My New Fashion Accessory!

I haven't been blogging too much these days - between our little cruise, Maggie being really sick earlier in the month (couldn't tell by the bucket head pict!), Nick's mom having health issues & getting ready for The Scrap-a-Teeny Open House & filling the shop with goodies it's been hard enough to keep up with the business blog.

On top of all that, both Nick & I started getting a cold on the first day of our cruise (Oct 1st) & it is now 11/2 & he's all better & me, well I have been fighting it ever since! So, even though Maggie's head's in the pot above, I really feel like I'M in there!

Today, I finally called the doc! I am tired of sleeping with my mouth open because I can't breath through my nose, & my husband is tired of my snoring! The doc said that I have a stupid sinus infection prescribed some antibiotics & sent me on my way.

But these days when you go out sniffling & coughing everyone looks at you like you have
The Plague!
I actually saw a lady at the pharmacy cringe when I coughed (into my elbow I might add!) in the waiting area! Really?!!! Get a grip people! It's just a cold & the flu is just the FLU, albeit a highly contagious one, but still! It seems that everyone around me has some form of icky sickness this fall & they say it's going to continue for quite some time. If everyone would follow a little hygene these days, maybe so many of us wouldn't be hacking up a lung!

Ok, I'll stop complaining!
I really had just wanted to write to let everyone know that I was still alive,
but breathing through plugged nostrils,
& that I have added a new accessory to my wardrobe...

Really, it's the latest trend!
It goes with me everywhere!
You can get so many different boxes now that it even usurped my Burberry this fall!
And, I hear that the new must-have for your Holiday Party Look this season
is a HONKER as bright red as Rudolphs!
What a trend-setter I am!!!
Sneeze-at-ya-Later!!!
LOL

Ode to Trunk...

I had to say good-bye to a dear old friend the other day...I know it's silly, but I am going to miss my old steamer trunk!

I've had it since I first moved out of my parent's house into my own apartment! It has been lugged up & down countless stairs & into many elevators, cars, garages & basements over it's short life-time with me. I can't even imagine the stories it could tell of it's previous life & the mysterious C.J.P!

Perhaps many journey's across the oceans to far away & exotic lands? Or across the country by rail? Oh the bygone era of sophisticated travel! When it was frowned upon if you DIDN'T bring your entire wardrobe in one bag! If I could travel like that, I'd have no trouble figuring out what to pack - just bring it all because you CAN!!

But alass, I was lugging my beloved trunk one more time into our shop space at The Barn, when two kindly sisters spotted it! I hadn't even made up my mind to sell it yet! We made it about 100 yds inside the door & it was sold! So sad to see it go, but they saved us the trouble of one more set of stairs! (The porters on the trains & ships must have been super studly!!! My beloved trunk weighs a ton!!)

So, I bid farewell to you, my beloved trunk. I shall miss your squeaking wheels, rattly drawer handles, funky hangers & wonderful vintage smells! I hope the sisters restore you to your original glory & you find another loving home! Maybe we'll meet again, in another life, on board a beautiful ship, traveling the open seas together in all our glory!

The End - or Begining of it - is in Sight!

I just can't believe how crazy life can get!
I have been going full-speed ahead since I can't even remember!

The Scrap-a-Teeny Girls (mom, Kim & me) will move into our space at The Barn on Thursday, October 1st! We have been doing a lot of business-related work for the past few weeks & not a whole lotta "fun" work! We have managed to squeeze in a few creative sessions here & there, but mostly it's been all business! (More info on The Barn move-in on scrapateenygirls.blogspot.com!)

I am feeling totally overwhelmed these days! As I've said in the past few posts, I've been busy with the STG stuff, trying to get this Alice project done (which is sooooooo close, but I am not sure it will get in the mail before I leave) & prepare for a cruise with my hubby for our anniversary!

So, on top of the planning, the packing, the organizing, the finding a pet-sitter, the clothing delima because I haven't lost any weight...my mother-in-law is not doing well.

(That's her with my late father-in-law in the 60's)

So, to add to the stress of mine & my husband's already stressful life lately, we are worried that something might happen to her while we are abroad! I purchased travel insurance (Nick wasn't too happy that I did that since he thinks it's a waste of $$) at the last minute & hope that all will still be well when we return! It's so hard to watch your parents get older! Nick seems to think she'll be ok & that they will opt out of doing a triple bypass because she's in her 80's, has type 2 diabetes & they aren't sure if she has any veins in her legs to work with during the surgery.

It just sucks that it all hits the fan at once! He's super busy at work & is in dire need of a vaca, but is stressed about leaving work stuff on top of family stuff! I am stressed about not leaving too much for my mom & sister to take care of with the STG shop on top of Kim taking care of Maggie while we're gone & the family-in-law stuff & hoping that my husband doesn't end up in the hospital too!!!

It's just never-ending!
I know, deep, deep breath!
Everything has a way of working out!

Alice fell down the...

TRASH!!!
No! Not really! But I did scrap the paper mache Alice.
She just wasn't working for me!

The deadline is drawing near & I am 90% done! Hooooray! I got super way-layed with new Scrap-a-Teeny Girls biz - check out our news at the other blog...scrapateenygirls.blogspot.com!!

But I have pretty-much finished Alice's "room;" her body is done, I just have to make her dress & figure out the hair. Then I have to figure out how to secure her into the room so that she doesn't come loose during shipping to CPS!!! All that has to get done before the 1st! Only 1 1/2 weeks! UGH!

So here's a peek at where we stand...
I created the floor & chairrail out of balsa wood & then covered it with Alice in Wonderland "wallpaper" I found on this great "Paper Minis" site. On the table is a photo of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter in the Tim Burton version coming out this year (CPS suggested we draw inspiration from the new movie). I was originally going to use a shadow box for the room, but they are expensive & Alice was too tall for them! So, I opted to go green & up-cycled an acrylic package I had!

I am super excited to finish this project & get it off in the mail before we leave for our cruise on the 3rd! I hope I can do it! I'll post more pics when I finish it all up!

Too Many Irons!

I have been swamped! We (The Scrap-a-Teeny Girls) have been super busy looking at a couple of co-ops in Castle Rock & think we've found a venue that we are trying to get into before the holiday rush begins! So, in addition to ironing out the money & set-up needs for one of these places, we've been making things like crazy! From cards, to books to tags to journals...it's scrap time ALL the time! It's fun, but a little overwhelming when we all start brainstorming or get inspired by something else along the way! All I can say is FOCUS girls!!!

With all the craziness over at STG, my Alice project has been waylayed a little bit. I decided to toss out the paper mache doll, as it was too big & just wasn't coming together for me. I re-sculpted her face, hands & feet from Sculptey & am much happier with it. Now I need to finish her body, clothes & decorate her room! All before October 1st!

At least I have a fun day planned at the Ball Park Market with my BFF Rachel Carlson for her b-day! That will be a very nice day & a much needed break from crafting!

Day 39 of The Alice Project

I spent the afternoon at my mom & dad's yesterday & managed to get Alice's body formed/stuffed. I used 16g wire for the armeture, foil to fill in the wire so that I can bake her later & then old nylons to wrap over the wire. This allowed me to bend her into the position of climbing through the glass of her box.

It was easy to do, but time consuming since I was dealing with the distractions of Maggie & our dog Tula visiting grandmas for the first time! But it got done. I was so mad at myself though - I completely forgot to grab the PM out of the fridge! So I wasn't able to start sculpting! Grrr!

After the Magpie went to bed last night, I began laying the paper mache onto my form for Alice. I had a little difficulty keeping her in the foam block I set up to help me - the leg wires kept poking through! Grrr! And the PM didn't want to stick to the nylon very well. I think that in hindsight, the traditional paper-strip method would have been easier for this project. Oh well, live & learn right?!

She is now resting nicely on my desk, drying naturally. But I think later today I will pop her in the oven to speed things along. I can't start on my shadow box until a few things I ordered online arrive, so it's just a waiting game today.

Mom, Kim & I are going to check out a local store in Castle Rock, Sassafrassa, to see if we can afford to rent some space to sell our Scrap-a-Teeny Girl creations. Wish us luck! We need to move some stuff so we can afford to make more! Our Etsy listings have expired, but we haven't put more up because we're not sure that that venue is working for our medium. We'll see.

Project: 30% complete
Deadline: 10/1
Days remaining: 39

Taking Shape

After a little more research on doll making & some trial & error with the paper mache, I believe my Alice is starting to take the form of a doll!

I decided to make 2 heads - one with sculpted features (to the left) & one with no features (above) because I have this image in my head of painting the face in a little bit of an avatar/Japanese style, but I don't know if I can pull it off with out having to resurface the head to paint over what I screwed up! Ugh! It's always the first try at something that makes you so timid!!

Either way, working with Activa's CelluClay is fabulous! So much better than the strips of paper in the glue mess! AND it can be sped-dry in the oven! So instead of days, it only takes hours (depending on the thickness of the layers). Simply fab when you're on a deadline!

As the heads are "cooking," I am forming the lower half of the legs & trying to figure out how to do the hands. I don't think I can do the fingers that small in the CelluClay, but I might try it anyway. I desperately wish I had a doll push mold, but in some ways I think that's cheating!

Well, off to enjoy a glass of vino, brainstorm a little on the shadow box & then cook dinner with the hubby!

Project: 5% completed
Deadline : Still 10/1 to ship out!
Days remaining: 40