Busy Busy

I know, yesterday I talked about how the Easter bunny was wearing a rain slicker and all

Imagine my surprise when I emerged from my little computer dungeon to see snow!

Yup, and it snowed for several hours --- huge wet flakes, some of them looking like the bag of batting I use to stuff animals had exploded and was now returning to earth

Wonderful --- it was warm enough that it didn't stay on the tree limbs for long (a good thing or we'd be dealing with broken trees everywhere!), and we still didn't have to shovel any of it

And all that makes for perfect weather to stay put and work on projects!!

Like this one

After the trip to the hobby store, I decided it was time to test out the new tools

WOW, having a tool actually designed to cut the shape you're wanting to cut makes a big difference

I finished these up in record time (while watching an uncut version of Ben Hur on TCM)

Then I moved on to working on this

Got the petals all needlefelted and glued to the bird house (this is more of that berry blue/grape dying project)

Then I added the ring of yellow beads --- still need to do shaping and trimming inside the opening, but I needed the glue to dry first

Now I'm trying to decide what to put around the bottom of the birdhouse and on the roof

All of those things need to get finished before I attach the bird

Meantime, I'm thinking about the next bird --- I'm planning a big fat robin for the blue birdhouse


It looks like there has been glazing going on in the pottery shop

This was kind of fun, trying to do a lot of different colors for the pots

Today I hope to get the first masking done so I can paint the wheels on the cart

And the DH brought in a piece of what looks like the back of those scrubbie sponges from the garage for me to use on top of the platform inside the cart --- neat!

Meantime, I'm trying to locate a book I KNOW I have that shows various beaded flowers and the techniques to make them --- after all, I need to fill all of these pots


No slicker

no eggs

but I think I've "captured" the Easter Bunny!

This is the animal I found the other day

I had done the original stitching and the DH had installed the joints last fall, then I got busy with Christmas projects and the bag just "fell by the wayside"

This was the first animal I had made with a fur I purchased while we were in Kansas City for Jubilee last fall.

The fabric has a nice tight back, and it was the perfect length and color for a rabbit. There's only one problem with the fabric. It's not really colorfast --- as in it "crocks off" --- by the time I finished stuffing and closing it, my hands were the same color as the fabric!

Fortunately, this (like all of the animals from this line of my work) is NOT a toy, so the color issue shouldn't be a problem for it's intended use.

After I got the stuffing and closing done, I shaved all of the pile off the front of the face and did needle felting to create his cheeks, nose and open mouth. I've never tried this before, and I'm pretty happy with the results --- oh yes, the nose is some of the wool from the now infamous "berry blue/grape" dye excursion!

So, now that the rabbit is done, I need to come up with some kind of floral accessories --- we're in the "I'm thinking about it" stage, so the rabbit is sitting on top of the stereo cabinet while we commune together (or do the "mind meld" perhaps) and figure out just what to do next

I think I've figured out what the new look of my website will be, and I'm working on it. Hopefully before too long I'll be making the big "Announcement" of the remodeled launch.

time to go do the laundry ---