I captured a fairy today!

Well, actually, she flew in through an open window. I tried to keep her as long as I could, but I could see she was longing to return to her meadow, so I set her free. She sure was cute, huh?

Truthfully, I made her for a fun doll challenge. The pattern was a free download from Judi Ward. I couldn't resist! My little Maggie-moo, my roommate's 13 year old daughter, made the wings for me. I'm so happy with how she turned out.

I'll be interested in hearing how little Fairy Wendy did. Wish her luck!

It's Valentine's Day- Have A Heart!

How sweet are these little darlings? Even more special because they were made from my mother's childhood coverlet. It's not a real pieced quilt, the design is printed, but it is still very vintage and very dear. I estimate that the coverlet dates to 1945. Amazing that my grandmother kept it for so long and then my mom. By the time I got it, it was disintegrating, but I'm so happy to give it a new life!

As I was stitching up these little hearts, I was reminded of a favorite little poem that I first spotted at my friend Sandra's house. It's by Beth Yarbrough and it's called "A Mother's Heart". Here it is:

Pieces of laughter

Patches of tears

Threaded with tenderness

Tattered with fears

Bits of forgiveness and

mounds of grace

Quilted together with

Love, Hope and Faith.

Doesn't that just sum it up? I've made lots of these, so after gifting my brother, my kids and myself...the rest will be up for sale at my shop.

Happy Valentine's Day, Friends. We're enjoying the weekend here and declaring today a "No Weight Watchers Day"! Speaking of which, Kelly has lost 25 pounds and I've lost 15 since we started in October. Wowie!

Sick Day

I suppose that if one must be home sick in bed, they could do worse than these cozy surroundings, eh? Even better than the cozy bed set up, is the view from the bed:

Yes! Tender Arts Studio is back in business! I bought this great desk at the Salvation Army last weekend. Hauled it home in a rented Home Depot truck all by myself too! I did get help with getting it in the house though- thank you, teenagers! I covered the bulletin board myself too.

I even have a doll to show for my efforts too! This is Meg March. I started her in 2008 and she languished about in her unders for over a year- poor dear! Sunday afternoon I sat at my new work station and finished her. Pure Nirvana!

On Monday, I woke up and felt like a ton of bricks had been dropped off in my head. I came home from work early and I've been in bed ever since. All in all, NOT the worst sick experience I've ever had!

Hugs to all!

Introducing Miss Josephine March

Sorry Jo! She hates to be called Josephine, you know. If you don't know, she is based on the character Jo in Louisa May Alcott's classic, "Little Women". Before reading this book, I had read lots of Nancy Drew and then I read (and loved) The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. "Little Women" was my first BIG book. I read it in the fifth grade and I was as happy as a clam to come home from school, make a peanut butter and butter sandwich with a glass of milk on the side and start reading, reading, reading! I would lay on my side on my blue gingham canopy bed and put the book on the pillow next to me. It was so heavy! When it was time to turn the page, I would roll over and take the book with me and lay it on my other side! I loved this book so much. I think I love it even more now as an adult. I feel like I have related to different aspects of all the sisters at different times in my life.

Anyway, this is my version of Jo. She has just joined Beth in the shop. Who shall I do next? Meg? And leave Amy for last? I think that would be fitting since she is the baby. I am thinking of making Meg in her wedding gown. Wouldn't that be pretty?

This and That

I've got a few more things hanging in my bedroom. The little pink shelf/corbel was my mother's. I've always loved it. The blue pocket is a Victorian watch pocket. Victorian women made them for their husbands as a place to protect their pocket watch at night. I guess that makes it a "pocket watch pocket"!

Anyway, back in the eighties I checked out a book from the library that was all Victorian crafts. I was very inspired by it and made this for my husband, Jerry. It's velvet and it was the first time I had ever done any bead work. I think I will put a photo of Jerry in it and I need to find a more attractive hook than a pushpin! He loved it and used it every night so it's a pretty special little item.

On the other side of the bed I have these pastel portraits. They are a little big for the space, but I love to look at them when I wake up or if I get a nap in on the weekend.

The portrait on the left is Carmen at age three and the other is me at age three. They were both done at Disneyland in New Orleans Square. I grew up looking at the one of me and when we took Carmen to Disneyland I had to have her portrait done! I gave it to my mother and they have been together ever since. I think they are kind of sweet and nostalgic looking.

Here's something you don't see everyday- a naked Josephine March! I am continuing my Little Women sister dolls. I have the most adorable tiny hounds tooth in navy that will be her dress. Very Jo, I think!

Also, on swap-bot I have really been getting into handmade postcard swaps. There is something about postcards that is "just right" for me. ATC's are what a lot of people enjoy, but I get a little too intimidated by them. Postcards are just ...mail, I guess. It really frees me. The one on top is for a black and white artwork swap and the green one is for an alphabet postcard swap. It's so cool- it's going to take about a year to get through the whole alphabet, but when we are done we will have such an awesome collection! By the way, "S" is for sequin if you couldn't tell. I sewed them on by hand and then glued a backing to it. We are not going in order so that kinds of adds to the fun. Plus, I make each postcard tailored to the profile of my recipient so I can't jump ahead and just do letters randomly. It's kind of weird how much I am enjoying these!

In spite of my brave quote about attitude yesterday, I was having a very hard day. Yesterday would have been my twenty-fourth wedding anniversary if I hadn't been widowed in 1995. I think it hit me extra hard because instead of celebrating, I am mourning two marriages. I never thought I would find myself in this position at age 44. I am re-thinking my whole life, I guess. My mother married five times. All I ever wanted was to find Mr. Right and a picket fence and settle into the blissful domesticity that I never experienced as a child. I was so happy with Jerry and before he died, it seemed that I had exactly what I had always wanted. Instead of facing the fact that my life had changed in a very profound way after he died, I tried to replicate my happy life with someone who was not right for me in any way, shape or form. I tried for years and years!

Now I am really coming to terms with the fact that that old, old dream is gone and I must come up with a new plan for my life. Just as my marriage to E was an in-authentic (is that a word?!) choice for me, so is my job. I'm not completely sure how to get there, but art therapist is really looking like a compelling choice for me. I've never been able to commit to a career choice, but this one is different. To work in art and help people at the same time? Wow. That is amazing. It will take a lot of work to get there. First I need a bachelor's degree and then a master's! Whew- that's a lot of schooling for an old gal. But exciting too, huh? Of course, ideally, I would really love to be a full-time student, but I doubt there is a some big benefactor out there handing out scholarships big enough for that! And that's what I'm wondering...do I love this dream enough that I will work at it while still working full-time to support my family? I think I do!

Photo from flickr.

I made a little thing...

Okay, actually I embellished a little thing! This is a business card case that I received as a gift many years ago. It's very scratched up, but it's the only one I have. I want to be little more proactive with Tender Arts Studio so I needed something to keep my cards nice. A few little bits and bobs and presto-chango! A new case! I really like it- I think it looks sentimental and sweet. The business cards are printed on a laserjet printer onto Mylar. I get scraps of the stuff at work that are big enough to cut into 8.5"x11" sheets. I found the template at Business Card Land - a very cool FREE resource!

That blue paper doily is from the same package I used when I made my Queen of the Nest crown:

For the first time, I'm beginning to feel a hint of Autumn in the air! There may be an Autumnal Crown inside of me waiting for creation! All I need is more time! And money! I'll tell you, Friends, this single mom thing is much harder than I thought it would be. I'm squeezing the pennies really hard these days. I'm getting more hours at OSH now so that will help a little and the shop is full, so that should help too.

I'm just wondering if going back to school is an option for me? I have about two years of college completed- I'm just not sure if anyone is going to want to hire such an old college graduate! If by some miracle I could get financing to be a full-time student, I would be 48 when I finished! How much older would I be if I have to attend part-time? I think it would be pretty neat to work in geriatrics. I like seniors- they've always been my favorite customers when I've worked in retail. Maybe I could find something like administrator in an assisted living center or something? Or art therapy! Now that would be cool!

Anywhoooo....got off on a little tangent there! Happy Wednesday, dear Friends!

Happy Monday!

Good morning! I have photos to share! But this is not what I did this weekend. This is from last weekend. (Hey, I'm slow, but I get there eventually!) My brother, sister-in-law, sons and I went down to the Bay Area for an important mission. Carmen was not with us- she was at SacAnime winning the art contest! I will try to get her to scan in her winning entry another time. It is darling!

And here is what we were doing in Hayward: We were having our own Ancestor's Day! My mother's birthday was August 30th. We were there on what would have been her 70th birthday. Her niche has had nothing but her ashes in it since 2002. We decided to do a bit of decoratin'! We took a "more is more" approach which is how Mom was about everything! I'm sure we'll be back to do something a little more refined, but really, this is Mom's style right here! Colorful and exuberant and full! The yellow card with the large Y/tree is a card I made for her back in 1991. She kept it on her bedside until her death. It reads: "Youth fades, love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; a mother's secret love outlives them all." by Oliver Wendell Holmes. You moms out there know it's true. Nobody loves our children the way we do and nobody has ever loved me the way my mom did. I know she is thrilled about her babies being together on her birthday and celebrating together. My grandparents and great grandparents are also at the same cemetery, so everyone got attention. What can I say? It was a really cool way to spend a day!


Anyway....when Jon and Deb and the boys and I were done, we went to Val's Burgers for lunch. This place is a Hayward landmark- it's been in the same location, offering the same menu for 50 years! It's so cool! And delicious!

Here are Deb, Jonathan and Max chowing down. The shakes are killer! They even give you the metal canister the shake is made in! It fills the glass three times! Yes- I know, not exactly healthy, but when it comes to diners, this is nirvana!

Look at this awesome root beer float Max got! A giant scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of a pint glass of root beer, topped off with whipped cream and a cherry. Mmmmmmmm.

He did a pretty good job with it! He said his grilled cheese sandwich melted in his mouth!

Here's Eric with the Mama Burger- a half pound of artery clogging hamburger- but oh so yummy! He even got creative with it and topped it with a raw onion slice, grilled onions and an onion ring- a born chef, I tell ya!

Me? A classic tuna melt and a chocolate malted, thank you very much! So good!

In shop news, someone new has arrived! Meet Beth March! Do you remember her from Little Women? Sweet shy and gentle Beth was one of my favorite characters in the book. I'm so happy with how she turned out, but my photos are atrocious! I will take more and hopefully they will be better!

That's all the news that's fit to share for today. Have a beautiful day, my friends!

Some dollies!

This is Miranda! I listed her on Tuesday and by Wednesday she was sold! Same with Maddie, below. They both went to Connecticut together!

I was at Mimi's blog and she is doing some wonderful OOAK girls, including this little witch. Her dress is made from the sleeve of a cashmere sweater and I just love the look of it! It's very similar to how I made Miranda's blouse and I thought I would explain how I did it. Miranda's blouse is the sleeve of an antique christening gown which came with a Horsman TineyBaby I bought for only $20 at a street fair this summer. The doll and gown were both a mess, but especially the gown- rips, tears, mold-ick! But I couldn't throw it away! I put the doll in a nicer gown that I had and I saved this one even though I never thought I could put it to use.

When I opened up the cupboard looking for fabrics for Miranda, I was trying to find something that was not too stiff and when I reached the whites, this gown was on top. So soft and fine! Then I saw the beautiful hand worked buttonholes and scallops on the the wrists. Wouldn't that be a pretty waistline treatment? So, after some pondering, I cut the sleeve off, cut tiny new sleeves from the neckline of the gown, attached the sleeves to the blouse, and then gathered the new neckline with a running stitch and put it on Miranda. Perfection! The belt is braided embroidery floss. It's so pretty, I wish I could have the blouse in grown up size for myself!

Tender Arts Studio

Dolly Dingle (sold)

Amy (sold)

Oh, Friends! I've been so busy! I had a lovely three day weekend doing what I love- making little pretties! I just listed some new goodies in my shop and when I get home from work I'll be listing more. I was super happy and encouraged last week when a nice lady from Cardiff-by-the-Sea bought Amy and my Scrappy Charm pillow! It just really gave me the boost I needed to get to work on finishing some of my projects and get them listed. I'll also be listing some vintage aprons that are SO cute plus one handmade apron that I was so excited about, but when I finished it, it didn't fit me! Darn those vintage patterns made for those skinny women of yesteryear!

Scrappy Charm Pillow (sold)

My goal now is to complete and list one doll per week. I think it's do-able. That way my shop won't get empty again and there will be plenty of dollies to pick from. I don't know if I have mentioned before that I am available for custom orders too. You can look at my "sold" items at etsy or check out my flickr set to get ideas for a doll you would like to have or give to a little girl.

Rooster Pillow (sold)


One new thing that I have decided to institute is free dolly spa treatments for the dolls I have specified as child friendly. I know that kids can get kind of rough so if I sell a doll that I say is suitable for children, I will fix it up again if it needs it. Hair, especially, seems to "go astray" and I want happy customers with happy children! The only expense to my customers is the cost to mail the doll to me. I will cover the postage back. So many dolls are factory-made and disposable, but I want my dollies to last for a very long time.



Now that I am not hunched over my needle, I am looking forward to visiting all my bloggy friends! Hugs to all!

Back to School Already?!

My baby goes off to Junior High. I hope those big eighth graders take it easy on my little "sevvie"! Dang, he's cute!

I cannot believe how big these boys are! That's Cody there next to Eric. He is my unofficial son. They have been best friends since diapers. Cody once said that when he was little he thought Eric was his brother! Very sweet.
The boys and I are in the process of re-doing their room. It seems like this picture was taken just yesterday, but this was 2005. Look at those buzz cuts! Since we still have blue carpet, coming up with new ideas for their room has been challenging! The funny thing is, Eric still likes blue best and Max still likes red best. But neither of them wants anything country or Americana. I am thinking of using blue, red, grey, black and white and going very modern. I thought graphic stripe "headboards" painted on the wall would be kind of neat using varying widths of those colors. Not sure what to paint the rest of the walls. Grey? That would be very neutral for them. Opinions welcome! (Of course, we know it will be Christmas before I get it done! I have so many home projects that need attending!)

Hey! What's this? It's Raggedy and Maddie! I love my sweet Raggedy Ann! And Maddie is going to be for sale. Where? Ebay or Etsy- I am having a hard time deciding.

Speaking of decisions- I did restate my position with E. He was so eager to separate in June and since then he has done a complete 180 turnabout. He's even wearing his wedding band and keeps my framed photo on his desk at work. His work ...where I also work. Whatever. Everytime I restate my intentions, we get a little further along in the separation. For the most part, that is exactly what I want. However...all this "alone" time just brings to the surface all my insecurities. I am having to face just how much I "need to be needed" and have thus contributed to state of my marriage. Well, anyway, it's all a learning experience and I am doing the work to get to a happier place. I'm thankful to have this blog and be able to share this kind of thing here in addition to having "in person" support who are helping me find that happier place.

Hugs to all!

How-do Friends!

As you can see, my yo-yo obsession reached its culmination. Pretty cute, huh? I'm not sure if I will sell it or keep it. It sure makes me happy every time I see it. Look at this next photo- all kinds of things to love in one spot!
I got my new pillow, my crazy cat who thinks he is a baby and a new dolly-in-the-works! She will go into the shop very soon.

Speaking of new dolls, after I finish the little cutie above, I need to make a Raggedy Ann! Yes, I must! The amazing Martha of JelliesJamsDolls has just finished a new batch and they are SO cute! Her Raggedy Anns are less about "decor" and more like the character of Johnny Gruelle's illustrations. Here is one of her newest dolls:

See what I mean? Doesn't she look just like she is on a real adventure? She and her sister are listed on ebay here, if you are interested. I would bid if I could afford one, but I know they will go pretty high-as they should! Really wonderful artistry in these dollies.


I've been pretty busy this week getting the boys ready for school. I just can't believe my babies are getting so big! My baby, Max, is starting junior high! His dad took him and Eric out for some school shopping and when they got home they were sporting their first piercings!
Can you see it? Eric got one too. It sure is a tiny little earring...I guess I could live with it. Especially when he looks so adorable. Look at those eyelashes! Lordy, I am so jealous! Eric's earring is invisible as his eyes. That boy needs a haircut! E's been teaching him how to use his bow and arrow which he left here because, well in an apartment there is no shooting range! Anyway, Eric has really taken to it. Check out how close all his arrows are to each other:

It's interesting that E is spending more time now with the boys than he ever did when he lived here! Apparently he has a new appreciation for family life. And for me too, I guess. Not really sure how I feel about that. Well, no, I do know. I don't care for it. And yet, I'm weak enough to be flattered by the attention. *sigh* As Scarlett said, "Fiddle-dee-dee!" Oh, wait, I meant, "I'll think about that tomorrow." Today, I have both jobs to work and a Raggedy Ann to make!

Hugs to all!

Gratuitous Cute-ness

See? Pretty cute, huh? My fingers were itchin' to do some stitchin' last night and I remembered that my poor neglected Dolly Dingle never got her hat finished. When I opened up my little red suitcase, the overwhelming cute-ness slayed me. (You may remember the pillow from my etsy shop.) I finished her hat and took this photo to share.

I've also been stitching up a veritable yo-yo blizzard. I have the blurry photo to prove it!

I don't think I'm going to do a whole coverlet, but I sure can picture a pillow cover with these darling little things.

So...all this to say...I don't think Tender Arts Studio is dead! There still may be hope for this tired old dream of mine. Not really sure how to make it work, but I cannot abandon my stitchin' little fingers and my entrepreneurial dreams. If I can work in a hardware store part-time for part of my income, couldn't I do craft fairs instead and work for myself? Or maybe there is a store out there that would like to carry my humble little offerings? I don't know yet what the answer will be, but I sure want to find it.

Wish me luck, Friends.