Birds

I've decided to take a little break from fabric and venture back into clay. I'm making birds.

I had small, whimsical birds in mind--in primary colors--that would make a pleasant arrangement on the mantel. But clay can be finicky and unpredictable sometimes. What you had in mind isn't always what you end up with. I think I've got a robin here--a chubby little guy who will need to stand alone. And, darn it, he's going to require a more challenging paint job than just red, blue or yellow.

He's probably going to need sturdier legs than these--my first attempt at bending and twisting wire into bird feet.

Maybe I'll just add them to the curio thingie. They'll be an interesting conversation piece if nothing else.

In other birdish news.....on Sunday I spotted a momma duck and her 8 little ducklings parading along in front of a neighbor's garage. Mr. Gadget, in his excitement, closed in a little too closely with his camera and forced momma to take flight at full squawk. I warned him to take cover as she circled overhead.

See the babies over to the left by the sprinkler head? This cute little huddle of ducklings--all squeaking harmoniously--made their way across the next driveway and headed toward the river. And I'm happy to report momma soon caught up.

I'm out of bird stories for now, unless you want me to talk about the chicken I cooked for dinner last night. It was very juicy and tasty, and there are leftovers for tonight. Most of you know I'm a fan of chickens. I've stitched a few in my time. Just so you know, it wasn't one from my collection. And for those of you who might be entertaining evil thoughts......no, it was NOT a duck....

Card shark

Last night I went to a cardmaking workshop at the local library. I wasn't planning to attend until the library sent out a second notice saying there were still spaces available. It would do me good, I decided, to get out of the house for something other than grocery shopping and medical appointments.

I spent the first part of the two-hour workshop walking around aimlessly, looking at sample books and cardmaking supplies that were pleasantly displayed on long tables. Where was the teacher, I wondered, who was going to show us the ins and outs of cardmaking? Soon I figured out there wasn't one, but the children's librarian--who had cardmaking experience and, who knows, maybe even finger painting-- would be on hand to help if we had questions. I continued circling and chipmunking--and briefly considered returning home to watch a baseball game instead--and finally decided maybe I'd just dive in.

I passed on the op to make an actual greeting card and decided instead to make gift tags. I ignored the silly-edged scissors and the embossing gadgets. After all, I'm a simple-minded gal. And after all that chipmunking, I had to do something on the quick. I'm still in the process of coloring the ladybugs. They'll all be red except for that one rebel. It'll be the perfect tag for one of my friends in particular. On the inside, I'll write: "You are weird," I mean, "You are special."

In other news, I finished Lois.

Here's a close-up of her feet:

Next up on the sewing table is an angel, and then maybe a bee. I'm still feeling a little buggy.

And speaking of cards, Porch Poker Lady definitely has the better hand this year. I'm so far out of her league, I've decided not even to play. No one would ever mistake me for a card shark. I'm more of a card guppy. I hope I never end up like my late father-in-law who was such a sore loser--or so I've heard---that he'd routinely tear up his cards and stomp out the door.

Remembering

I love these little clips. I keep them in the Treehouse to help me remember stuff.

Sometimes it's just the routine stuff.

Other times....well.....they help to jog my short-term memory. I'm getting older, you know. Come to think of it, my short-term memory wasn't all that good when I was younger either.

Too bad I didn't have these helpful little clips when I REALLY needed them.

And lookee here! Someone got her wings:

Here are the particulars. I had a scrap of greenish frog fabric that seemed to complement the other colors nicely. I used one strand of embroidery floss and a running stitch for the wing swirls. I wired the wings so they would keep their shape and stand up nicely. This is my first attempt at wing-wiring and it seems to be working fine....so far. Let's just hope she doesn't get a notion to try them out.

Going buggy

Moving on, I've shifted my focus to flying insects. This ladybug (who told me her name is Lois) is still in process, and I feared she might be headed for a time-out while I pondered accessories. What is it about ladybugs? They like to taunt me.
Fairly quickly I hit upon this idea for the collar. Ladybugs can make quite a fashion statement with polka dots and tulle. And now I'll stew over the wing issue which is always a challenge because just what color are ladybug wings anyway?

I'm sure I'll come up with something. In the meantime, gotta run. Tech Guy and Big City Girl are enroute.

Making light of it

Uncle Sam is finished and taking a short break from his post on the table in our entryway.

One of the things I like best about this doll style is that they can be posed in a variety of ways....pigeon-toed, a dainty little ankle-cross, or a more manly look with a foot over a knee. The half-pound of weighted pellets in the nether regions gives them a nice, firm base. And with a good foundation, a doll can have an attitude. Like this, for instance:

("That sty is sooo not my style!")

Or this: ("Where's that martini I ordered?")

Or this one:

("You think it's easy flying around the yard all day?")

I'm pleased with Uncle Sam's hat.

It's made from a medium-weight cotton and painted. I love the whole idea of primitive because nothing has to be precise. Like those stripes, for instance. Sometimes I achieve this primitive effect from painting in the almost-dark because I can't be bothered to get up and turn on the light. If I'm lucky, I finish before Mr. Gadget goes on his evening lamp patrol. He's ever-vigilant in his quest to light up my life.

Just hangin'

Mr. Gadget and I are spending a quiet Memorial Day weekend at home. Today we finally got around to hanging some pictures on our naked dining room wall. This was the final step in a long process mostly due to my procrastinating.

I purchased frames and mattes, and had some of our travel photos enlarged. Mr. Gadget got his picture-hanging gadgets out--the most important one being the level--and we collaborated. He operated the tools and I provided the eyeball assessment. The result is what I call a pleasant gallery arrangement. Here's a better look:

That's Copenhagen on top, Funchal (Madeira) and Barcelona.

After the picture-hanging event ended, I decided to assemble my new as-seen-on-TV Smart Mop. I was sucked in by its promise of "no bending over."

What a relief to finally throw my old stupid mop in the dumpster. Well, not so fast. I think I'll keep it till I make sure the smart one has the IQ its makers promise. It is kinda cute, though, with it's yellow flouncy skirt.

And since this blog post has no real rhyme or reason, other than to keep me busy while Mr. Gadget is watching a bunch of science shows, here's something I've been thinking of doing. I think I'll go down to the emergency room at the local hospital and conduct a survey. I'd like to know what percentage of patients who visit the ER have injuries they've received trying to get into the hard plastic packaging on all manner of products these days. It just doesn't seem right that one must have a hack saw to open a package of deli turkey.

I have to hand it to those Smart Mop folks and their colorful cardboard box with the easy-open top. They really understand that when a gal's gotta mop nothing should stand in her way.

Sugar-free dessert

Now that bathing-suit season is almost here, I decided I'd better get serious....again..... about the diet. This required, among other things, a trip to Knitter's heaven earlier this week with other Marcia to purchase some low-cal snacks.

Some yarn for sock knitting should be just the thing to keep my hands busy and out of harm's way. Maneuvering 4 small knitting needles requires various degrees of concentration. There should be little time for grazing in the pasture, I mean raiding the fridge.

You may be wondering why I haven't mentioned the unfinished crocheted afghan, the simmering food quilt, or the trunk full of pesky, half-knitted sweaters. Those qualify as fall and winter knitting, so they can be postponed.

Remember the cat doll I was working on whose tail I had misplaced? I consulted my Ouija Board, found it, and finished him. I also penciled in some stripes. I should say, hints of stripes. I also did a little fix-up on Phyllis the pig. I did away with the vintage silver beads and gave her some pearls. She's a class act. Well, at least she thinks she is and who am I to argue with a pig?

I'm also working on another Uncle Sam--this one for the table in our entryway. Today I cut out and stitched his hat, bow tie and flag. He should be ready for his debut right after Memorial Day. I guess it would be tacky to put a little price tag on him, wouldn't it?

Happy Hour

Over the weekend I discovered there's no better nor more efficient way to announce Happy Hour in the condo neighborhood than with some well-placed bubbles. Mr. Gadget and I....well, maybe it was just me...heh...heh....decided to test this method on Saturday. Almost immediately, our next-door neighbors--The Ones Who Garden (not to be confused with Porch Poker Lady)-- came over with martinis.

On Sunday, after they had apparently decided I needed something more powerful with farther-reaching capabilites, the gardeners gifted me with this:

Boy, did I have some fun out there on the back deck reverting to childish behavior, I mean harking back to my youth. Mr. Gadget even had to call me in when it started getting dark.

Lookee here! It's a bubble with the image of Louisiana. I'm thinking I could sell it on eBay for some big bucks! Oooops! Too late.....

Celebration

We've had lots to celebrate here at the Macaroni headquarters. We even indulged in a marguerita toast. That's because Mr. Gadget finished the curio thingie.

Here, he makes one last measurement before affixing it to the Treehouse.

Monkey tries on his cubby for size and ponders who his neighbors might be. He hopes they will be quiet and dignified, and will offer him an occasional dinner invitation.

It's a perfect fit. That's because Mr. Gadget has an assortment of gadgets for accurate measuring.

It eagerly awaits the arrival of curios.And here it is, in full flower one might say. I wasn't sure I'd have sufficient curios to max out the thingie, but fortunately I had some yarn balls, thread spools, a couple of thimbles and some flower pots to serve as stand-ins until more qualified curios could be found. Traveling is a good way to procure curios, don't you think? I must start planning.

Meanwhile, I'm going to consider new projects for Mr. Gadget. He's rather harmless when he's in his basement workshop--with the efficient buffer-zone between us. Oh, I'm just kidding of course! I was so tickled with the curio thingie that, as a thank-you, I told him he could grill me a burger for dinner.

Back in the barnyard

I'm still here in the barnyard and all I can say is I'm sure glad I don't have to step over any cow pies. I'm not much of a farm gal. I don't mind a nice little petting zoo, but I'm not interested in rubbing shoulders--or any other of my body parts--with cows and pigs and chickens.

I'm pretty sure my cousin Gary is the reason for my dislike of all-things-farm. When I was growing up in southern California, my aunt and uncle had a small farm east of town and we used to go visit. That was before freeways, so we had to travel on surface streets--which usually prompted my sister and I to sing several verses of Are We There Yet?
Cousin Gary, who was a few years older than I, had a flock of chickens, a donkey and a couple of goats. He was also quite fond of practical jokes. On one of our visits, I took a walk out near the goat pen where he was milking a goat. And it wasn't long before I felt something warm dripping down my face. Gary had sprayed me with goat milk. That was the last time I set foot on a farm, as best I can remember.

I'm not averse to sewing farm animals though. They have no threatening bodily functions nor do they smell. They don't attract flies and bugs either. I can decide to put one on if I so choose--which I did on this cow. See the ladybug on his neck scarf? This particular embellishment was added to cover up a hot glue spill. No one will every know.

Now that I think of it, there was one good thing about those old visits to the farm. My uncle always made peach ice cream in his hand-crank ice cream freezer. I've always been a sucker for ice cream, especially homemade, so I was always first in line for a dishful. Unless, of course, goat boy was nearby.

My trip up the road

I've been known to procrastinate. I've even done a fair amount of chipmunking. But yesterday I decided to turn over a new leaf. I finally called the doll lady--someone I'd been referred to by folks at a local appraisal fair. For years my mother's doll has been sitting in a back closet....naked, with a bad wig.

A sweet old lady answered the phone. I love calling elder people because they usually always answer and I don't have to deal with voice mail--that bottomless pit of despair. It's so refreshing. She insisted I bring dolly right over.

"We're just up the road," she said. "You can't miss us. It's the house with all the birdhouses on the front porch."

So dolly and I set off down the road, and oh how I wish I was more brazen with my camera. The house was a treasure--a colonial, built in the 1700's, with creaky, uneven wood floors and lots of rooms and plenty of musty smell. It had character. Not to mention, dolls in every nook and cranny. There was a whole neighborhood of birdhouses too, just like she said, and none with a vacancy.

She and her husband, who identified himself as the doll doctor, took a look at dolly and told me a few things about her. She was probably made sometime around 1920. Her eyes used to blink, but a peek inside her head (doc did an abbreviated autopsy) revealed they had been opened and fixed with plaster at one time. Her wig was likely not original because black hair would have been very unusual on a doll of this kind. And, sadly, she isn't a rare doll--as the original appraiser hinted at based on her markings, but just an average dolly of her day.

They suggested I might insure her, but as with most things today the market isn't what it used to be. I'd be better off, they said, to clean her up, fluff up her hair, and dress her in something nice so she can be displayed.

So now I'm wondering what Grandma ("Oh my stars!") Ferna would do. She used to make clothes for my dolls on her old treadle machine. She'd fold some fabric, lay the doll down on it, and snip, snip, snip. In no time at all, a pretty new dolly dress would appear.

Could I possibly work some of that same kind of grandma magic? Just fold and snip and sew? I guess it's worth a try. I've certainly got plenty of fabric, and I don't have to treadle like she did. I wonder what she'd say if she knew? Oh wait. I think I hear her whispering something in my ear now.

"Oh, for pity's sake!"

Hamming it up

Oh my stars--as my Grandma Ferna used to say. The Treehouse is starting to look like a pigpen. Maybe I should go ahead and make the cow doll I already have cut out and then just do a total barnyard clean-up.

Good thing Sister Mary Rebellious has her back turned to the whole mess.No telling what damage she could do with a well-placed ruler, and I guess she'd be within her rights--what with me being such an irresponsible dollmaker and all...

My plan was to put a nice ruffled clown-style collar on this porker, but it wouldn't have worked well with the mouth being so low on the face. I really should learn to plan ahead. That's probably worth another ruler whack. I always seem to jump into things with little or no planning and then have to pay the price. In this case, I decided the beads and boa would do. Then a little eye shadow was in order. No earrings though. No sense going hog-wild.

In other news, Mr. Gadget has been hard at work on my curio thingie.

Unlike me, Mr. Gadget always plans ahead. Notice that precise drawing he's working from? No Sister Mary whacks for him.

"What's for dinner?" he asked, as I observed his fine woodworking skills.

"Oh, I don't know," I said. "But for some reason, I've got a real hankerin' for some navy beans and ham."