Handmade Thank You

I got a card from Tech Guy yesterday thanking me for sending the ice cream cake to his office for his birthday. He's a pretty good cartoonist, and he knows I love getting things that are handmade. He's also under the impression that we are spending a lot of time at the beach. Not so. It has been chilly here in Cali (as he calls it, but we natives would never refer to it that way). The one day we went to the beach, it was so foggy we couldn't see the water.

Both Tech Guy and Big City Girl are creative and artistic. I like to think I was a good role model. At least I gave them lots of opportunity. Hubby would bring home stacks of computer paper (stuff that was printed on one side and ready for the dumpster). They drew and colored all kinds of things. When I was a kid, my dad, who was an architect, used to bring home old blueprints. I could draw really big things on the backs of those. I still remember the strong ammonia smell that came from the printing process.

I draw many of my own patterns for the dolls I make. With the bean bag dolls, I start with a basic pattern for the base of the doll and the jumpsuit, and then I design heads, hands and feet for each of the characters. The ideas for embellishments come to me usually while I'm doing something else--like ironing or grocery shopping. The Red Hat Lady is one of my favorites, with her knitted boa and red shoes with fishnet stockings. I've also made a cute Leprechaun--but you'll have to wait til St. Patty's Day to see that!

Besides encouraging my children to draw, I nagged them endlessly to write thank-you notes for gifts they received over the years. So it's especially gratifying to receive a "no-nagging-necessary" thank you note in the mail. Thank you Tech Guy for the Thank You!

And on another note, I was too hasty in my gloating about the picture posting. The second attempt was a stressful "hair-pulling-out" episode. I'll get it though, and when I do, I'll pass along some tips. I hear there are others who are Blogger-challenged. Thanks for sharing!