Fantasy Ball

It's finally here!! The ball starts May 30 at 6 PM US eastern time. It will last through June 6th. Fantasy critters started running around in my head months ago. Photos of the finished critters were submitted for the ball by May 1st. I will have 3 critters and Whisper the Wood Nymph available. I submitted Whisper for the TACDA awards and although she wasn't nominated, I am proud of her.
There will be a lot of amazing creations at the ball from very talented artists. There will also be voting on the nominees.
There is a sneek peek photo of my 3 creations and a photo of Whisper above. Check back on Sunday for full photos.
To visit the Fantasy Ball click here

2010 Golden Teddy Nominee

I am doing the happy dance!!! Yesterday afternoon I received word that "Misty Lou" has been nominated for a Golden Teddy Award. I am beyond over the moon. This is my first nomination ever. I had all but given up. There are some wonderful nominees in all the categories and some stiff competition in Misty Lou's category. But as they say "I'm thrilled just to be nominated." Photos of all the nominees in each category will be published in the August issue of Teddy Bear Review. Then the public votes. The awards will be given out at the Doll & Bear Expo in Winston-Salem, NC in October. I probably won't be attending.
Right now....I'm on top of the world!

Decorating help

I can now elaborate on the reason I haven't been sewing much lately. We have been house hunting...looking for a smaller home that will fit our current budget. Finally after several months of looking we made an offer and it was accepted. Closing is the end of next month. The house needs a little work and most of it can be done after moving in as we get the funds. We would like to eventually replace carpet with laminate and kitchen needs a makeover. Some painting will be done before moving in. The master bedroom is currently lavender, a definite no no(especially as far as Bill is concerned). I'm thinking a sandy beige. The room I'm not sure about is the family room. It is currently red. There is a beautiful stone fireplace and we think the red walls take away from it. I was thinking a chocolate brown but Bill wants a little lighter like maybe mocha brown. Not sure what to do with the windows on either side of the fireplace. The previous owner had half of a priscilla curtain on each....not really my taste. I have a nice valence on the front window in my home now and might see how they look. It would save some expense and we would like to do that as much as possible

Each pointed piece is a separate piece so I can divide them between two window. Just not sure if they will look right. I will have a bay window in the living room in the front of the house I will have to figure out too.Don't know yet if the brown blinds are going...haven't measured the windows in the new house yet. Down sizing means each of the bedrooms will only have 1 window instead of the 2 in each in our current home.
This will mean a big change for Lexi and Lucy too. Currently they have a doggie dog that fits in the sliding door. The new house has french doors, which means they will have to ask to go out, something they haven't had to do for 5 years.


As you can see the wallpaper is coming down. Don't like wallpaper anyway but I have never had to take it down before, hopefully it won't be too difficult.
Well, we are looking at this move as another adventure...after all isn't that what life is...one adventure after another.

Out of sorts

Since completing the last critter for the Fantasy Ball I haven't been able to get going on anything else. There aren't any cute critters running around in my brain right now. Too much else going on in there.
Unfortunately, we are in the same boat as many in the US. Our home is not worth what we owe and other circumstances mean we must find somewhere else to live. So my life has been filled with packing, and looking at smaller homes in the area. We have had one yard sale and will probably have another this weekend. It is amazing how much stuff you can accumulate in just 5 years. Downsizing means a lot of it will not be going with us. My head is filled with deciding what to pack and what to sell. It is also stressful that there is no set timetable. It could be a couple of months or even a year.
I am looking forward to the Fantasy Ball and my next post will likely be a sneak peek of the critters I will have in the show.
The photo is of a memory shadow box I created a couple of years ago(found it while packing). The photos are of me as a child. There is also a little locket with photos of my mom and dad inside. The "coin" the little bear is holding was something I made for my dad at a carnival.
Next post will be more upbeat....I promise.

Blog Giveaway....

No...not me..Joanne of Desert Mountain Bears is having a drawing on her blog for this beautiful bear. So click on over and leave a comment, I have already left mine. You can click on the pic on the left to get there.
I am working on my last fantasy critter. It has been as slow process as I only think of what is needed as the need appears. First the right color wool for needle felting, then the right color felt for paws. Since the fur was a special dying project(which I am very pleased with), I wasn't sure of colors until it was finished. Now, I have had to order more felting needles as I broke the last course needle and all I have left are fine ones. The needle felted face has started to take shape though and I think it will turn out as pictured in my mind. I must have it finished before May 1 in order to send the photos off to Sandi so she can get all the critters ready for the Fantasy Ball. It starts May 31st. I am really looking forward to it!

Clearance...

Sorry for not posting for a couple of weeks. The days just seem to whiz by. I have one more piece to finish for the Fantasy Ball...just waiting for some felt and wool to arrive. I had a lot of fun dying the fur for this last piece. I tried something a little different this time but you will have to wait and see. Everything for the Ball has to be kept under wraps til the day of the ball. I will post a sneak peek collage when it gets closer.
In trying to disperse the crowding in the critter room I have put several critters in my artfire shop at greatly reduced prices. Some have already found new homes but there are still a few that would love a change of scenery. The three in the photo are still available.
We are having a yard sale tomorrow(more decluttering). Still have to do the sales tax returns for the first quarter but income taxes are done. Hopefully, I will try to post more often but life is busy.

Finally

This has been the coldest winter on record for this part of Florida. Today was the first day we have been even close to our average high. I enjoyed the warmth by sitting by the pool and sewing for awhile. The pool looked really good and hopefully it won't be too long before we can get in. The rest of the week looks even warmer....yay!!! Time to come out of the winter doldrums and get busy. For me that means working off some winter weight. This getting old means the pounds seem to add up faster and I want to be able to wear the shorts I wore last year. I have been busy working on critters for the Fantasy Ball and the ACDA awards. I can't reveal anything yet but if fantasy critters are your thing keep an eye out. I want some multi colored fur for one critter and have been unable to find it. I think I might have to experiment with tie dying. Spring fever is the best and I feel it coming on.....Welcome Spring!!