Posted by Som Sat, 27 Aug 2005 21:04:00 GMT
We're taking a 12-hour car trip to Colorado next weekend, so I made some more puppets for the girls. Hopefully they'll provide at least a half-hour's worth of entertainment.
Puppy, Mouse, and Duck
The Puppy is my least favorite of this group; I don't like how his eyes turned out. But I absolutely love the Mouse and the Duck. Now I just need to hide them away so that the novelty won't wear off before our big trip!
Posted by Som Thu, 25 Aug 2005 03:17:00 GMT
I've dabbled in a wide variety of stitchwork over the years, and blackwork is easily my favorite. The simple geometric designs are easy to plot and design, but the results are spectacular.
This megaproject took three years for me to complete from design to framing. My husband "commissioned" it; the quote is one of his favorites from The Simpsons, and the finished work sits on his desk at the office.
Many of the designs come from Bronwen's Blackwork Library, but the database of designs has been absent for a few years now. Other blackwork designs can be found at Elizabethan Blackwork, but the archives aren't nearly as extensive as Bronwen's were.
Posted by Som Thu, 25 Aug 2005 00:46:00 GMT
Is there any crafting material better than felt? I think not. It's inexpensive, it's durable, it doesn't fray, and it comes in an explosive variety of colors and textures. I haven't worked with felt for a while now, but here are three of my past projects that I'm particularly happy with:
1. Felt Puppets
Fox and Cow
Horse, Hen, and Cat
The patterns for these puppets come from Valerie Bendt's Successful Puppet Making (Bendt Family Ministries 1999, $20.00.) The original designs call for you to glue the pieces together, but I like the extra detail of the embroidery stitches. Both of my daughters love to play with these puppets, and they've held up surprisingly well, despite their best toddlerish efforts to destroy them.
2. Hello Kitty Purses
Front View
Back view, with contents.
The tiny coloring books were the inspiration for these purses. We found the books -- only about 4" high -- at our local comic/manga shop, and I thought that the little purses to hold the coloring book, some crayons, and a few stickers would be a good carseat activity for the girls. Like the puppets, the purses have held up well against toddler abuse.
3. Warumono
Warumono waves from a perch on the bookshelf.
I haven't the courage (yet) to order an Aranzi craft book, but that didn't stop me from making my own little Warumono doll to guard my books from silverfish and unscrupulous borrowers.
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