New Week

Well, although still in the ICU, my sister is doing better.  I'm optimistic that she will continue to improve. My niece has decided to postpone her wedding til her mom is well enough to attend.
This week I will be getting ready for the Greater Orlando Doll Show in Maitland, Florida.  I don't have high expectations for Teddy bear sales but I enjoy going to doll shows anyway.  This one is just an hour's drive from home so it will make for a nice Saturday. The location has a nice little lake/pond right next door. This is great for hubby as doll shows really aren't his thing.

The next event is in mid July. The Teddies Worldwide online show "Friends of Teddy" is right up my alley. I love making Teddies but other critters are also fun to create. Dogs are definitely one of my specialties. Keeping my eye out for some nice soft leather for one of my creations for this show...hint, hint. Mark your calendars, July 13th - 15th. 

The little shadowbox in the photo is something I made a couple of years ago ...just for me. The photos are me as a child. The little locket was mine as a child too. It has photos of my mom and dad. I don't think I'm very good at putting scrap book things together but I enjoy my little shadow box.

Monday

I started off today with what I will call the Monday jitters. Got up at the normal time, turned on the computer and checked emails. OH NO! I had forgotten to cancel a 7 day free trial membership and my card had been charged $80. Sent off a fast email asking if I could cancel. After showering, and with my stomach now churning, I started to take care of something I had been putting off. I thought it was something I could take care of quickly online. But no! It looked like it was going to require some official paperwork that needed to be filled out, mailed and received before May 1. ACK!
Then an email came saying my membership had been canceled and the charges refunded back to my card. Whew. 
Unsure how to complete the paperwork, I called my accountant. He says don't bother with any of it. If I don't do anything it will resolve itself. Another headache taken care of(wish I had known sooner). 

Now I only have one worry. My little sister is in the hospital with complications from chemo. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of months ago and was almost finished with chemo. She is in another state so I am trying to keep up by emails and phone calls.  Just positive thoughts now....

Back on Track

I think everything is finally back to, at least, almost normal. Still getting used to windows 7 on the new computer but I have all of my regular programs back. The website has had some updating but needs a few more tweaks. Actually, I have finished 4 critters, 3 cats and a dog. The dog is a primitive style and I have been experimenting with painting on mohair to give it an aged look.
That's what I wanted this post to be about ...trying new patterns and techniques. After working with mohair and making my own patterns for 18 years I am finally feeling confident enough to try new things. They don't always turn out the way they are supposed to on the first try but it's a learning process. While drawing up the dress pattern for the new dog, I realized how easy it was. I used to refer to books and other patterns to figure out how to get the look I envisioned. I don't usually toot my own horn but I'm kind of proud of myself.
Well, I will be at the Greater Orlando Doll show in Maitland, FL on May 5. Coming in July, the Friends of Teddy online show at Teddies Worldwide. The creations will be critters other than Teddies. Stay tuned...