upon us and I am very thankful for all the wonderful folks that I've met through my blog this year, thank you so much for the support and love you've shown myself and my creations.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Welcome to the Nest!

2009-11-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

I've been nose to the grindstone the past week...I've always wondered about that phrase, how could a bloody nose possible infer hard work? but I digress...and I have lots of work in progress but nothing that's ready to show yet. So I thought that this week that I'd take you on a virtual tour of my studio. Ready?

As you can see I tend to be ridiculously organized...except for work table which, despite last weeks excavations, is already starting to be lost under piles of fabric again. It's not there yet but I bet by the end of next week we'll be talking serious mess...okay maybe just serious for me the neat freak.

I have added a couple more mice sets to the shop (and they're pretty darn cute) as I was able to carry them with me when we went out of town last weekend to celebrate my mom's 70th birthday. A delightful party was hosted by my sister, and my brothers actually managed not to set fire to anything, so a good time was had by all. (Seriously, the fire thing is an issue with them but we love them anyway.) Hopefully I'll have some new dolls next week and a bit of news as well. See you then!

Of mice, bunnies and best laid plans...

2009-11-03T04:31:00.000-08:00

Okay I truly did intend to make a new art doll after my last post, but I'm afraid that my own compulsiveness got in the way. Here's what happened.

First I decided that I needed to clean off my work table before I could start anything as it was piled sky high with all the debris left from my last several pieces. So I did... and it was a bit like an archeological dig, I kept finding dolls in various states of completion. When I was done I had;
1) a bag of lavender baby heads
2) a sweater bunny all made up and waiting to be dressed
3) some beautiful wool yarn I was planning on using to develop a sweater pattern
4) the completed heads and paws for two mice that needed me to design them bodies

So I decided that I need to get all of these finished before I started anything new. And here's what they all became!

The heads!

The bunny and the wool.
(This is my first attempt at designing a sweater. I like how it came out but there are some changes I'll make for the next one. Maybe I'll post the finished pattern here?)

The mice

So now my table is (mostly) clear and I'm ready to start a new doll...but what will I make? You'll just have to wait and see!
And I'll leave you with the marvelous pumpkin that our resident master carver created this year...hope you all had a wonderfully spooky and fun Halloween!

On the Work Table

2009-10-26T08:42:00.001-07:00

So this is what I've been working on lately...Lots of commissions and a few other new items for the shop. Can you tell what holiday most people are ordering for?

Now that most of the month's commissions are finished , I'm going to take a break and make at least one art doll...because it has simply been WAY too long. How does one balance commission work, which pays the bills and is certainly therefore very welcome, with the creative need to make something new and wonderful and in my case usually not as marketable.The bigger dolls just don't sell, particularly in this economy. This has really been a struggle for me lately and I'd love to hear how others manage the balance of art and commerce...not afraid to ask the big questions today am I!
Have a wonderful week!

Autumn Treasures

2009-10-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share a few autumn lovelies I found this week on my morning walks...

The fungus have been amazing!

and of course there are the leaves which are just starting to change...

Next time some new dolls... in the meantime, Enjoy!!