Yes, the tree is still up!

If I had my way I'd leave it up all year 'round.  But, then...I'd have to dust it.  So... can't.

Bernie found a buddy to sit with him and stare at the sparklies.

I've been taking a few more shots of my little origami ornaments that I love so much... because, well, just because....................there is nothing but drywall dust and mess everywhere else.

Tomorrow....the tree may have to come down.... amidst helping hold up cross bars for a suspended ceiling in the tv room downstairs....sigh..yes, still renovating....this time on a previously finished room.  The ceiling was drywall.  Painted in some areas and stippled in others.  And, a nuisance for trying to fish wires through between the floor joists of the upstairs and ceiling down here...even when we put some of the stereo wiring in tubes prior to doing that ceiling several years ago.  And, we did have it figured out pretty well too. But ......

Last year, the upstairs reno caused problems ... because the guys who did the heating and ducting weren't very careful, and, in trying to make things fit "their way", squeezed the cables and wires between pipes making it impossible to move them unless we took things apart down here.   Dammit anyway.  So, Somebunny decided on Boxing Day that we must re-do the ceiling.

I resisted.

Two days later.....we were tearing down the ceiling.

Five hours later..we were vacuumning, and tearing off poly and cleaning up the mess.... man, we're good.  And, well we should be too.  Been doing our own renovations on this house for over 28 years now.   Miraculously, we didn't make any mess on the carpet.  Well, not miraculously really ... we were just our usual careful selves.  We seem to be the only ones who don't wreck our own stuff.  Gotta love tarps, drop cloths and taking care.

Today we are removing unused wires...running a few new ones for the tv in my exercise room, so I can move it to another wall.  To make it easier to get at the wiring behind the cupboard door on which it has hung for the past few years.  We are getting too old to be hefting it on and off the bracket holding it on the cupboards.... and it is just too awkward to get at the wiring even with it off there....so move it.  Re-do the wiring.  Re-make new cupboard doors ... oh, and remake another box for the projector before we can pu tup the new ceiling... so, now ..in freezing weather ..the garage needs cleaning and we have to move a huge work bench into position where the car usually is... in order to have something to work on to build boxes....

off I go to clean, move furniture and move stuff..............see ya later....

And, I don't wanna hear no laffin' and snickerin' from family and folks who know me.....  you know who you are.  You've known me and my ongoing situation with dear Mr. BV and his penchant for demolition and rebuilding for many years...well, ALWAYS .... ...it's a sickness...what can I say?  And, I do still love him.  We are the only couple we know who does renovations and manages to stay together.  At least he isn't off gambling, carousing or anything like that....I always know exactly where he is......sigh....... ....


I wanna play with pretty things.

Scooter has his way....

I thought Karen liked pockets... but this guy... honestly... he found every bit of loose frill and anything that looked like a pocket was fair game for a dive into and play around inside....

"Good thing I'm your skinny bear "...

"ooooh, a frilly corner"...

"Hey!  This one's upside down" ..

"Guess it's okay this way.... I can sit under it like a big parasol"...

"Wheeeee....  knees up Mother Brown, knees up Moth.... huh?... I'm off key? ... oh.... alright then...I'ma hums quietly ".....  ....

"Kind of short mountains...only me feet fit inside these little guys"...

"I thought I'd be able to climb right inside this silk pouch...but, no.... only feet again.... it's stitched down on the bottom...."

"yoohoo... here I am ..hiding under this little flap with it's pretty flower trim..."...

Late bloomer

This cactus bloomed before Christmas .... it is Canadian...but, it usually blooms around American Thanksgiving ... I forget now when that is ...but, about a month before Christmas.

Posie was pretty impressed.

... but, I think she was more interested in this bit of gold fabric... is it 'silk tissue'?  Taffeta? ..

Poor cactus is in such poor soil and hardly any at that.  I'm a terrible person to my plants .... sigh .. no wonder they don't do major blooming like my sister's plants do.  She even re-pots hers and replenishes soil from time to time... practically unheard of around here I have to say.  This year.... I must do it.














Anyway... over a week ago I noticed a tiny pink bud and began to watch it ... gave it a big drink of water and lo and behold...one solitary beautiful flower appeared over the past few days ...















Gwendolyn really is quite thrilled with it ... honestly, .... she is ........ it's just a bit difficult to tell sometimes..........

Share a smile Friday...

... hahahha.... this is great.... don't even have to dream up a catchy title for this posting... although, I'm not usually at a loss for that ....
Take a look at Annie's site for the Smiles that are being shared ....... Who can't use another smile?  If you have some fun thing to share ... why not join in ?  Let's get it growing....

Twiglet's post today has the same guy as I'm going to show you ..... ....but, I think he's worth a second glance, and no, I'm not talking nekkid 'boy toy' or anything like that ....

although, having said that he is naked save for his little ribbon tie.....

Please meet Tanner.

Needle felted for a swap in which he went to live in England... a long trip for such a little guy, but I think he was almost glad to be away from this bird.

"Should I move a bit further from this bluebird guy?"

"How can I look cute if he is always there behind me?"

"Listen up ya silly bird...... get lost!"  "This is my 15 minutes".

"Brother...... can't a guy get even one single minute of personal space?"  ... pout.................................

WOYWW

....ahhhh...finally I can reveal the rest of the secret to those WOYWWers that stopped by during the "unavailability" days  ..... the secret that Olaf was guarding so zealously several Wednesdays ago.

If you want to know what WOYWW is all about ...check it out sometime over at Julia's .  The list is long and the ATC exchange is about to happen too....excitement all 'round.

So ...anyway...back to the story.  Sorry... longer than most people like to look at or read...but, it is mostly photos anyway.... please scroll on.... and on..... you'll love their little faces, I promise.

The last two little bears have found their forever homes....

This little guy is the only one who stayed in Canada...and he found his way to Dolores...who was one of my 4 Pay It Forward recipients.  (from over 2 years ago if you know the story.. and it is only supposed to be one year..so they were definitely all surprised!)
Now ... she will find some who want to play Pay It Forward and they will do the same and on it goes.... little gifties winging their way around the world.

She has named him Rusty..and blogged about his arrival here.... True Blue Canadian...

He had a lot of fun playing in his papers....

choosing just the right ones.... getting all comfy and making sure he could streeetttchh... right out...all 2 inches of him... if that.......

And, this little girl, all by herself ... found her way to Anne in Scotland... and for some reason I never did a pic of her playing in the papers... but, I got one of her before she was complete....

sorry little girl... almost like showing you nekkid....

your little arms were teeensy....and it was dangerous work..... for me!

Here they are just before getting on planes.... wondering how far they would be flying and how it would all work out.  They were pretty nervous ... but, they got all comfy in their little tissue-for-blankies and off they went...so brave.

Group hug.

Awwww... what fun it was making them and for me...the best part is...my arm/hand/elbow is once again finally able to do some needle felting!  I'm a happy felter!.  It's not perfect..but, if I work at it a bit at a time...I can still make some little guys.  Boy, does that feel great.

Another little bear...

who successfully found his way across the ocean...  and through a mail slot...hahahha.... what fun!  The second  of 4 Pay It Forwards that I've owed for over two years now.

Shashi is a dollmaker and artist who volunteered all that time ago to play the game.  And, now... is offering to Pay It Forward from her blog as well...so if you want to play along...please visit her to let her know.  You will receive a little gift from her and in return pay it forward yourself with another little gift. It is supposed to take place within one year from the original date... but, as you know...I'm late.  But, what fun it is ...seeing little gifts flying all over the world...connecting us all with some love and fun.

This little guy is needle felted from Canadian wool raised and carded right here in Alberta.  It is a warm, natural, white Romney wool.  His little eyes are black onyx beads and his nose embroidered.  I plucked some tufts from a natural white chunk of mohair and needled them into his head along with some softly needled bits of the longer Romney for 'hair' as well as a bit on his body for that fluffy look that I like for my little guys. .... he has a little tie of silk.

Peek a boo.  Is this my paper? I want something comfy to travel in....

Feels reeeelly soft.....

... and I love the colour....yep....it's comfy alright.... this is the one.......

Definitely...this is the one.

Pay It Forward

Finally, I can tell you!!

Well, I can tell you about something.  One thing. Because it was delivered.

Olaf was helping me guard the completion, wrapping and sending of this little gal.

She went to live in England.... with Dilly St. George ..her brother Bob The Bear, Esq....and, all the other bears ... there are lots...window-sill bears and cupboard bears and all sorts ... you must go see some day.... .. and of course, their Mom... who makes lovely cards.

Two years ago, she and Dilly... who is a green Dragon, offered to play my Pay It Forward game.  I can't believe it took me that long to get around to making and sending.  I do have excuses ...honest I do.... including surgeries and injuries to arms, hands and elbows...which did interfere....but, really!.... I feel bad.  And...I'm so happy to note that all 4 of my ladies that offered to play actually still visit my blog regularly and still are blog buddies.  Thank you ladies!  I love you all!

I was giggling away thinking how much fun it would be to see the looks on their faces when something arrived and they were not expecting any mail or hadn't ordered anything ...and then...huh?  Who the heck is this from?  ... and, what is it? ...... oh, drat...how I wish I had a transporter or blast pack or ..something...  just so I could be there on the porch when they get their mail !

On to the reason behind a pink bear.  Dilly loves pink.  Anything pink  She reeeellly loves pink.  So, I decided to try to mimic a little pink bear I had made for myself years ago.  I still have her.

She is made from tufts plucked from a chunk of rayon fabric... this fabric.  It is total silliness.

Back when I began making little wool tufts into bears ... I wondered if anything other than wool could be needle felted ...and so I plucked out some tufts with tweezers...

mixed and fluffed them between my fingers

 ...and .... started stabbing.  Yes,  It could be felted!  Now I was doing crazy things.... even tried what is known as "throwster's waste" ... I hadn't heard the term til then...but, it is the bits of thread hanging off the edges of fraying fabric..ahhaha...I'm a total nut job.  Yes...I am and I know it.  It's okay.

I made this little guy with that stuff...

Back to this bear.... ..soon I had a head almost the shape I was looking for ...then embroidered a nose... and stuck in some cute little test eyes....  awwww......
I'm a sap.  How I love a cute little face.  I didn't want to name her ..just kept referring to her as little pink girl... and telling her I knew her Mom would name her .... as soon as she got there...

Then I had to give her a little bit of something pretty for her 'hair' didn't I ? .... some ribbons and a few stamens did the trick... (she is still just pinned together here...see the pin sticking out of her arm) .... I knew Dilly would be thrilled with pink ribbons.

All done.   Now, where the heck is a photo of her little white toesies..so I can show you ....hmmmm....

Aha...there it is .... big feet....little white toesies...done from plucked tufts of white rayon.

this is the fabric I used to make my poodles.... remember those?  naaaw...the new viewers won't.... here is one of those....

What fun it's been to hear how Dilly loves her little girl bear .. and she's named her Lavender Lily Lilac.... LA-LI-LA for short...hahhah..... oh, boy.... I always have the most fun knowing people enjoy these little creatures.....

I need to get busy and make some more....