A New Mini Hand Stitched Bear

I have a new mini bear that I am almost ready to show.  She is so tiny....here is her little head.

She is a teeny tiny creamy white one that is a fairy.  My first "Fairy Bear"!  She has lovely little yellow wings that can be removed and a tiny gold sparkly bow around her neck.  I still have to finish her hat and I have to paint the head of a pin gold and then her hat will be removable.  She is cute without the hat so.....I didn't want to make it not removable.  As soon as the hat is done and put on her, I will take pictures and put some on here.  Here she is:

Can you see the little black base she is standing on?  I made that so easy and it makes a great stand for Miniature Bears.  It is a lid...like on a spice containor that you can flip up the top if you don't want to screw it off.  Then I put a small rubber band around the flip and closed the flip part.  You can easily slip the feet of the bear under the rubber band and it stands.

Just Trying To Get Well

I haven't done anything fun lately.  I have had this bronchitis for quit a while and it doesn't show much signs of getting better.  Today, my cough is a little better but the right side of my face feels swollen and my nose and right eye will not quit running.  In our little town everything closed up on Thursday night, so I am trying to decide if I need to go to the Doctor again on Thursday or wait it out until next Monday.  I really wish I felt better so I could make those grunge necklaces, sculpt babies, hand stitch some mini teddy bears, and put things for sale on eBay and Esty.  I have the desire, just not the energy.

Bethany Planted My New Planter For Me

Here it is....the planter I won in OWOH all planted and ready to go. The planter called "Morning Song" was planted by my granddaughter, Bethany,  for me this week.  She put Shamrocks in it....doesn't it look sweet?  I looked for String of Pearls but couldn't find them.  Then I thought since it was March...St. Patrick's Day, Shamrocks would be good.  It is the first thing I see when I come down the stairs each morning.

Guess What?

My basement is flooded again for the second time in this month...The last time it was because the power was off for three days and the snow was melting and now it seems the sump pump is burnt out...how could that be?  It is only 3 or 4 year old.  I had stored summer clothes and such in plastic tubs and stacked them on top of each other.  Well, they floated, tipped over, and filled with water.  I'm trying to dry out and wash and dry what I can. 

This is the culprit...the rotten sump pump that failed and made my basement flood....twice in one month.

 A whole bunch of my Christmas books were in a blue basket on top of the tubs...safe wouldn't you think? no..no...no....not safe...tipped over and upside down in about 2 feet of water.

That is what made me the saddest.  I have had many of those books since my daughters were little and I usually put the big blue basket of Christmas books out by the tree for each Christmas.  Well, I was able to save three I think and I'll just order the special ones off eBay and get them as  presents in the mail...just love to get  presents in the mail.  Then this summer when garage sales start I will look for new great Christmas books and fill that basket back up with better books.

I have been coughing for almost 3 weeks...from working in the basement the last time it flooded...wonder how sick I will get and how long I will cough now?  Smile, I know it could be worse!

Tiffany And I Were Pretty Busy On Saturday

Here are the things we worked on.  Tiffany made new things and I tried to finish up some things I had started.

Here's my things.
The Bunny in the basket was something new.  I made the bunny out of plush felt...it looks like it is needle felted doesn't it?

I had started the head the other day but I needed to paint and put hair on it.  Can you see that the tongue is curled and ready to nurse?

The Little girl needed long blond curls, so I glued them on and tied them with a ribbon.  I wish I had made this little girl have open eyes.  She sits up so nicely.  Since her eyes are closed I think she needs a night gown and I don't have one...I will have to find one to buy.

I had two baby teddy bear cubs made...and I wanted to make one more.  I made this one a little blond girl with delicate features and she is sleeping.

This picture is a little blurry but I like they way it shows this little girl's sweet face.

This baby Teddy Bear Girl was already made but I gave her tiny eye lashes.

Here are all three of the Baby Teddy Bear Cubs!  They all have bear cub hats that will come off and they all have mohair on their sweet heads.

Here is my messy work table after I finished everything.  Wheeeee!  Worked all afternoon and well up into morning.  What fun!

Tiffany was hard at work on this green blob of clay...what was it going to be?

Here it is....a Baby Dragon!

Isn't it sweet?

This little one is cute from all sides.

The finished product. Tiffany is a great little artist.

Then I asked if she would have time to make me some little bear pacifiers. 

Of course she did!

I had said earlier that I wish I could find a little giraffe on eBay and before I knew it she had made one just for me.  What a surprise?

Darling!

Just what I wanted.

Thank you Tiffany.

Here he is...right on my top shelf of my Baby Curio.

Right by my baby elephant.

Here Are My Gifts From Cancun

My daughter Jewel and granddaughter Tiffany went to Cancun, Mexico for Spring Break and they brought me back presents!  Yeah...they know how to make Grandma happy...smart girls.

Mexican Vanilla, I love this strong vanilla.

This darling bead pocket necklace. My friend Audrey says this is an Amulet Purse Necklace.   What should I keep in the pocket?????

Shells, I told Tiffany I would love some pretty shells.

And she even brought me this sweet little container to keep them in.  She said she didn't want me to use it for tequila shots, just shells.

Now I just have to pick out the ones I want to put in the glass and decided what I am going to make with the others.  I have shells from Florida (both the Atlantic and Gulf), Alabama, Hawaii, Spain, and Costa Rica....maybe I should make a bracelet using shells from each, or maybe I should make shell babies, or maybe I should make pendants by painting the shell with gold and silver leaf like I did for Barcelona.  Or maybe earrings this time would be nice.  Let me think!

I love it when I get gifts.  Woooo Whoooo...

Wait Until You See What We Made!

Saturday afternoon, Tiffany, my second oldest granddaughter, called me and said she would love to come over and sculpt, if I wasn't doing anything today.  I wasn't and she did come.  We had a great time and sculpted and sewed until 12:54am.  We each just did our own thing and I am going to show you pictures of what we made........tomorrow......I'm too tired today.  Sorry......but you will love the pictures.  When she came over, she brought us some presents from her Spring Break at Cancun, Mexico.  I'll show you pictures of those too....tomorrow....

I Need To Make Some Mini Hand Stitched Bears NOW!

I need to have some hand stitched bears made for a show in Columbus, OH by April 17th.  I keep making bears but they are not for my show. I have a tiny head of a bear I started in Costa Rica...guess I better work on it.

 Have I shown you all the bear I made for Kelly's birthday?  I don't think so.  I think this is the number 6 bear.  I think Jewel's Christmas bear was number 5...I'll have to check on this.  I got this numbering fixed so they are correct now.

 Here are some working pictures of the tiny little thing I made for Kelly.
I started her in Alabama...I haven't finished her nose here

I had to buy a special convection toaster oven down in Alabama........forgot mine at home and I needed to make a polymer clay nose for this little one.

Her head moves very easy from side to side.

She is a active little thing....climbing all over the thread spools...she will keep Kelly busy.

But she is a loving handful too.

Almost done here.  Here she is with her cute little black nose.  I still need to work on her mouth.  I think I want to put lavender ribbons on her.

I was going to give her some vintage buttons but I'm not sure where to put them

...on a long ribbon.....on a cute little pillow...or maybe a quilt? 

What about this made into a quilt or pillow with vintage buttons added?

Here Are Some Pictures Of Kelly's Car Leila

Kelly seems to be OK, just very sore and bruised.  We had to go today and get the stuff out of Leila.  That's what Kelly named her little red car.  Kelly loves Hawaii, so she gave it a Hawaiian name.
Her license plates are   4 ALOHA.  It is a Red Kia Rio and she just loves it.  Even though it is little it protected her pretty well...no broken bones or stitches.  She has a slight concussion but seems to be making sense now.  The doctor says if she doesn't get up and move around she will be very, very sore.  So she is trying to move and keep agile.
Here Leila is when she was brand new....2007

Here she is after the SUV hit her and Kelly.

We're not sure what is going to happen to her.

Is she going to be repaired or totaled?

Some Unhappy News!

My daughter, Kelly was in an auto wreck this evening. Now I know why I didn't get to go to Cancun.  I was needed here. We have her home from the emergency room now and she seem pretty good.  The doctors said she will be really sore tomorrow. Someone drove their SUV threw a stop sign and rammed into her on the driver's side door and fender. She was pretty upset at the hospital, worried about herself and her car.  They x-rayed her back, since she had had back problems before. I wanted her head x-rayed but they said she passed the oral neurological tests ok, so the insurance wouldn't pay for it. I always worry about injuries to the brain and think she should be x-rayed. They sent her home with pain medicines and instructions to take a hot shower and not to sleep too much. I know my daughter, she is in bed now with her Chihuahuas right now. She wouldn't come to my house, she wanted to be in her own bed with her puppies.   I have tried to call her and she did not answer her cell phone.  It is all I can do not to drive over and check on her.  I know she wouldn't really like that and she does have her 18 year old son there with her and he said he would watch out for her. 
She has a lot to do...getting the auto insurance numbers to the hospital, getting her car fixed, and getting a rental car for her use. It will be a trying time for her and us. 
I hope she is OK.

Cancun...here they come!

My youngest daughter, Jewel, and her daughter, Tiffany, went on Spring break to Cancun.  They are having fun....a great time.  I wish I had thought to go with them.  I love the beach, sand, shells, ocean, and hot weather.
I am home in the cold, snowy, and icy Michigan.....grumbling I might add.
I have been having fun going to my granddaughter Destany's basketball games.  She is quite a good player and it is fun to take pictures of her.

Here she is making a basket...go Dessy...                                                        Look how tall she is!  She is a twin...she has a brother named Dakota and he plays basketball too...Double D Trouble there if you are playing against Blissfield, the teams they play for.

I Said That I Would Show My OWOH Winnings

Wasn't the OWOH blog hopping so much fun?  I met some wonderful people, saw some great blogs, and picked up tons of super ideas I can't wait to try out. 

I said I would show my OWOH winnings when they all got here and they are here.  And I was so lucky...after this difficult snow and ice storm...these little gifts made me so happy and really cheered me up.  I hope my giveaways cheered up some bloggers too.  I sent out 5 gifts and have heard from most of them that they have arrived safely.  Still waiting on a few to get back to me.

Big Drum Roll.........

and without further adieu

Here they are

Beads and Things from Karen                                                    from Hawaii      
http://oopsartdesigns.com/
P.S.     tell Batman thanks, for picking me..

Lemon Topaz beads,  Swarovski Crystal Sequins,  Framed Dominica Stamp, Thai Silver Cube,  Flourite Beads , Snoopy Kleenex, and other surprises. Etc.

Such interesting things...I want to use most of them to make things...maybe earringw with the Lemon Topaz beads,  those Swarovski crystal sequins are so special-I'll have to make something very special with them...probably just for me.  Some of them I will have to read up on to understand what they are and how they are used.  that will be fun too.  Thank you again, Karen...the lucky girl who lives in Hawaii where I should live!

Silk Grunge NeckWear pieces By Chris
http://brain-bubbles.blogspot.com/2011/01/one-world-one-heart-giveaway.html







Silk Grunge Neck Wear pieces. Made with flamework glass and wood beads. Woven and knotted with hand dyed silk ribbons, soft fibers and yarns.  About 33” and falls low.  Looks soft and delicate but has a nice impact.  Great on a sweater or high neck shirt.  
 I just love this necklace and can't wait to wear it.  I have been looking for something like this to dress up my clothes when I spend the Winter in Gulf Shores, Alabama next year.  I mostly take casal clothes and I feel pieces like this will do the trick.    That is if I can keep my daughters and granddaughters mitts off of it.  this looks a lot like my sexy white body too...I need to go South and get some more tan.

Love Dove Mug Rugs by Carol in  Tennessee but originally from Scotland   
http://stitchacrosstheborder.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-creative-space.html

Isn't it sweet? And here is my mug that I use every morning on my new Love Dove Rug Mat.  Doves have been on my oldest daughter's and my minds lately...she has been buying silver vintage peace sign charms, doves, and things like that on eBay to make some beautiful necklaces.  I'll show you a picture of the one she made her daughter for Christmas soon.

Mini-azines by Mary Ann   http://firstborn.wordpress.com/ 
 Hand bound and usually funny, she said.  Mine really talked about me...I felt like she really knew me.  Thanks, Mary Ann!

My daughters and granddaughters have enjoyed it too. 

So cute...I want to make one.

Morning Song Planter by Cheryl

http://healingwoman.blogspot.com/2011/01/one-world-one-heart_31.html

Cheryl named her  planter “Morning Song.” She used old watch parts and other ancient-looking embellishments to create a feeling of mystery and intrigue. She also used an old Aztec symbol which is perfect for the story she wrote about her planter.

Morning Song

She woke up this morning feeling different. She heard the sounds of this morning and yet the sounds of many other lifetime mornings were returning.
She heard the infinite sound of distant runic bells, a call to alms, merchants voices echoing over the river nile, sheep bleating on a pastoral hillside, roosters, guns, flutes, chimes, laughter, and weeping... for she had lived all of these mornings and she had heard all of these sounds before. It was as if they were all becoming one great sound... one great morning.”.this” morning..and she knew that all the returns of mornings’ purpose was to teach her the uniqueness and significance of this morning... of now.                               ~Cheryl Dolb

I want to put a plant called String of Pearls in it but I can't find that plant right now...so I thought I would put some silk plants.  My granddaughter is really against that...silk plants...says it has to be real plants.  I don't know!




One of the White Petite Bud Vase by Pam

at   http://designspark.blogspot.com/  
 Thanks, this is the one

I was hoping I would win too.

I had already bought some little Spring Felt Flowers to put in it.  Isn't it cute?  Of couse you can put real flowers in it too, when the snow goes away and the flowers start blooming. 

Thank you Pam I love it.

 A Note card handmade by Shaina pencil drawn..Manada

http://shainamarier.blogspot.com/


This is a card with a photo of a mandala which Shaina made using color pencils on black paper.   It is beautiful Shaina...Thank you for giving it to me.

Pink and Gold African Material Tote  by Kathy

http://quiltqueen-kathy.blogspot.com/

This tote  is made from the pink and gold African fabric. This one has an added pink strip to the very bottom.  It is also machine quilted and measures 13" x 11" x 3" with 13" straps.  Made by Kathy  I really love totes and use them all the time.  This sweet one will be put to good use.  Thanks, Kathy

Gifts from The Fat Doormouse, Alison Wale  is from France                                                                

 http://dormouse.wibsite.com/   Look how beautiful and just perfect for me.

Three beautiful Handmade Cards 3 cards, two of them sent me had  special messages about things that were in my mind, a sweet shabby, vintagey  magnetic Mini-frame now I am thinking about what picture I can put in this darling frame. and a precious handmade Bookmark that has my name on it and  it says
"A house is made of wood and beams,
A home is bult of love and dreams"
I love to read so I know I will put this book mark to good use.

Thanks again Alison, you gave me perfect things. 

I also got this sweet little note and a darling little treasure from Tanglefrost.
Hello fellow flyers!
My warmest congratulations to you! Although sadly you did not win one of my leather leaf brooches, I’m thrilled to send you a little ‘treasure’ from Tanglefrost: a photograph of a mixed-media piece I created called “Fly Free”. It is sent with much love and many sparkling blessings, in the hope that it brings you much joy and encouragement. It shows a woman, exposed and vulnerable, standing precariously on a rickety wall made up of all the expectations that had been imposed on her in the past. The ‘leaves’, that she had used to cover her nakedness, have been dropped... ‘leaves’ that signify the fear, shame and anger that she had used to hide the marks left by her heart’s journey through life. Now she is ready to catch hold the ‘birds’ of courage, compassion and connection which will enable her to fly free, into all her hopes and dreams.
It has been truly wonderful flying with you on this incredible OWOH adventure. Do stop by Tanglefrost again soon..... the kettle is on and the door is always open!
Hugs Jo xxxx     http://www.tanglefrost.wordpress.com/

A world of possibility See Below:

Fly Free

And I also recieved this lovely note and offer of generous Coupon Discount from Linda's two  Stores)

Hello...

I don't know about you, but I'm still breathless from my whirl wind world tour of the OWOH blogs.
I totally enjoyed visiting your blogs. And, all the comments I received were wonderful. (Thank you.)
Just before the event began my father went into the hospital. He was seriously ill, and in and out of the hospital twice during the event. He came home Valentine's day and is in delicate health, but he seems to be holding his own. Anyway, visiting the blogs in the evenings helped to distract me from my worry - (at least for a little while). This made the OWOH event even more dear to my heart.
Since, I couldn't give everyone a prize I decided it would be nice to offer a special discount. So, for those who left comments, and to my new followers, and those who chose me as their winner I'm offering you... Coupons toward my Etsy sites: (OK - not the same as winning a prize, but I tried to be generous with the discount.)

25% off any items from my LamoreAllure.Etsy.com
Coupon: OWOH2255  http://www.etsy.com/shop/lamoreallure

15% off of any items from my ReStyleStudios.Etsy.com
Coupon: OWOH21411   http://www.etsy.com/shop/restylestudios

These coupons are good until May 31st of this year. I keep adding new items, and
this is the first time I've offered coupons - if you have any problems just email me. ***Thank you for brightening my life, and helping me though an extremely difficult time.
I loved visiting your all your blogs!!! Please, stop by my blog often.
I'll be around to see you, too. :)
Best regards...and Hugs,
Linda L

Wow, what can I say...you could ever be happier and luckier than me. 
Hope you visit my blogs and I'll visit yours.

Don't forget about my Touring Baby blog too http://touringbabies.blogspot.com/