I'm Wee Bit.

The doll Yvette made in elinor peace baileys class on Saturday.

Elinor did my face - Isn't it beautiful? She does such wonderful faces.

What an exciting time that was.

She is such an inspiration to all doll makers and to watch her make faces was just wonderful!

I was amazed how she could take her crayons and pens and just color so fast and create a fabulous face.

The most amazing thing was that she purchased a teddy bear and doll pin from me. I couldn't believe it! She also asked me to make her some earrings. WOW she wants some of my art!!

The class was held at a really cool fabric/fibre art store. It is called 145 Art and Design Studio and is located in Culpeper, Virginia. The shop has amazing fabrics and yummy fibres and all kinds of art supplies. Noreen, the owner, is such a sweet person. She really went out of her way to make the class wonderful. She even brought us chocolate during the middle of the class. Can't get any better than that! If you are ever in the area stop by and check out her store. It is like a candy store for fabric lovers.

It was such a wonderful day! I will cherish the memory forever!

Hi - I'm Charlie and we are in the middle of a big decision here.




Yvette is getting ready for a class with elinor peace bailey this weekend.







She is really excited as it will be her first doll class. And she has heard what a fun teacher elinor is!





( I heard somewhere she doesn't capitalize her name? - is that true? )




Anyway we are trying to decide with pattern to make. (I know she should have started it already but .... ????


I don't know why she has waited. Since she waited so long to start this doll we didn't have time to buy a pattern so she is picking one from a magazine.




Here are the two patterns that we are choosing from.



Wee Bit Revisited


which is in The Cloth Doll magazine - Fall 1998.

Here are the fabrics combinations that she has chosen to possible make that one.


Aren't those tassel delightful!!! I love them and the orange is so wild.

OH! There is a glare on the magazine photo. Maybe I should learn to use the camera - instead of just monkeying around with it..tee hee :o)

Or

The Keeper of Memories

which is in Cloth Dolls magazine - This magazine was a special edition magazine publish a while ago. It's an Australian magazine I don't think they made any more. Well at least we didn't find one :o)

Here are the fabric combination for that doll.

They are a little more elegant and they are so silky. The light one with flowers is very glittery!

I wonder which she will choose. I don't see any pink and black or red which are her favorite colors to use. I wish she would hurry up! She promised to finish me sometime in the future. I think I would like a button front shirt collar and a tie. I want to be a well dressed monkey! :o)

Where did May go? It seems to have rushed by. The kids will be out of school in a week!!!!! Now lets get in that studio and start sewing!!!

I am having a problem with this tiny ted.

He doesn't want to get dressed!!

I tried to put him in pink but that didn't make him happy.

He firmly declared "I am a boy!!! And boys don't wear pink!!!"

He is just under 2 " and has a magnet in his bottom so he can stick to the metal lid of this box.

Does anyone have any idea as to what colors he should wear?

I am thinking of putting him in a party hat and decorating the box like a present. I hope he likes that idea. But ... I don't know.

For a little guy he sure is opinionated LOL

Inches charm swap

I am doing a charm swap with a group of 12 ladies.
The idea is to make a charm out of any material that measure 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" or smaller...the only requirement is that they be able to be attached with a jump ring so they can be added to a charm bracelet or something.

I forgot to take a picture of mine before I wrapped them for shipping so now it will be a surprise when the ladies receive them.
I hope they are going to like them!
Swaps always make me so nervous! :o)

I have been tagged by Shashi.

Apparently what I am supposed to do is start with 7 random facts/habits about myself post them in my blog and then choose 7 people to tag - and not forget to tell them in the comment section of their blog.

So here goes!!
1) I don't like to be bothered in the morning until I have had coffee and time to wake up.
2) I love miniature shoes and regular shoes for that matter.
3) I love unusual teapots.
4) I start a lot more projects than I finish.
5) I always wanted to ride on the cow when he jumped over the moon. I also wanted to know why he did that.
6) My favorite place is the beach. I love to watch the seals and dolphins play and to collect sea shells. I miss living close to it.
7) I married my husband in less than 1 month after meeting him - we have been married 18 years and I still love him and he is my best friend.

Nothing new comming out of the studio today!


Yesterday when the girl bears were making sandwiches they wouldn't let me help. So today I decided to make some toast.
Just because I am 2.5 inches tall they don't think I can do anything.































How long does this thing take anyway????

I'm hungry!! :o)

Hello!!

I am Rose.

Yvette has been working all day in her room. I think she is finishing a mermaid. I'm not sure though LOL She might be finishing another little bear. I know that she has three bears started and then the mermaid.

She has left all us bears to fend for ourselves today.

I also want to let you know that she put Mindy and Lyn in her Etsy shop.

They are excited that they get to go to a new home! What a wonderful adventure for them :o)

If you would like to take a peek - Look here.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5921149

Well got to go.

They rest of the bears and I are going to make honey and peanut butter sandwiches. YUMMY!!

Mindy and Lyn

Meet Mindy and her little elephant doll Lyn.

They are all dressed up and ready to go to Grandma's house. Grandma is baking cookies for them and they are going to have a tea party.

Mindy is so excited. She loves her Grandma!

Mindy is almost 5" and is made from a sparse curly mohair. She has black glass eyes and her nose is embroidered.

She is wearing a cotton print dress with lace and embroidery details. Her shoes are ultra suede with tiny roses embroidered on them. They have leather soles.

Little Lyn is almost 3" and made from a vintage grey upholstery velvet. she wears a matching dress and has ultra suede "stockings" that have been hand embroidered.

Paper Dolls

My doll club met this Saturday and we played with paper dolls.

These are mine.

The first one is a sunflower. She was made using images and textures printed off my computer.

The second one is just a girl. She was made using different papers, colored pencils and gel pens.

The third one is called Simple Times. She was made using a combination of images from the computer and different papers.

We used the template found on http://www.ruthannzaroff.com/mirkwooddesigns/paperdoll.htm

Meet Winston

He is a new big bear design.

He measures apx 8"

Winston is made out of vintage long pile synthetic fur.

It is similar to Kathryn's only a darker tan and not as soft.

Hi I'm Cody and this if my little friend Buttercup.

I am 5" and made from a dark chocolate mohair.

Buttercup is 3" and made out of a camel colored felt.

We wear matching ribbons in brown with blue polka dots.

We are looking for a new mommy or daddy and are available in Yvette's Etsy shop.

Come and visit us!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=410917

Spring Break!

My kids are on spring break this week.

Two bored teenagers with nothing to do! LOL

I have several things almost finished. I am working on two new bears, some new doll pins, a mermaid and another doll.

Hopefully I will get these completed by the end of next week.

I am so honored and excited. :o)

I was named Artist of the month at Edinburgh Imports.

If you would like to read the interview you can visit here. :o)http://www.eii2.com/Community/viewtopic.php?t=1608&sid=5f39577a9901d6bf76102deee0087c48

Edinburgh is a wonderful place to buy all your bear making supplies.

Their mohair is fabulous and yummy. And the people that work there are all very nice and extremely helpful!

They are also starting to sell doll making supplies.

Check them out here.http://www.edinburghimports.com/

The little bear in the picture is one of my flutterbys. She is about 2.5" and lives in her own little gourd house.

Happy Easter!!!!

I hope every ones day is filled with lots of chocolate bunnies, jellybeans and marshmallow peeps!

Our Easter weekend is starting out with some snow!

Snow in April how wonderful!!!! :o)

Meet Kathryn.

She is another big girl. Apx 9 inches.

She is made with the same pattern as the sleepy flower bear below.

I made her out of a vintage synthetic fur. This fur is very soft and fluffy. It is the perfect size pattern to use this fur. She has black suede paw pads.

The fur is very special to me as it was my Mom's.

She wanted to make a fur coat out of it but never got the chance to. It must be 30 yrs or so old.

I named the bear Kathryn after my Mom.

In the beginning..

I thought I would share the first mini bear that I made.

It is quite different from what I make now.

He is just under 2"

I started to make miniature bears in 1999 when my husband was deployed with the Navy Seabees.

He would be gone six months home six months -- it was a really hard time for me with having two little kids at home and I missed him so much.

Anyway I saw a big bear dressed as a bee and wanted to have a little one. So I went home and figured out how to make one. I carried this little guy around in my purse for a long time. He would make me smile whenever I saw him.

I had a swatch book that I picked up somewhere in my stash of treasures and it was full of vintage upholstery velvet. So I used a piece of that to make him.

I now know that those swatches are valuable and rare. If I knew that then I probably wouldn't have cut it up. LOL

I then found a copy of Teddy Bears and Friends magazine. It happened to be the miniature edition that they put out every year.

WOW

I didn't know people actually made miniature bears or artist bears. I found that there were supplies available for them and people actually collected them.

So that first little bear lead to another and another and will lead to many more in the future.

Do you ever think about your first doll or bear that you made?

Little Spring Bear

She doesn't have a name. Anyone have any ideas?

This little girl loves flowers. Only she is allergic to them.

They make her sneeze and her eyes water yet she still picks them and loves the way they smell.

She is a big girl - measuring apx 9 "

She is made from mohair and ultrasuede.

I wanted to try to make eyelids. Since she is a bigger bear it was easier than putting them on a mini. Her eyelids are ultrasuede and embroidery floss.

Her flowers are hand painted muslin attached to wires.

She wears a fringed collar with a tiny daisy button. Her little hair ribbon started life as several different color hair scrunchies. It has a daisy button as well.

She is made from a pattern by Laura Lynn Matthews.
You can see her adorable bears here.
http://www.teddiesbylauralynn.com/

She has a wonderful website for teddy bear collectors here.
http://www.teddybearcollecting.com/

Ivan the Terrapin

I was asked about this little guy when I posted his picture the other day.

So I thought I would tell you all about him.

I made him last year as a special request from a lady whose husband collects turtles.

She saw my bears on Etsy and wondered if I could make her a turtle.

I wasn't sure as I had never made a turtle before but I told her I would try.

So that is how Ivan was born.

(She named him. I think it is a cute name.)

He is about 3 inches long and 1.5 inches tall.

He's body is made from a textured velvet and his shell is stretch velvet.

He is shaded and needle sculpted.

I was quite pleased with how he turned out.

And his new owners love him too!

Two new Artist Trading Dolls

Hazel is featured in these two cards.
She likes to be the center of attention.:o)

The first one is a folding ATD made from Judi's pattern. http://www.artdolls.info/
The second one is made from Sherry's pattern. http://www.sherrygoshon.blogspot.com/

I am finished making these for a bit. Time to make something else.

I have a new bear in the works.
He is a big fellow. Or maybe he is a she. I 'm not sure yet. I will know when I finish stuffing and add the face. When I get to that stage he/she will let me know what it wants to be.
It will be about 9 inches or so.

I also have a new doll traced out and ready to be sewn together. She may be an Easter prim doll. I won't know until she is finished either.

I always picture something in my mind of what I want to make and then it comes out totally different. My bears and dolls take on a life of there own and tell me what they want to be when I am at the finishing stage. So we will see what I end up with!

Spring is here!

The flowers are blooming and the birds are singing. The sun is shinning and all is beautiful with the world.

Well except for the giant bees and wasps that are flying about - I could do with out those!

I wonder what happened to winter? It didn't seem to last as long as it usually does. We only had a few cold days and very little snow.

Well off to do some quick spring cleaning.

Enjoy the sunshine.