I'll be home for Christmas...if only in my dreams....

 For the first time in her life, Claire's brother Sebastian will be away at Christmas time. He had tickets to come home, but there is a missing baby dragon, and he was needed for the search. Claire understands, and even agrees with the decision. She's really glad for Skype, though!

The little ones find the whole Skype thing a little intimidating at first, but they quickly get used to it once they see Sebastian on the screen. The Pukifee have made him a picture for Christmas.

Emily made him something out of Lego. It has a diving board and a desk and chair in the same room, which she seems to feel he'd appreciate. :)

Sebastian can even continue the tradition of reading a chapter of "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" to everyone each night. They love it, though Samara never makes it through the whole chapter, and they get a little worried when the Awgwas come into the picture!

Even though he'll call again tomorrow, it is still a little sad to say goodbye....

~~~~

...I now feel guilty for selling Sebastian (MNF Ruth)...LOL  Poor Claire!!  And everyone!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas....

Yesterday was my last day of work till January 2nd.  That is a truly awesome thing.  I try to take at least a week off at Christmas every year, because I think the best Christmas present you can get is time to do the things you love!  Whether that is baking with my sister's kids, or setting up some doll pictures. :)  You can see that Flake wasn't being much help though, she was just trying to get into the presents I think!  Pixies!  Can't keep them out of anything!

The residents of Forest Hills are once again getting ready for Christmas, as you can see!  Emily has organized Samara and Kipling to help her make a new garland for the tree.

Edith is very helpful, as always! I hope Kipling has a good grip on that string!

Where's Cairo in all this?

Decorating the tree Properly, of course!  She knows just the right spot for the big yellow star ornament.

Aft Gang Agley

It's a beautiful day out there, so I thought I'd take my chance to get a picture I've wanted to take for ages.  I dressed Claire up , picked up the empty picture frame I've been saving for just this occasion, and headed outside.

This is the picture:



It came out okay, I think, but not that exciting, in the end.  It didn't help that the grass was too deep to get the bottom of the picture frame.  I might try again another day, in a different location. :)

The picture I like best from today? The one that I thought of just before I headed out the door:

 

LOL  Isn't that just the way!  But come on, who doesn't want to discover a random garden gnome with a suitcase at the park? I don't remember where the gnome came from, but he normally sits on one of the bookcases in my living room.

Emily went along too:



She seems pretty enthusiastic about the sun, after the long winter we had! :D

All Your Chairs Are Belong To Us

Not dead.  One of my beloved nephews passed on some sort of virus, and it's been circulating through the family.  Oy vey.  We really have to reconsider teaching kids to share, you know?  LOL  Three weeks later and a course of antibiotics, and I'm still coughing!

I got my order from Brennil (Her Delicate Strength) last night, and I'm so thrilled with the items.  It took me a long time to pare down my wish list for Claire to match my budget, but now she has a blouse, dress pants, a Spring/Fall Coat, and a winter coat!

You can see her modeling her new Business Casual look here (very useful for meeting with Donors, you know!):



But what's going on in the background there?

To the river!

I had the day off yesterday.  Since it was sunny, and even warm (spring coat, yay!), I headed out with Claire and Samara to the doll river.

It's a drainage ditch, technically, and quite full with the run-off of all the melted snow, but I really like it for doll pictures.

See the bits of green showing here and there? It's pretty great. :)

There was a bit of a breeze, but not enough that I needed to worry the dolls would fall over.

The tangle of branches by the shore makes for a good place to pose the dolls, I think.

I was tempted to bring Emily as well, but I figured two dolls and my camera were enough when I was climbing on rocks in the middle of the "river."

Coming to the end of the overtime funds...

Clare received the second last package that I ordered with half my overtime pay.  She now has high heeled feet to switch to on occasion, and plain black heels to wear with them.

The feet are a bit of a pain to change, but not too bad!  It's nice to have more options for footwear for her;  with the heeled feet, she can wear the shoes for the 22" American Model dolls. :)

The shoes themselves I'm not that thrilled with.  They will work for indoor pictures!  But they will only stay on her feet while she is standing on them;  they fall off the second you move her.  LOL

Not a practical outfit for chasing around small children, but very pretty!  I got the dress years ago for Ellowyne (it's part of a fancier set), but I love it on Claire.  Pretty, without being either childish or overdone.

She has a simple pencil skirt coming, still, and that will be the end of the purchases.  I'm on the fourth of the t-shirts I'm sewing for her, so not much left on that project either.  Once I'm finished with the Top Down Laceweight sweater pattern for LTF, I've got a couple Dollswest Design patterns I get to start on for Claire. I'm looking forward to working on those!

Signs that winter may be coming to an end...

I can see patches of ground in between the stretches of ice and snow!



It's still pretty cold out there, but the sun is out today for the first time in days, and that is a lovely thing.  I risked life and limb inching along the ice covered path to get down to this area of the yard.   I had grand ambitions of getting some good pictures of Claire and Emily "sliding" on the ice.  It's much too rough for skates, so the kids take a few running steps, then slide across, balancing on their boots.  (In theory.  In practice it's more sliding sitting down.  Thank goodness for snow pants!)



It turned out is was actually pretty hard to keep the dolls and myself balanced, with a camera in one hand! LOL So I only got a few pictures that turned out, and none of them together.



Oops! And down goes Emily!

That's her new sweater that I just finished yesterday.  I have to make yet another adjustment to the pattern!  LOL  Someday I will get it just the way I want it;  I've already started knitting the adjusted version. In pink, this time, because why not?

Checking off the mini-steps....

I'm back to working on what I'm supposed to be now: the top-down laceweight sweater pattern for Littlefee.  I'm working it in white this time, as 1)  Emily could use a white pullover  and 2)  Stitches are so much easier to see in a light colour!

I think when I'm done that I will take a quick break and sew up a little dress or skirt in a pretty spring print to go with the white sweater.  It's definitely poor Emily's turn to get some pictures...it looks like more snow this week, but perhaps we'll get some Spring weather next week, and I can head outside for pictures!

 
I'm working on basics for Claire right now, as that is most of what is missing from her wardrobe.  So it's white, black, and grey 3/4 sleeve t-shirts and tank tops to start.  Then I have a pretty blue shirt all cut out as well, as a reward for getting through the neutrals.  ;)

I always mean to use the sewing machine for t-shirts, and always start to do so....and then get frustrated and switch to hand-sewing.  I know it is faster, and should in theory be neater, on the machine, but it never works out that way for me.  I'd much rather spend an afternoon hand-sewing a single shirt than  machine-sewing four or five that I'm not happy with.  So hand-sewing it is, even if it means I will be done the shirts for May rather than March. LOL


My nine9style order is in Canada today, so by the end of the week Claire will have a jean jacket, which I am very pleased about.  I think Spring really does have to arrive any day now! 

The Mysteries Of Scale

Edith is very curious about anything Claire is working on.  Today it is the ruler that caught her attention!

I find it fascinating the range of scales that can work with the Minifee.  Minifee are 1:4 scale, which can be hard to find, so a lot of the things I use in the doll world are meant for other sizes of dolls.

The ruler looks perfectly proportioned for Claire, yet it is in 1:6 scale the same as the pencil, which is really too small.

The box of cupcakes is actually 1:12 scale, which shouldn't work at all, but somehow does!  The spools of thread and the scissors are from an Our Generation (18 inch play doll like American Girl dolls), and the are perfect for her!  But nearly everything else from that set is too big...

It's a mystery! LOL

Interesting Things

1.  This artist did the most spectacular job painting some of the BJD cats.  Seriously amazing work! She added WHISKERS.  More pictures here.

2.  Daniel Bingham's got some patterns for 16 inch fashion dolls on Etsy, which I think might work for Minifee.  I have my eye on this sweater for sometime in the future.

3.  I really love these boots for Minifee that Atelier Momoni made.  They would definitely suit Claire.

The Deal With Overtime...I think Claire likes it.

The Deal I have with myself regarding paid overtime is this:  Half goes into savings, the end.

Which means the remaining half is mine to do with as I please, so Claire will be getting a jean jacket, hat, and not-knitted cardigan from Nine9style.   :)

My projects right now are all "in progress", as I took a break to crochet a birthday present.  Add that to overtime, and not a lot has been getting done. However, I'm now finishing off another dress for Kipling, then finishing off a sweater for Claire that I had started before her body arrived.

The goal this year is to work on clothes for Claire and patterns for Emily.  I'm not sure what my excuse was for venturing into knitting more for the Pukifee, who have more than enough clothes. (Particularly this last dress, which I don't think I have any desire to keep - I just wanted to knit it! LOL)

I'm hoping to take a few hours this weekend and sew up a couple shirts for Claire.  The patterns and fabric are bundled together, so all I have to do is actually follow through.  It seems sometimes that my organizational skills take a hit proportional to the amount of overtime I work.  I am glad things are slowing down again.

The Trials Of Being An Only Cat

Edith has more than made herself at home here, and is universally adored.

However, some of the residents here are quite young, which can lead to situations like this:



Fortunately, Claire was quick to explain that it is not comfortable for Edith to be picked up like that, and Cairo must support her hind feet as well:



Really, though, Cairo is just too small to be carrying Edith at all right now.



Edith requires a lot of petting to recover from the indignity. ;)

P.S.  Typing this post with my real-life cat not only on my lap, but lying on one arm.  Cats are so high maintenance! LOL

P.P.S.  For those of you who enjoy the BJD cats, have you seen this awesome cat tower and toys someone made for theirs?

Catching Up!

It's been pretty busy at work lately, so anything "not work" is pretty slow going right now.

I did finish this little cardigan for Claire, though:




I worked on this sort of "off the top of my head", so there's no pattern, and I didn't take any notes. I just started off and then tried it on her as I went.  Generally, that doesn't turn out too well for me, which is why I didn't bother to take any notes;  now I wish I had!

I used laceweight yearn on larger needles (2mm), which resulted in a very nice thin fabric.  The idea was to have an open-front cardigan with shaping so that it would lie nicely over the at-least-a-cm-the waist of these jeans add to her waist measurement.  I didn't really get a good picture of the sweater, and it is very simple, but it is exactly what I wanted! :)  It's nice when things work out.

Currently I'm working on a dress for Kipling.  I got this lovely laceweight yarn from Knit Picks in "Wonderland Heather", but it is pretty much exactly the colour of Elsa's dress in Frozen, and that's all I've been able to think of since!   I'm using Wovenflame's lovely Lace Pukifee Dress pattern.  I'm thinking Kipling needs a little matching hat and maybe a little white coat to wear with it.  (Winter's here to stay, so might as well take the snow as a theme?)

I don't think I can manage mittens...but wow, that would be cute, wouldn't it! ;)

I leave you with Samara and Edith having a little nap....

What DOES The Fox Say?

That song gets STUCK in my head, terribly!  However, it also prompted my nephews and niece to look up the sounds actual foxes make, so hey, learning! ;)

I finally got the yarn to make the fox from the Wee Woodland Wuzzies pattern, and it knit up pretty quickly.  I do like these patterns.






This little fox has been claimed by Cairo.  :)

This says something about my attention span, I think...

I'm having one of those days.  You know, those days where you see a doll ("Wolf" MNF at Fairyland, in this case) and an idea how to include it in the story comes into your head, and then you're mentally listing out the other things you would need (wigs, eyes, clothes, shoes, accessories...re-purchasing a MNF Ruth to bring back Sebastian...), and when you stop to think about it you realize the final tally would probably be in the thousands, and you don't actually want to spend any money, let alone that much!


I find it pretty funny how fast your brain can run away with you... (or maybe that is just me!)  It was a very highly entertaining half-hour of contemplation.  Truthfully it kind of feels like I bought both dolls, and their wardrobe, mentally took the pictures of their various humorous adventures , and sent them on to a new home already.

And all for free!  ;)

Time to go outside, Claire...

Grownups take so long to get ready!  Kids are always ready long before them...why is that, I wonder? LOL

BJD Meme

I was tagged in a BJD Meme over on Flickr, so I thought I'd do it here as well. I'm quite late, of course! I went back to work on Thursday, and after having been off for a week and a half...well, there was a lot to catch up on!

If you haven't been tagged, and would like to be, consider yourself tagged!  I'm a little behind this week... LOL

1. How long have you been in the BJD hobby?

I received my first (and intended to be my only) BJD in 2006, I think.  It was a Lati Yellow Lami, "Winter Tan" version.

2. How many dolls do you have at home?

I have seven, including the cat. ;)

3. What are their names and sculpts?

Claire (Fairyland Minifee Chloe)
Emily (Fairyland Littlefee Ante)
Kipling (Fairyland Pukifee Ante)
Cairo (Fairyland Pukifee Zoe)
Samara (Fairyland Pukifee Bonnie)
Flake (Fairyland Realpuki Soso)
Edith (BJD Cat from Eve The Cat/Oleum)

4. Which doll have you had the longest? How long has it been?

Actually, it's Kipling and Cairo, who were ordered together!  They arrived in 2009 it looks like.  You know, I hadn't even thought about the fact that I no longer have any of the dolls from before those two.

5. Which doll is your favorite?

Is there any doubt?  LOL  Emily!

6. Are you waiting on any dolls now? If yes, which one(s)?

None.  I'm really happy with my current group as is, and have no plans to get another one at this time. :)

7. What is your grail doll?

...Emily?  LOL I guess I don't have one at this time.

8. Did you learn something new because of this hobby?

I've learned all sorts of new sewing and knitting techniques, and the little bit of pattern creation I've picked up has all been from this hobby.  I think that I have improved a lot of skills as well.

9. Have you made any friends you might otherwise not have because of this hobby?

 I have online-met a lot of really great people through this hobby, who I enjoy talking to. :)  They are part of what makes this hobby such a pleasure.

10. What are your doll plans for this coming year?

I plan to focus on Claire's wardrobe this year, and to finish up the two littlefee  patterns I've been working on.  (Both patterns were revised before Christmas and are waiting for me to work through the updated version... LOL)

The Cat Bed

In some parts of the world it is already 2014, but we've got another nine hours to go...

In the meantime, have some pictures!



These little boxes contained Christmas presents, and looked like just the right size for a bed for Edith, once the lid was cut off!



Of course, like any self-respecting cat, she has no interest in actually staying in the specially-designated "Cat bed."



Claire's lap is much more comfortable. :)

Early Morning...

Claire's body arrived home a little after 8pm yesterday.  LOL  I'd forgotten how tall she is with a body!

This morning, she's rushing around trying to wrap a few last presents (and finish off a knitted toy, oh dear!):





Edith, of course, is "helping."  Scissors and wrapping paper, tape, and yarn and thread....it all looks pretty interesting to her!

It's snow flurries as far as the eye can see this morning, but at least we seem to be ice-free now!

Thank You Canada Post!

Canada Post is running all sorts of crazy shifts right now, trying to keep up with all the parcels.  What that means is that I got my BJD cat last night!

However that also means they called up after I'd gone to bed, so I had to get up, get dressed, get the package, open the cat, admire the cat, and then go back to bed.  LOL  So no pictures yet!

However, I'm really very pleased with it!  First off, the package was marked down, and there were no customs charges.  Since I had planned for a hefty customs fee, it's like magically getting money back into my budget! LOL

I haven't actually held anything that was 3-D printed before, and it is interesting stuff.   The cat is quite light, and the surface has almost a papery texture.  It doesn't feel delicate though;  I'd say it is just as sturdy as Flake, my RealPuki!

It came well packaged, and it also came with two tiny cat toys and a water-or-food dish!  It is seriously cute.   I played around with the posing a little last night and this morning, and it holds a pose extremely well.  I almost brought her to work with me, but decided it would be hard to work when I could be playing with the posing some more. ;)

So long as I'm home while it is still light today, I will be getting some pictures!  I'm still thinking about the name, but I'm leaning towards Edith.  Because she kind of looks like an Edith to me.

~~~

P.S.  Claire's body has shipped from Denver Doll Emporium!   At this time in December, it will either get here really promptly, due to the US and Canadian Postal Service pulling out all the stops to get people's purchases to them for Christmas....or it'll get lost in the truly overwhelming volume they are dealing with and show up in January.   Either way, I'm so happy to know it is on its way.  This is obviously a very good week!

P.P.S.  Aren't these printable Gingerbread Houses cute?  So much easier than the real thing!