Four in a Row

It's a small batch this week. I finished this patient quartet that was started a couple of weeks ago.

They've all been so well-behaved (with a few minor exceptions) and have each endeared themselves to me in some way or another, so I just couldn't pick a favorite.

. . .

Flutterbye made up for the whole ceiling fan debacle by bringing me a cookie. That always does the trick.

. . .

This star-headed beauty doesn't say much, but it's not like she's bossy or anything annoying like that.

. . .

I'm rather partial to this friendly little moonhead. He's has kept me quite entertained (and nervous, quite honestly) with his daring stunts and trick riding. I has no idea crows were so dexterous and easily trained.

. . .

OK, I admit it, I kinda do have a favorite. It's this little forest girl. She's none too flashy, but she's a great listener. . . .

Mostly this week was spent working some new pattern designs. I have 2 more almost done, and probably 6 more at differing levels of completion. I'm having so much fun making my Cheater Quilts that the undone dollies are getting rambunctious (if not downright mutinous). It's quite unsettling going into the studio and there has obviously been some sort of hullabaloo. One of the more finished dolls has taken to throwing tiny limbs at my poor shy dog, just trying to get some attention I'm sure. Tuzy the Wonder Fluff (that's my dog) is obviously torn between his guarding duties and his general cowardly temperament. So I keep catching him trying to sneak up on the worst offender, only to run away and hide when the inevitable arm is hurled at him.

Toadstool Boxes

This little forest dweller started out with a skirt on,

but she'd have none of that.

Aren't toadstools cool? A ring of them indicates fairy shenanigans you know. I had so much fun making her boxy stand. I must admit, I have a thing for little boxes. They just seem so full of possibilities, awaiting tiny treasures (my favorite kind of treasures).

Where I Work/Play

I love seeing where people spend their most creative time, don't you?

. . .

Here's a peek at our studio space, looking nice and clean in it's Sunday best. Actually, it's usually a mess on Sunday, so Monday Best would be a more accurate term. I like to start the week with a clean slate. It sets the stage for creative and productive play.

Some of my beloved Little Reds watch the goings-on with varying degrees of interest. That grumpy one in the back (made by my often-grumpy youngest) is not easily impressed. I found these wonderful metal bins on clearance a while back. They hold fabric, separated by color, and one holds buttons that have yet to be sorted. Dylan gave me a label maker last Mother's Day, can you tell? My very favorite wall accessory-- Kid Art! Some of my favorites keep me company. I found those cute little frames at the dollar store and hot glued ribbon loops to the backs for hanging.

Grumpy Monkey guards fabric-covered boxes full of bit and bobs.

Perched atop the highest shelf, Honest Abe enjoys some of Dylan's music video props.

Here's my latest time-saving gadget. It's a drying rack.

I lack patience.

That's enough of me.

I wanna see your creative spaces too!

Birds in a Boat and Mustachioed Mermen

My very favorite this week

is this pair of grumpy little birds in a boat.

They are adrift on a sea of possibilities.

They must be adrift, cuz they have no oars.

Sometimes they quarrel (being in such close quarters puts a strain on even the best of relationships), but still they sit. And drift.

Don't they know that they have wings?

Maybe they've been sitting in that boat so long that they've forgotten.

...

Who do they meet on their wayward wanderings? Why, a mustachioed merman of course!This fine finned fellow is quite the catch, even if he does say so himself (and he does). He's had quite a time of it in the studio this week, flirting with the goldfish and trying to convince anyone who'd listen that he has mermaids in all seven seas. It must be the mustache.

. . .and they're off!

It's here! Our very first in-print article! It takes a while for things to hit the shelves here, but it finally made it. Dylan and I were so excited to see ourselves (via our words and work) in such a fine publication. Six pieces were featured, including 3 Cheater Quilts and 3 matching dolls. We're selling the first of them this week, just in time for Valentine's Day. Isn't she cute, with her big ole noggin?

. The coordinating Cheater Quilt comes with a

little matching Artist Trading Card.

There's a simple pattern for this quilt on Cloth Paper Scissors' site, if you wanna try your hand at it. . Speaking of patterns. . .

Tah-Dah!

We did it! Our very first pattern is all

done up right and ready to go. Yay!

We chose The Storybook Girls as our first in (hopefully) a long line of painted art quilt patterns. It's currently for sale on ebay and we're hoping to get them up on our website and etsy soon as well.

2009 is off with a bang!

Pink

I usually don't use too much pink in my artsy endeavors, but this week just felt Pink. It's been a long gray week here in the Pacific Northwest, the kinda of daze that make getting out of bed difficult. A person just wants to stay snuggled beneath the covers, soft and drifting on a pink cloud. The moon in this piece has the right idea.More pink in the sweet round cheeks of this little bit of whimsy. And a pink parade prances around the hem of this odd little owl keeper.

New-found love of pink aside, this week's favorites are probably the latest Little Red and her wolfy counterpart. Course, I'm biased, being a long-time fan of the red-hooded child.

Website Makeover

Dylan (the Man of the Cart) has been working on our website this past week. It's looking pretty good too (if I do say so myself) considering Dylan couldn't even send an e-mail not too long ago. It was a family effort really. Dylan did the smartsy computer stuff while Kaity (my eldest) and I did the artsy fartsy stuff. Kaity knows her way around all those graphics programs that leave me (with my scissors and glue) feeling dumb as a stump.

The website is still a work in progress, but it's coming along. Please stop by for a visit, and feel free to let us know how we might make it better.

.

The Middle Road

You're searching, Joe, for things that don't exist; I mean beginnings. Ends and beginnings -- there are no such things. There are only middles.

-Robert Frost

.

Ole Robert Frost was practically talking to me there, wasn't he? It's a New Year, so the question of Resolutions (with a capital R) is upon us. Constantly resolving to do something differently/better myself, I've decided that I am immune to the order of New Year's Day. I stick my tongue out at that particular tradition. So there! .

Beginning or no, 2009 is off to a great start. Dylan and I are pleased to be featured in this month's issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. It's our very first in-print article and they did a lovely job of it. It features 3 of our dollies and 3 of our Cheater Quilts. Plus, simple patterns and a semi-abbreviated tutorial for the quilts, including this one. . .

. . .and this one. . .

and this one.

As is often the case, one thing leads to another and now we're working on our very first line of patterns. The first of the first is currently in the works, but should be ready any time now.

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all. -Edward De Bono

May all your new years be full of the stuff that comes between Beginnings and Ends.

And the winner is. . .

Rebecca is the winner

of the quirky bird ornament

that was up for grabs at my 100th post.

.

Congrats! .

Thank you all for playing.

Happy New Year!

May 2009 be our best year yet.

.