WOOHOO...100 Friends!!!!

Oh my gosh, how cool is that! 100 new friends. =D Congrats to Daisy over at Antique Daisy She is my 100th friend! Daisy if you'd email me off-blog with your address I'll get started on a goody for you! oooh Also include any themes, color schemes or tibits I should know about the dollhouse, or scenes you are working on! I want to make something super special for you!

As for my other 99 friends...I think I will keep my drawing open until next weekend...leave me a comment over the next week and I'll enter your name in a drawing for a special goody on Sunday the 6th!

Thanks so much to all the wonderful new friends I have made through this little blog! =D Y'all make me feel special!
Deborah

Another New Friend makes 99!!!

Holy moly...when I started blogging months ago I honestly never thought I would see 100 'followers' but here I am with 99!!! I know this is last minute, but I think I am gonna have a little quicky giveaway! When I hit 100 followers...that person, plus one more from my merry band of pals will recieve a gift. So if you'd like to join in the fun simply leave me a comment.

BTW I supposed I really need to welcome Miss 99...It's Dale over at Dales Dreams. Dale makes the most gorgeous dollhouse bedding I have ever seen!!! I do hope you will take a moment to go visit her.

New Friends!

Wow...I'm at 98 'friends' (I hate calling them Followers! lol) My 2 newest are Manda Minifan (I can't find a blog for you hun, so if you have one, or a shop or something you'd like me to share, please let me know! =D) and Ron of Artisan of Ocala And oh my goodness...his 2 most recent blog posts are of the stairwell and door he is building. Sounds basic, right....OH NO, you have got to go and check them out! They are anything but ordinary!!!! =D
Deborah

Happy Friday =D

To all my friends here in America, I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving! Ours was busy but then it usually is when my husband is not overseas. As we have done in the past, we invited any of the single soldiers in his unit (who weren't heading home for the holiday) to come and join us for our Thanksgiving. We had 7 come join us for dinner, plus my sister =D I made 2 decent sized turkeys, mashed potatoes and gravy, cornbread-sausage dressing, sweet potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce. I also made a pumpkin pie, a cherry pie, a batch of my super yummy brownie, and a pumpkin gooey butter cake. Everyone ate their fill (which was quite a bit...I think all the leftovers (dressing, green beans and turkey) fit into a single 2 quart casserole dish! LOL We had a wonderful time.
Plus in the clean-up to get ready my craft area is clean...well kind of. lol At least everything is contained and ready to be sorted and put away. I need to look into different storage containers to put inside my armoires though. I have a couple of swaps that I need to finish up this weekend, but then I am going to start working on my Mom's Orchid.
I have mentioned several times that I have decided to give my mom the Quilt Shop/Sewing School she always dreamed of owning. It'll be in miniature of course, but I am positive she will just love it! I had intended to have it finished in time to present it to her in Jaunary when she comes down to celebrate Christmas. (She is also turning 60 this December so it was gonna be a combined gift) But I have realized that to do it properly, the way I have it envisioned...6 weeks is nowhere near enough time. So I am going to concentrate on completing the shell and having that ready to present to her...then I figure she can help decide how she would like it furnished. =D
I have decided that I am going to take 2, possibly even 3 Orchids by Greenleaf/Corona Concepts to make one large cottage for Mom. I just love all the gingerbread work. I am planning the main body of the house to be painted in a pale almost icy blue color...the trim will be in 2 deeper shades of blue. (That would be mom's favorite color ;-D ) I am also hoping to have the exterior landscaped by January. Mom also loves gardening, so I definitely want her to have a lovely garden to enjoy.
As it comes out of the box the Orchid has 2 stories...the lower would normally be a living room and a kitchen, and the upper floor would be a bedroom and bathroom. I need Mom's Cottage to have these things as well as a Shop area and a classroom area. Although I think the classroom area will also work for mom's living room as I plan to add a couple of cozy chairs for reading, pouring over pattern books and stitching. So I need 5 rooms, at least 3 of which need to be decent sized. I am trying to decide whether I want to add an additional floor, an additional wing or both onto the Orchid. I have no idea! LOL I currently have 2 Orchids here at the house but can easily purchase a 3rd from Hobby Lobby which is just up the road. If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear 'em.

Well thank you all for hanging around reading my ramblings. I hope everyone that braved the crowds to day had a fruitful shopping trip. And to those who either stayed at home snug in their beds or worked today...Have a wonderful weekend! =D

Need Help from my DollHouse Friends

Hey there everyone. I am in need of some help. As I have mentioned before I am making my mom a dollhouse for Christmas/her 60th birthday. I want to transform it into a combination Quilt Shop/Sewing School. I would also like to add a small studio apartment to it. I have purchase a pair or Orchid dollhouses from Hobby Lobby. I would like to combine the 2 into one larger house. If anyone has done this or knows someone who has...I would love am tips, hints, tricks or techniques they used.
Thanks in advance for you help! =D
Deborah

I NEED HELP!!!!

Eeeek...I finished a group of items for a wonderful swap...The 5 Star swap...the problem is I can't find the address to ship them out!!! Ack...And I can't remember which lovely lady from which great blog was hosting this swap!!! Sooooo My swap is ready to go out...as soon as someone rescues me! LOL
Thanks. =D
Deborah

Welcome!!!

Today my friend Eva started following my blog! =D "Hi there hun!!!" As of yet, *wink, wink, wink* Eva doesn't have a blog, but that's okey-dokey.

Urgh...my apologies...

Again time has just run away with me. *sigh* So let me see if I can remember what has been going on in my life the last almsot 2 weeks.
When last I left you I was preparing for my one and only craft show of the season. it amuses me that I was invited to participate in 3, chose 2, then had to drop out of one due to being ill. *sigh* Oh well, the show I ended up participating in was put on by a local Art Guild. I went out Friday night for their Artisans Reception. I willingly admit to being more than a little intimidated and thoroughly scared about the show. Most of the artists in the guild are either painters or earthen clay sculptors. As I walked through the gallery, I couldn't help compare my little polymer clay pieces to the fabulous oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings and the fabulous sculpted bowls, vases and greenman masks. I was honestly beginning to wonder what I was doing in with these other artists. I left Friday evening apprehensive, but happy. I met many of the wonderful painters and sculptors and think I made some new friends as well!
Saturday morning I arrived about an hour early to begin to set up my booth. As i unwrapped and placed each piece someone would stop by and 'ohh' or 'ahh' over something. I bought a pair of small christmas trees (that once I start decorating, will flank my front door) I set one of them up on a low table beside my booth to hang all my beaded and polymer clay Christmas ornaments one. It does light up but unfortunately I didn't have an outlet available. =( Oh well, with a big 'bay' window behind my booth, plenty of light came in and showed off my ornaments perfectly. I took all of my polymer clay pieces (well the finished ones anyways! LOL There are still several in various stages on my table) and had them laid out.
The show opened at 10am Saturday morning with a nice crowd of people...And within the 1st 30 minutes I had made my first sale. And they just kept coming. I couldn't believe it...my fear from the night before was actually at one point replace by a little bit of guilt. The painters and sculpters had a hard time selling things, while I just kept moving little bits off my table. I sold several snowflakes in various forms and many of my small figurines. I sold several pair of earrings too. I even sold one of my large dragons. I traded another of my large dragons with another vendor who does earthen clay work. I got several small fabric Christmas tree ornaments and a lovely sage green bowl for my dragon. Another artist is a photographer...sho had this gorgeous matted photograph of a silhouetted beach at sunset. The sky was streaked in these luscious shades of magenta and burgundy...it's perfect in our master bedroom. During a lull in the crowd and wandered over to purchase it. She offered to trade the picture for a unicorn I had sculpted. I was only too happy to oblige. Yet another trade came from a lovely older woman who painted the most adorable set of snowmen I have ever seen. I will be honest I initally walked over to talk to her, because she seemed lonely in the corner by herself. Her framed snowmen were just a wonderful perk to meeting an equally wonderful lady. I bought the snowman that she had painted that best matched my living room...he will be proudly displayed this coming holiday season. The next day she bought a little piggy I had sculpted. (the painting and the piggy were priced the same, so I chalk it up to a trade;-D)
All in all I had a wonderful time, met many talented artists and actually did really well!
This last week has been spent trying to catch up on neglected house work and such. I have some miniatures I need to make for a swap...those need to be in the mail by Wednesday...(I'm working on them Kathy! lol) The I have a few more swap items to make, but those are due in early December, So I most likely won't start those until AFTER Thanksgiving. urgh MUST CLEAN HOUSE THIS WEEK!!! We will most likely be having some of my hubby's soldiers over for turkey day next week.
My next major project will be a bash and smoosh of a trio of Orchids.(dollhouse kits)
I bought one from Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago intending to build mom's shop in it...well I think it is just too small! So in talking to my hubby we have decided to buy 2 more Orchids (gotta love 40% off coupons!!!) and some balsa sheets to 'build' our our house for mom! I love the Orchid for all it's lovely gingerbread and fretwork. Mom's house will be painting in 3 shades of blue, ranging from pale ice blue for the exterior to deep navy for the gingerbread. Donnie is going to build me a full front porch for a rocker or two and possibly even a porch swing.
I am very excited about this project and can't wait to finish it...honestly even more so I can't wait for Mom to receive it!!! I'm thinking that the video camera might serve me well for that. =D

Now that I have rambled on and on for a while now I should scoot...the laundry room is calling me and my kitchen table is screaming my name, although the cries are muffled under mounds of papers and craft bits and bobs!
Thanks for sticking with me and reading this far. Talk to you all later!

Oh Dear...

It seems I have been very remiss in welcoming my new friends! There are several that I have not properly welcomed!
So my apologies to these wonderful folks. Please take a few minutes to visit there blogs where available.
First up is Marlene...she is a very talented miniaturist with 2 great blogs. Somerset House showcases her miniature work. Her second blog is Poppy Patchwork, is her personal blog, but she also showcases her beautiful needlework here too! Welcome Marlene! =D
Next is Chris V. Chris has 4 blogs. She is a fantastic miniaturist as well. Candid Canine is her main blog and there you will discover that Chris is also an author!!! She has written several books one of which is a wonderful looking book called Searching for a Starry Night

Next is Danitza Zarate...unfortunately I couldn't find a blog for her, but welcome just the same! (BTW feel free to contact me if you have a blog, website or store you'd like me to share! =D )
Next up is Victoria of Vika-mis currently working on a Russian Village House. Some of her fabulous miniatures can be found on her flickr site.
Next is Guinivere Norrington is a fellow military spouse and artist. Guinevere is a fabulous seamstress who plies her trade making 18" doll clothes. Check out her blog Camelots Treasure and her Etsy store by the same name.
Next is Teresa Riley who is another fellow military spouse, she is a paper artist who makes some truly gorgeous scrapbooks. Please visit her blog, Paper on Parade and her etsy shop!
Last but not least is Rebecca of Fira Marina. I had the pleasure of making Rebecca's acquaintance last year when I bought some of her lovely beads. She sells on Ebay and Etsy...I do hope you'll take a few minutes to visit her website to view her amazing work

Again my apologies for neglecting to welcome my friends. =D

OOOOH I WON!!!

I am so excited...about a month ago I joined a couple of other ladies over on Yummy Miniatures Food From the Crow It was a Halloween Hutch contest, now Halloween isn't a big holiday for me, so it was kinda tough for me to step outside my comfort zone. But I did it. And here was my resulting hutch. I used a $1 hutch from Michaels and painted it matte black...it then got a gentle rub of metallic purple. I replaced the knobs with a star and moon set, and added a jack-o-lantern embellishment to the cornice at the top. I filled the bottom shelf with hand carved hollow jack-o-lanterns and a trio of miniature pumkins. The middle shelf holds a crystal ball, a plate of halloween cookies and a Happy Haunting sign. The top shelf has a trio of hand sculpted polymer clay candles, a picture of a set of spooky eyeballs and a shrunken head!
Please visit Julie's Site to see the other fantastic entries and my cool prize!!!