Christmas Swap and HAPPY NEW YEAR

First I have to say how sorry I am that I have been such a poor blogger of late that I didnt play my part in the christmas swap properly. Here is what I got off the lovely Roberta http://ilboratoriodipitosfora.blogspot.com/. Its exquiste and its got a special place in my glass cabinet. Thank you so much Roberta xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As you can see my camera has finally been found. It was behind my sofa under a bag of stuffing. If I hadnt been making bears I wouldnt of found it.

Happy New Year to you All.

Yes I know, I am late with that too. Not having my own pc now is certainly a pain in the bum LOL. Now the kids are back at school and my hubby is back at work I am hoping I will get more time to do my own thing.

I have been reading all the blog posts and dipping my toe in and out of my computer based wheelings and dealings but it has had to be quick.

We have also had all manner of illnesses and I am now hoping that we have worn all germs out and we will be germ free for a bit.

This year is going to be a good year. I am so glad to see the back of last year, it was pants.

I have been in a sculpting rut and havent made a thing since I did the swaddled baby tut for the AIM (artisans in miniature) Advent http://www.artisansinminiature.com/issue10.html all of the projects have been put together for this months magazine. Its all FREE and some very talented artisans have contributed.

I have a pile of unfinished dolls and projects that are going to be got out of the way this month before I can start on new stuff.

My second blog is still under construction and will be here by the end of this month too.

I have always had the best of intentions but real life has a way of sticking her nose in and tripping me up. Sigh.

This year is about learning, training and putting my foot down. Its also going to be about adventuring, exploring and getting back to my roots (some major tree hugging to LOL I am really a repressed hippie, fah la lah LOL)

No new years resolutions I dont stick to them LOL

ITS ALL GOOD GRAVY !!!!!

And the Lucky Person is.......

Hi Folks, firstly, sorry for the late post regarding the give-away recipient, real life strikes again but I wont bore you with it LOL!!!

(Drum roll please)

MiniKat

My email is hufflepuffed1048@aol.com can you please send me your address and I will post out your gift on Thursday. All I ask its that when it arrives that you please put a pic on your blog.

The winner was drawn out of a jug by one of my tribe. I cant show pics etc for as you know I am currently without a camera.

Thank you to all of you who entered and may you all have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year

Brightest Blessings

Debie xxxxxxxxxxx

100 Followers and Give Away

Warmest of Welcomes to new Piskie Poppet Followers.

To celebrate I am in true blogland style going to have give away.

The gift will be a surprise but it will be well worth it I promise you.

To enter all you have to do is leave your name below and tell me what a PISKIE is.

The winner's name will then be drawn out of a suitable recepticle on Sunday.

((((((((((((((((((( hugs )))))))))))))))))))

Debie xxx

The Eight Ball

I have been passed the eight ball game from Julia of Bear Cabin Mininatures http://bearcabinminiatures.blogspot.com/2009/12/eight-ball.html, so I have decided to play BALL (lol) and give it a go. Here are my answers:-

1. Names that I am called by:- Debbie, Debie, Debs, Mom, Mommy and Miss (when do the odd and very rare class). People call me Deborah on pain of death LOL I hate it mainly due to being teased at school. The Debie thing started when I was 7 and wanted to be an individual LOL so I dropped one B and have use Debie ever since. Tis all part of my arty farty personality LOL

2. Three Items I am wearing:- Jeans, a t-shirt with a dragon on and a turquoise vest top underneath. I feel the cold LOL

3. Three things I did yesterday, last night and today:- Yesterday I had a good read, Stolen by Kelly Armstrong (its about warewolves). Last night I watched Fred Claus with the kids. Today I had another good look for my camera ( its still hiding).

4. Name two things you have eaten:- Fresh Alaskan Salmon cooked on my Dads barbie when I last visited him at his home near Seattle. Merlin steak that I had on the same trip in a restuarant not far from where they had the floating boat homes where they filmed part Sleepless in Seattle. This was nearly 6 years ago when Dad paid me to have a trip on my own. Twas 10 days of heaven LOL

5. Two people I have rung today:- My mom to finalise arrangements to see my brother tomorrow. The local college to ask for an application form for our daughter Beth who wants to do an Animal Management Diploma as she wants to be a wildlife biologist.

6. Two things I will do today:- Finish stuffing and sewing bear no.2 and picking Beth up from her school production. She is playing Bass guitar in the school band, they are doing Oh What a Lovely War.

7. Three Best Loved Drinks:- Tea, I am a right tea belly LOL, a good quality red wine and finally Bacardi and Coke ice cold mmmmmmmmmmm.

8. Three Things I Intensely Wish:-

That next year is a better year for everyone.

That our little fosterling stays with us till he is at least 18.

That my family all continue to stay happy and healthy.

Right now I pass this onto (Drum roll..........)

Nikki from Witch and Wizard Miniatures.

Throwing it now Nikki......

CATCH xxx

I havent done a thing (well maybe a couple lol)

I havent been around much as its been full on real life and family stuff. Our little fosterling has had to have my full attention (well he gets that already but hes needed may be a bit more than usual), its a funny time of year for him. Hes nearly 5, incredibly intelligent and I love him to bits. Hes been with us over two years now. I dont talk about him much, confidentiality and all that (part of our life of living under the umbrella of social services). Would love to adopt him but its very complicated.

Its also a time to sort out visiting and family and mine is very complicated LOL I have a schitzophrenic (sp) brother who is in hospital at the moment and hes just been moved from a hospital about an hours drive away to one thats much closer so visits are easier. He looks up to me and leading up to a vist phones quite a lot. We did try to visit him last week but as its a new hospital they wouldnt let us in as the proper procedure hadnt been followed. Its all sorted now.

I am currently on the main house PC as my laptop which has all my website stuff, photos etc is poorly. The screen decided to give up the ghost and it will be a while till I can get it repaired.



I have asked for a new camera from Santa but it will most likely be February (my birthday)as we are concentrating on the children as its going to be a very tight year.



I cant get on with my hubbys camera as its a bit of a dinosaur and I cant take pics, then crop them before I load them up. Its a waste of time doing a WIP until I can take decent pictures.


Any howes I have got a second blog under construction which will have tips, tricks and sculpting help and how to's.



To save on pennies I have been making some presents and I have a couple of bears on the go. The little chap at the top of the picture is mohair, has Victorian shoe button eyes, is jointed and is about 4 1/2 inches in size. The worst part is cutting the pattern pieces out, very sharp scalpel working from the back of the fabric. Its for one of my kiddies and as she doesnt read my blog its safe to show it.



The little chap is an anmie bear and I got the pattern from Jenny Loves Benny. Shes got a blog and here is the link. http://jennylovesbenny.blogspot.com/2009/12/rainbow-twinkee-wristlets.html.

I am a bit of hoarder so I already had the mohair and all the other gubbins.

I have been working on some prep boards and this is one of the better pics that I managed to take. Its a Unicorn horn prep board.






I got the skull from Kensington Dolls House Festival. I should of brought more really. I went with Nikki from Witch and Wizard minis and we had a great day. As you can see the pic isnt very good but you get the idea.

Its Stafford Dolls House Fair in January (10th) so I have started making lots of smaller things for stock to compliment my dolls.

There are children's plays and productions and all sorts of other things going on. Its just that time of year.

The key word for next year is FUN. Its been a funny and hard year for a lot of peeps this year.

I know exactly where I am going and I have set myself some new goals for the next 2 years. I last did this about 7 years ago and achieved everything so its time to set myself some more.

No, I am not telling LOL because when I do life has a habit of jumping in an making me look like a wally.

I live in a bubble.....

Nikkis Minis on Etsy and a Catch up

(click on the picture to go to her Etsy Shop)

My friend Nikki from Witch and Wizard Miniatures is putting some listings on Etsy about 8pm this evening.

THEY ARE FABULOUS

Nikkis minis are unusal, extremely well made and well, as Ron Weasly would say 'Bloody Brilliant!'.

Now a catch up.

I have been suffering from a very sore mouth, aching sinuses and extreme tiredness. I dont think I have been eating enough fruit and have been wondering if I have scurvey. So I have dosed up on multi vitamins and I have been eating an apple a day.

Last week was filled full of extreme series of unfortunate events that prevented me from entering my work room, such as the car breaking down and needing a new battery. The most bizzare of these events took place on Saturday when the dog decided to re-open the hole that he made in the bottom of the backdoor. Its a hard wood door and he took out one of the panels at the bottom of it. Hes a Great Dane crossed with a Neopolitian Mastiff (ala Fang Harry Potter) and is the size of a small horse. Henry had decided to make his dog flap a lot larger, but he was foiled by my hubby who has now put plywood sheet over said door and now workshop is again warm.

I live in a bubble ( said in Louis Walsh tones). In my head I carve the time to make and create all the wonderful things that are living in there. But, ahh, there is a villian, REAL LIFE!!!! Who invented such a thing?

My mind floats along the creative super highway, the paths and twists and turns of my creative mind. Along the way I find an elf, a woodsprite and a char lady with a fag hanging out of the corner of her mouth. Then I find that while I have been travelling I am hoovering, dusting and generally playing slave to the mundane. A flick of a duster and I am once again engaged in full conversation with a little man sitting on a mushroom.

I at least did get chance to make a head today, hes very special taking me back to my roots yeah.

The WIP it will take place when I find out where in the house I have put my camera. Come to think of it, I think I just saw the little man that was on the mushroom running of with it.

'OI' come back with my camera...................................

Artisans in Miniature (AIM) Blog

Artisans In Minature now have a blog set up to promote not only AIM but the work of the groups members.

There are some wonderful and very talented people in AIM so please pop along to the new blog

http://artisansinminiature.blogspot.com/

and take a peek.