My baby is having a baby.

I'll have a new grandbaby any time now.

Redheads

Well, orange really. LOL
I went to another Mom sale with Kim and picked up this Knickerbocker Little Orphan Annie doll because I wanted to see if her clothes and shoes would fit the Fake Cakes (they do). I've decided to keep her.

Then I spotted this Susie Sad Eyes on eBay and had to have her too!

Doll Collecting + Crafting = Doll Customizing!

I've added the eight girl to my Blythe doll family and satisfied my creative urges by purchasing a "rescue" doll and fixing her up. I removed two extra layers of super glued eyelashes, sand-matted her, very lightly lip carved (mostly just used the file to scrape off the thick paint than to do any real reshaping), and opened up her head to remove her eyemech and paint her eyelids.
This is what she looked like when she arrived (already peeled off some of the lashes):

Here she is after being cleaned up before her new faceup:

Pamphlet Stitched Book w/ Pocket

I volunteered to teach a simple bookbinding class at Death & Taxes so I thought it might be a good idea to make a couple of samples so I could work out the step-by-step instructions. The book has a soft cover folded to create a pocket in the center of two signatures of plain printer paper (watercolor papers work quite nicely for the pages, too). I made one with a colorful scrapbook paper cover and a plain one for a pseudo-period look.
Start by cutting a 12" x 4" strip of cardstock for the cover and score it at 3", 6", and 9".

Then fold in half at the 6" score line, open back out, and fold the ends toward the middle along the 3" and 9" score lines. To create the pocket apply adhesive to the bottom edge of one of the "inside" sections.


For the inside pages cut 3 3/4" x 11" strips of printer (or watercolor) paper. Cut those strips in half to 3 3/4" x 5 1/2" then fold in half again to make pages 3 3/4" x 2 3/4". I used three sheets for each of the two signatures in my samples.

To assemble the book center one signature along the fold inside the cover and mark it in the center and approximately 1/2" from each end. Use a paper piercer, awl, or large needle to piece holes through the paper and both layers of the cardstock cover. The easiest way that I have found to get holes in the pages of the second signature to line up correctly is to take one sheet from the already pierced first signature, lay it on top of the second signature and pierce through the holes.

To bind the book cut a string approximately two-and-a-half times the height of your book (I used embroidery floss for my colorful book and linen thread for the plain example) and thread it through a blunt tipped needle. Pass the needle and thread through the center hole of all layers leaving a tail. Pass the needle and thread through bottom hole, bring it up and pass through the top hole, then bring it back through the center hole. Tie the ends of the thread together catching the long stitch in the knot and trim the ends.

The Crazy Doll Lady

Yup, that's what I have become! I really wasn't into dolls as a kid but I guess I am making up for it now! LOL I've collected seven Blythe dolls in six months and that has led to other doll purchases. I thought my little girl Blythes needed some dollies to play with so I bought them a Petite Blythe and an little Dollcena doll for Christmas. As I have been attending Blythe meets and browsing Flikr photostreams I have seen that many Blythe collectors collect other dolls as well including vintage and custom Strawberry Shortcake dolls. Yesterday I went to a huge Mom2Mom sale with Kim and Stephanie to look for baby gear and came upon a basket of 12/$1 toys. I picked out twelve items including two more tiny dollies for the dollhose (not sure what they are, will have to investigate later) and these two fake wannabe Strawberry Shortcake dolls. I brought them home and conditioned and detangled their long pastel hair and couldn't be happier with my 8 cent purchases!

Small Victories

Who would have thought that cleaning up dog poop could make me happy? That's just one example of something I hadn't been able to do before my doctor prescribed the Cymbalta. Raking the old winter poop into a pile then scooping it up and putting it in a trash bag was something that was just too painful to attempt. It felt great to get the yard cleaned up pain free! It makes me happy to regain my independence and not have to let things go or depend on others to do things for me.
Yes, I know I've been a bad blogger again. But this time it was because I've have been out enjoying life and too busy to blog instead of not wanting to blog because I felt like crap and figured you all didn't want to read my whiny posts. LOL

I Didn't Know

I didn't know that I needed an antidepressant. I have had joint pain and fatigue for years. It started around ten years ago when I was working full-time retail and on my feet all day. I would have pain in my hips and lower back and was just so damn tired all of the time. The doctor I had at the time chalked it up to arthritis and being on my feet too much and acted like it was no big deal. About eight years ago I quit my job (for other reasons but didn't look for a new one) and started spending more time sitting at my computer and scrapbooking. I started having pain in my shoulders and hands and again it was chalked up to arthritis and poor posture. In the past couple of years the pain and fatigue have gotten worse. I wasn't sleeping well because the the pain in my hips and shoulders would wake me up during the night. I turned into a hermit because being out in the cold made things worse (and it's cold nine months of the year here in Michigan). I avoided driving or riding in the car for any length of time because I would get too uncomfortable. Same thing with movie theaters. One busy day out and about would be followed by two or three days of rest and recovery because I would be exhausted and achy. I love to read but hadn't read a book in about a year becauuse I just couldn't concentrate. I would have a couple of days each month when every joint in my body from my jaw to my toes would hurt so much that all I could do was curl up in a ball in my bed and wait for it to go away. Anti-inflammatory meds didn't do a thing for me. Prednisone helped a little when my new doctor would let me have it which wasn't often because the side effects are ... joint pain and inflammation! Four weeks ago something happened that changed everything. First I noticed that the ring and pinky fingers of my right hand were numb but I wasn't overly concerned because I figured the inflammation in my shoulder had probably caused a pinched nerve. Then I woke up one morning and freaked out because the right side of my face was numb! Of course that prompted a visit to my doctor where we discussed how much pain I was in and how I felt like I was losing my mind. In addition to scheduling me for an MRI (which didn't show anything abnormal) and referring me to a neurologist for nerve testing (still a couple of weeks off) she suggested that I try taking Cymbalta. If you haven't seen the tv ads Cymbalta is one of the new antidepressants that increases seratonin and norepinephrine levels and has been successful in treating the pain of fibromyalgia and neuropathy. I started taking the Cymbalta three weeks ago. For the first week or so I did have some nausea and a weird "woozy" tingly skin crawling feeling but that passed. I just have to say that, even though we still don't know what was causing the pain and I still have the nerve testing coming up, I feel sooooooo much better than I have in years!!! The numbness in my face disappeared after a couple of days (but the fingers are still numb), the joint pain is virtually gone, I am sleeping, and I can concentrate and no longer feel like my brain is fried! I can't even explain how wonderful it is to feel like I have my life back! I didn't know taking an antidepressant could do that for me.

Today's the Day!

Today is the kick-off for Who's That Girl! Now if you've been following my blog you will have noticed that my posts and my scrapbook pages have been few and far between the last few months. I am looking forward to using these challenges to get myself back into the scrapping groove and hope that you will join us in exploring who YOU are!

For those who don't know me I am a forty-something wife, mother of two adult children and one high-school senior, and grandmother of one with a second coming in the spring. I have been scrapbooking for roughly ten years but, probably because my kids were older when I started, my albums have never been about recording every event in their lives but rather about telling MY stories which, of course, they are an important part of but not the main focus. I want my grandchildren to be able to look at my albums some day and learn something about who I was.

Okay, so you want to have some fun and win prizes? Get to know the Who’s That Girl Design Team… We would LOVE to get to know YOU!

START THE HOP HERE @ THE WHO’S THAT GIRL CHALLENGE BLOG, then hop along to each team member’s blog to see their wonderful takes on our VERY FIRST CHALLENGE!

Our first challenge for 2010 is One Word. But not just any word, we want to know the word that describes who you are as a person. For this challenge pick a word that tells who you are and what you are all about! (Please share your finished pages at the Who's That Girl Flikr group.)

Here is my layout for this challenge! I have a lot of hobbies but they all boil down to allowing me to be CREATIVE!


1.One lucky person who leaves a comment on all of our blogs in the DT blog hop will win this collection of goodies:


2.One person who does the challenge and posts in the Flickr group will win this collection of goodies:



Next, hop on over and check out Carla’s blog. ENJOY!

Here is the order in case you get lost along the way:
Who’s That Girl
Jessica*Bree
Kim
Mara
Cindy
Carla
Diana
Sara
Aimee

Who's That Girl?

Big news on the scrapping front! Jessica Bree Thompson is starting a new challenge blog and has asked me to be on her design team. The first challenge will debut on Friday and we'll be kicking things off with a blog hop to meet the design team.
Who's That Girl?

I've been a bad blogger

Again. It's been nearly a month since I've posted. I haven't had anything interesting to say. I haven't been feeling well so I haven't been sewing or scrapping. I didn't do any handmade Christmas gifts this year nor did I send out any handmade cards. Wait, I take that back. I did make some felt deer that I gave away.

On my good days I listed several pieces from my cobalt glass collection on ebay. I decided that, since it was just sitting in the curio cabinet looking pretty but not getting used, it was time for most of it to go! I kept one Hazel Atlas Sailboat pitcher and eight glasses in rememberance of Aunt Ruth (my collection started with the pieces inherited from her)but sold the rest of the glasses, ice bowl, etc. I also sold the Avon George & Martha goblets. The random pieces of cobalt glass didn't go so well with only a couple of items sold. I'll relist after Christmas and see what happens.
the bad part of not feeling well enough to do anything productive is that I have been spending waaaaaay too much time on the Blythe doll message boards and trolling ebay for doll furniture and accessories! LOL I only need a couple more beds (preferrably bunks) to completely furnish the doll house I want to work on after the holidays. And my doll family is now up to five girls plus a sixth custom I'm still working on.

Preparing for Thanksgiving

The Blythe girls are getting ready.


They'll be baking their pies today as will I.

I finally did a little scrapping yesterday.

Update!

Wow. I just realized it's been about three weeks since my last post. Rather that post seperately for each topic you'll get one big conglomerate post. :D About the time of my last entry I started a flare up of aches, pains, and fatigue so many of the things I had started and was excited about didn't get done then I was in a rush preparing for a trip out of town.

On the SCA/sewing front I have made zero progress on the green wool Florentine gown. It's sitting just as I left it three weeks ago. My shoulders were aching too much to sit and sew. I ended up wearing the oldest gown I own to Fall Harvest and was only there for a couple of hours since I felt like crap. I hope to finish the gown before winter Revel but won't be beating myself up if it doesn't happen.

I also didn't get the Steampunk things that I wanted sewn for WindyCon done. At the last minute I cut and hemmed a pair of pinstripe pants to knicker length and and sewed a strip of bias over the collar seam of my Victorian cape to reinforce the worn lining to make it wearable since I didn't get around to relining it.
Let's just say that WindyCon (Nov. 13-15 in Chicago)was an experience. LOL I saw some wonderful Steampunk costuming and attended a couple of interesting panel discussions. I also saw many many unkempt middle-aged geeks (this is a sci-fi convention after all). My husband had been teasing me about going without him. Rest assured he had nothing to fear.
My message board friend and room mate for WindyCon, Flora, with Kaja and Phil Foglio the creators of the Girl Genius comic.

Flora in the gorgeous late Victorian walking suit she made.

Pics of more cool costumes (with more to be uploaded in the next few days) in my Flkr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sea95lion/

While I wasn't feeling well I was spending waaaay too much time online browsing ebay. I bought lots of clothes and trinkets for my Blythe dolls. I also bought more dolls. My third doll, a lovely stock French Trench that I have named Greta, joined my dolly family a couple of weeks ago and a NRFB Casual Affair is on her way and should arrive today or tomorrow. And then, after telling myself no more purchases until after Christmas, I bought my first Petite Blythe, a pop up world pajama party girl, off ebay last night because the price was just too good to pass up!
Here are my three girls in some of their new clothes:
A little Steampunk-ish.

Sophia in vintage Skipper.

More Playing with Dolls

My name is Cindy and I have become addicted to Blythe Dolls. lol
I bought a "bait" ADG Blythe with no hair and no eyes so I could try my hand customizing without the fear of messing up an expensive doll. (I gave Genenvieve new makeup but shied away from doing anything permanent.) Today I cleaned off her stock makeup then carved and glossed her lips. I found it very easy to do though I didn't go too extreme with the carving. I'm fine with her not having hair since I plan to give her a mohair scalp anyway. Finding an eye mechanism may be a problem, though.



More doll pics can be seen in my flikr photostream.

Another Florentine

I finally did it. This past weekend I finally tweaked my bodice pattern and cut out pieces for the green wool gown based on The Arrival of Leo X in Florence. I only got as far as sewing together two layers of linen for the interlining before I was worn out and too achy to do more. No photos yet.

The New Girl

This is Sophia. She is a custom Blythe doll of unnown origin. She's got some crazy wild hair, a weird lip carve, lipcolor that I fear is nail polish, and some eyechips with unpainted pupils among other issues. So, yeah, she's far from perfect but she melted my heart anyway.

Steampunk Doll

I still need to work on the clothes but had a little fun this morning modding some swim goggles for Genevieve (a Blythe Prima Dolly Ashlette). I masked off the fronts of the clear goggles then sprayed with black primer, dry-brushed on some metallic glaze, and glued on some filigree accents. Then I remebered these little brass tools that have been around the house for years and realized they are the perfect size for her. :)

Add...

Make black with blue pinstripe trousers that I rarely wear into knickers for Steampunk garb to the sewing to-do list!

Sewing To-Do List

It seems my costuming is taking off in several different directions. In order to focus and priortize all of the projects I want to do I've decided to make a list. :)

Maintenence and repair to do asap:
Reposition the frog closures on my black zimarra so that it closes without a gap when they are fastened.
Repair and reinforce the front opening in the skirt of my purple Campi dress. It tore 3-4" below the original opening. :(
Shorten the bodice thereby raising the hem of my navy Campi dress.

Neo-Victorian Steampunk projects:
Make an "easy to wear" bustle found at Your Wardrobe Unlock'd.
Decide on a skirt pattern and find fabric for a late Victorian skirt and butterfly train. I'm thinking striped tafetta. Deadline: Windycon mid-November.
Find a pattern for and make a high-necked late-Victorian blouse. Deadline: Memorial Day 2010 World Steam Expo
Find a pattern for and make a jacket/bodice to match the striped skirt. Deadline: Memorial Day 2010

Italian Renaissance SCA projects:
Check my measurements to see if any adjustments need to be made to my corset and bodice patterns. My weight seems to have crept up a few pounds while my clothes seem to be looser. :shrug:
Make a new 16th century corset. Front closing? Detachable straps?
Finally cut the pieces for the green wool dress inspired by The Arrival of Leo X in Florence. I've had the fabric for two years now. Tentative deadline of mid-January so it can be worn for Winter Revel and Twelfth Fight.
Add couched gold cord trim to my cranberry red coat.
Make a dress of cranberry red Kauffman "embossed" velvet (actualy cut velvet!) to go with the red coat. Inspired by the portrait of Countess Livia though her gown appears to be smooth velvet. (The fabric is on my Christmas wish list.)
Make a Venetian gown of the twelve yards of burgundy and gold fabric Tom recently bought for me. Tentative deadline: Val Day.

Bustled Butterfly Train

It killed me to do it but I spent $20 ($15 for the pattern plus $5 for shipping)on a pattern from Truly Victorian for their 1880's butterfly train. The pieces are so simple but it was the pleating that I just couldn't figure out on my own. I still had to read through a couple of times before I "got" the pleating in the center that forms the butterfly effect. This practice version is done with inexpensive cotton broadcloth, black with brown lining, so it will be worn with my more casual steampunk clothes. I'm thinking of wearing it this weekend with the brown blouse shown, a black corset over the blouse, and black and brown striped pants. Or maybe black lace trimmed bloomers instead of the pants. :shrug: Now that I've figured out how to put it together I would like to make one in taffeta (perhaps striped) with a matching skirt before Windycon next month.



And a little fun with the granddaughter too young to protest. :D

Introducing Genevieve!

I have another new little girl in my life. :giggle: I had been thinking about adopting a Blythe doll and on the day Keira was born I took the plunge in celebration. She was a NRFB Prima Dolly Ashlette who arrived on Monday.



I gave her a hot water treatment to straighten her hair and dressed her in new clothes (a BFC Ink doll outfit).



Then I sand-matted her face to remove the glare and to get rid of her ugly yello-green "old bruise color" eyeshadow.


Then I got brave and opened up her head so I could remove her eye mechanism.


I painted her eyelids and added a rubon flower, painted eyeliner, and added grey eyeshadow.


I bought her more new clothes (Best Friends Club Ink and Moxie Girlz clothes fit well), her own white puppy, and a laptop to complete her "mini me" look.