..can't win....

One day it's hot...the next cool.... and it was hot too early...so all the bushes are flowering early.  Look at this .... my  neighbour's double flowering plum.  Well, I think that's what it is. Beeeyoootiful!

Today it was cooler after raining off and on through the night....but, warm enough for golf!  Hah!  So... golfing I went.  My old guys are pretty hardy... plus as they say... who knows how many games they have left so they go rain or shine.  They tell me they don't even buy bananas if they are green...then they laugh their heads off.  They also mention that I better show up every Wednesday too...or else.  One of them will be 91 in a few months...they are amazing old gaffers....

Tonight it is much cooler... some sprinkling...and tomorrow..rain and cooler yet.  Darn it.  I wanted to get busy and plant things.  Usually I don't dare put anything in pots or in the ground before this weekend...which is a long weekend.  As a matter of fact, this is the first long weekend of the summer and everybody and their dogs go camping...and usually get a dusting of snow on their tents..or camper and RV's....hardly anybody actually tents anymore it seems.  Just as well.

Anyway...it is going to be slightly cooler for a few days...but, not cold.  So...I may take a chance and put things in early...

See why I drive my old cargo van?  I need plenty of room.... for all sorts....

oh, let me get a bit closer...

Trees, shrubs, dirt, fertilizer spreader box of wine, flowers, plants, herbs... the list goes on.  We had some shrubs die two years ago...and have been dogging it... didn't get anything planted in the holes we made digging them out.  Tsk, tsk.... this year, the yard will  look a lot better.... and I still need to order some dirt.  Imagine having to order dirt.  Brother.  But... our gardens are getting "tired"...more mulch, compost and even some new dirt is necessary to get things back to where they should be.  I wish my sister lived closer...she makes great dirt.  By composting.... and it's got great horsey manure in it... ooohhh...now that would be good stuff....

I even got me some herbs this year.... Thyme, Rosemary and some Basil... I'm not exactly sure how to grow them...or where I'm going to put them...but, last year I grew little chili peppers for the first time...and they did great!  so... I hope....

Yup.... I do indeed put an ice cube in my wine on occasion.  My Mom and Aunt used to do it all the time... their thought was...it seemed like more..it went further...and it was lovely and cold! Works for me.  I'm not a connoisseur ...but I know what I like.... and that's what I drink. Now, where's that darn sun!?  Maybe I'll wait another week before I plant anything..it'll be fine in pots til then....

Photo a Week

I declare it summer!!  As usual in this area.... we jump straight from snow and cold to +27C ... too hot too soon!  We just have no easing into it..  No spring to wear the cute little booties I bought... darn it.  Now ..it's sandal weather already.  Well, it was earlier today.  Then, at supper time it kicked up rough.  Wind, rain and thunder.  So, I shut down the computer for a few hours til the weather blew itself out.  Now... sunny and calm as can be.  The house is up to +24.5C so I have all the windows open to cool things down a bit before bed.

Our theme this week is our work space.  First... let me show you this sweet, clean looking little vignette.  Why am I showing you this? ......

You'll know soon enough.......

Here's my favourite corner of my craft room as I call it.  It's tidy and organized and I think it looks pretty.  See how I moved my cute little 10 cent garage sale blue vase into the room as I wandered in to take some photos?  That's one of my little snowdrop anemones from my garden... dozens of them in bloom already.  Even if we have the shortest growing season in the world once things get going... they go!  They all know they have to hurry up or else... yeh, I am dawdling....... standing in the doorway... not really wanting to take the pics I guess...but,  here we go...


.......I resisted the urge to even tidy....so, here it is looking at the big picture .... squint a bit and it looks okay...sorta.....

I usually just shove some stuff to one side or the other ... and use about one square foot of space to play in.  Or.... take a handful of stuff out to the kitchen and sit there.  I do love my special room... really I do.  And, I appreciate it.  It's just weird how I gravitate back to the kitchen most days.  Of course, a lot of days I am also keeping an eye on some baking so there is a reason.  And..also... the sun streams in through the kitchen windows...and the birdies are playing in the patio and the birdie bath and little fountain is burbling....  I'm just a spoiled brat I guess.  I have two places to sit.... so.... I do!

I bought a wall to wall Ikea table for the area.  It is a bump out with windows...and the table with both leaves in fits it perfectly.  You can see that I need all the space I can get .... cuz I like to spread my stuff around.  I don't believe in putting everything away in between my visits to this room... I'll just have to spend an hour finding it when I come back anyway.  And...if it is long time...well, for sure I'll forget where I put it.

Oh, I've got lots of stuff in drawers, cupboards and tote bins too... under the table and on the top shelves of my walk in closet which is just between this room and my bedroom, and in the linen cupboard and in the big storage area under this very room.  Sigh.  As a matter fact, when we first began our renovations...this room was going to be a sitting room off the master bedroom.  But..it quickly became a junk room...and then... I decided I need a craft room instead ..so we re-organized stuff..bought the table, a desk and a barrister bookcase and curio cabinet.  All the dolls and a lot of bears are in this room...the little guys and a couple more dolls are in the front room. .. and the foyer...and the... oh, alright..they are everywhere in this house!

Even if I'm not very prolific with the doll and bear making, I don't usually sell them...so the numbers are beginning to add up.....

That is a coffee table sitting in front of the bookcase... blocking the doorway to the bedroom and closet.... I have no room for it... wanna buy a coffee table...cheap?

Back to the work surfaces...

Maggi says she can tell a former dental assistant lives here....

My family lives here too...in the corner.... nowhere else to put this many photos.  So, they're forced to hang out with me while I hang out...

If I was still dental assisting and left my chores undone this long?...I'd have been fired out on my ass.
You know that old saying .... a stitch in time saves 9? ...hahhaha.... This poor little apron has been waiting months sitting patiently on top of the machine  ...maybe even 9 months now.  ...for that stitch.  And believe me...it is only about a row of 9 stitches it needs!  Acckkkkk....terrible!  That's it, I'm fired!

There is a desk under all that... but, it usually looks pretty much like this....

Maybe tomorrow I will tidy a bit... oh...nope...can't... it's Wednesday.  Golfing with my old dudes.  Well, if it isn't raining.

Okay..if it rains, I tidy.

What fun!

Everybody needs an extra giggle or a good laugh...and poor old Lyle definitely provided that didn't he?  I loved making him. Especially enjoyed all the comments.... what fun.  And... I have to say... I'm no sculptor.... anybody can do this.  Dawn makes it easy with lots of photos and great instructions.  It is like a paint by number project... using bits and bobs of clay instead of brushes and paint.  Although..you do use some brushes too! and paint....
I think I need to look for a few more shells.  Manly man shells........ no more frilly bonnets.

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And, speaking of bear making.... we weren't? ..oh.....

Sage and Otis had fun getting ready to fly to Ontario.  They were giggling and jumping in and out of tissue paper.

Arranging it just so in their little bags.....

Enjoying the whole procedure....

ahhhh....got it..... that's perfect now.......

Sage disappeared...down deep into pinks and yellows....

She mentioned how dark it was...but, that she thought it would be perfect for sleeping all the way there on the plane .....

...and murmured something about how her pretty tissue was like special sheets....  and so comfy.....

These two are headed to Ontario for a silent auction in aid of the Primrose Donkey Sanctuary.  If you would like to place a bid for either of them... email me ( vphilion@telus.net) with the amount and I will make sure it is entered on the appropriate bid sheet.  The top bidder (including all the attendees as well as the online bidders) wins the bear.... but nobody knows who that is till the end of the day.  Why not put in a bid and see if yours is the winning bid?   You could win a cute little needle felted bear and help a great cause.  Serious bidders only, please.

If you want to know more about Sheila and the sanctuary ..  my special little cause...... click the direct link on my sidebar near the top....

Sage is 2.5 inches, felted from hand dyed New Zealand Romney wool.  She has black onyx bead eyes, an embroidered nose and wears a little garland of tiny flowers.  She is string jointed for gentle posing.

Otis is a whopping 3.25 inches... felted from Natural Alberta Romney wool.  He has black onyx bead eyes and an embroidered nose.  He wears a turquoise glass bead around his neck...I don't know why, but he stole it from my bead bowl one day and insisted on carrying it around....

beyond curious....

Those were Judi's words as she wondered what I was up to with the shells.... and.... well... he is definitely that alright@!

I totally forgot to take some photos as I was putting on the clay... but, first most of the opening was filled with softened (as well as I could get it softened... ) older clay.  It is great for using up the clay that we just hate to toss.   You know the stuff... getting a bit hard or crumbly and is just no good anymore for sculpting, but, for some silly reason we refuse to throw it out.

Then... cover that with a thin piece of new soft clay and begin to lay on the various bits and blobs and start to make them look like a little face.

He is one of Dawn Schiller's Odd Fae and Autumn Things ..  she calls them Hermit Shellfae.

Little Sage wondered what the heck he was too... although he didn't scare her because I did try to give him a kind face even if he is a bit strange and different.  Sure...he's a bit different than any of my other stuff...but, hey...a person has to try "different" every so often.
                                                                                                    



I have to say though.... next time I must try for a more manly-man shell.  I still have to stifle a snicker every so often because he just looks to me like a little old man wearing a frilly pink baby bonnet!  I'm sure he would disagree.

Okay... by the end of the day....the silliness began.

My shell was pretty fragile...can you believe Michael's still made me pay for it? ...although I did get a discount. The back portion of it began crumbling a bit around a small hole that was already there.  Then, ..... somebody suggested that perhaps I should put some clay in the opening to help hold things together... and maybe even make it a portion of his anatomy sticking out of the hole..... because it would be funny....and that was it.  Well, that and the wine....

So, I made him a bum.  Giggling all the while.......

After baking his face portion....I added the hand... because it was too awkward for me to put the fingers up against the face while the clay of the face was still soft.  Not that my clay is ever "too" soft.  I definitely don't have what they refer to as "hot hands" when working with clay.  Apparently some people have hands so warm that the clay is very soft all the time.  I wish.  Mine never seems to move that easily or feel soft to me, but I wasn't going to risk it after spending hours on his face.

There was more baking .... and then there was painting...with acrylic paints....

And... then... a bit more painting on the reverse...just to give it a bit of colour too...

and voila....

Lyle appeared

and has taken up residence in his favourite plant pot....

Some days he doesn't feel very chatty...and just turns his other cheek.....er...cheeks......

I dunno.... my other shell is pretty BIG...I might not want to make a huge Hermit...but, we'll see.

here is Dawn's Hermit... see what I mean about a more manly shell?

..and look at this cute little one....awww... I love him... you can put them in any shell..... this one is no bigger than Dawn's thumb.... you can check out some of her others at her site ...

Photo a Week

Aackk!  It's Tuesday.. almost Wednesday already.  Our theme for this week... (we usually post the photo on Monday)... was something "Mom" in keeping with it having been Mother's Day weekend.

My weekend days were totally confused with Mr. BV being away ... and when I picked him up at the airport I was thinking it was Sunday...and sort of had it in my mind to pretend it was too... because he missed our Sunday here... so I made a little chicken for dinner...and then...well I reeeeelly did think it was Sunday!  So, of course, Monday went by and then all of a sudden here it is Tuesday ... hahahah .... oh, well...

I decided not to whine this year about my Mom being gone.   Not that I don't miss her all the time...but, who needs to hear more whining...and ...well, I guess I was lucky to have her for as long as I did.  I have one friend who lost her Mom when she was only 9 .... that really makes me think how lucky was I?

My Mom always loved little things... which was good, because we couldn't afford much in the early days and she got very little of anything.  All the shops were full of flowers and when I saw this cute, tiny orchid, I decided to get it in memory of Mom.   She would have loved it.
I don't know anything about orchids... and they had no info on it...which I found strange...but, I'll google it and see what it says.

The colours are absolutely beautiful....

Okay...this is amusing.... that large one? ....is a faux orchid.  Plastics.... but, look how real it looks beside the real thing!

Here's to you Mom.......

Is it Saturday?...

Already?  Again?  How does time go by so quickly.  Some days I have to check the computer just to figure out what day it is....

Eddy seems to have taken her under his wing...or.. his huge ear at the very least.  What an old softie he turned out to be. 

What about Sage for her name? .... 

Sage and Eddy sitting 'neath a tree.... kay I ess ess...sumthin' sumthin' gee..... 

...................... and...

these....

or.... at least one of them, cuz the other may be just a tad too large...but, it was pretty so I bought it anyway.  So, maybe just one of them... will be part of a little project Maggi and I are doing today.

But, ....first...... a second coffee.  I feel dopey this morning...how can we create when I'm dopey? .... and Mr. BV has flown off to visit his Dad so nobody is here to spoil me by making a pot.  I resort to instant when he is not around.  Yeh..I know ...sacrilegious....   oh, well.  

new gal in the neighbourhood....

Here's the little girl.   Soft sage/mint green .... with milk chocolate toesies....

Mostly I do browns and natural whites when it comes to needle felting ....so this is a bit of a departure.   Every so often I do a pastel.  This is a New Zealand Romney wool  ...hand dyed, but not by me.

As you can see...not beary big...

hello little lady .....

Hi.... what's your name?

How can you not know it? ...

Never mind.... we'll find out later....  everybuddy eyes front for the group photo......

Bear making is such fun!

Where it all began...

Thanks for all the good wishes on our anniversary... the blog's and my own.... it's been a fun week.  I went back to the beginning and read forward several posts.  It was interesting to see what was happening during the week. I was dealing with my bad ankle.. having aggressive physio...which in retrospect was sooo wrong, because I subsequently learned I had several fractures in the foot.  Physio stopped abruptly and everybody looked ridiculous in my eyes. This year I've been whining about my wrist/hand since December .... hmmm.... don't think I'll bother with physio just yet. hahahha.... 


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One of the other gals did this for her anniversary date and I'm a great copycat. I missed the actual date...but, it is still the week of.... and, oh, hey! look.... I had bigger font then. I guess it might be easier to read after all.  It was the fault of the gang at the Teddy Talk site as I recall.  Somebody decided we should all start blogs.  Several of us did (and let me tell you, it was a lot of bumbling around for me to get it all organized!!  I'm no tekky) Some of those gals and a guy or two are still here in bloggyville. Most fell by the wayside by the end of the first week.... many other bear makers have definitely joined in now...   there are lots of great bear making sites to visit.

Here was my first post... probably none of you were around then.... and nobody actually commented for several posts of course...why would they?  they didn't know I was out here...or would that be in here?... As a matter of fact, I actually asked them to step out into the light because I knew from the visitor thingy that people were around...they were just sneaking in and out and not saying anything. And, you know me... darn nosy.  I wanted to know who you were... and I wanted to hear somebody "say" something... lol.... two people actually said 
"hi" and I was a happy camper.  The rest is, as they say, history.....

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May 3 2007

So.... I bumbled around for a bit and now.... the glass is shiny. Look! you can see all the little guys on one of the shelves! The Bearister Bookcase is officially open for business. Okay...well, not really business, but you get it...peek in and check out my bears and dolls ....oh, and a ton of other stuff I might have on display from time to time.

I will eventually offer plenty of info, tips, techniques and tricks that I discover during my travels through other sites and from members of groups to which I belong.

Don't think I'll bother too much with the finer points today....it will suffice that I have a nice quiet template, (although I will jazz it up a bit some day too, and add lots of pics )... a heading and description...as a matter of fact, I think it's time for a nap.  That was just about enough for this Bumblebearie on top of almost 2 hours of physio for my ankle.

Better get some cheese on the lasagna first though.... ...oh, yeah... once we get going you will see that I also like to cook and bake... Hey!! I could have called it the Bearister Bakeshop ........where the dolls and bears could all sit around the kitchen table, dipping cookies in their tea while I stand at the stove baking more. Uhm...no...changed my mind.

Spring ....

        .... how I love thee ...  

...  thy rays of sun all warm and toasty ..... 

... thy grass so green ... 

..... but mostly..... 

... I love the flowers ...

        ... colours of every hue..

...  how I love the colours

...  the pastels, the vibrants ..

...    especially the green so new ....

...   How I love the snow on the .... ...huh??   

...  what?? .... 

... what am I saying?  

This is just all wrong!!!

I knew it. Global warming is over. We are
re-entering an ice age.

So be it.

Can't dampen my spirits. This week is anniversary 
week. My blog is now 3 years old. And...Mr. BV
and I are celebrating our anniversary too ... please
have a huge, luscious, chocolate dipped strawberry
and and and, .. a sip of wine at the very least.

Would you like a mousie?

Not the furry kind that leaves little pellets all around the pantry.... but, a cute little guy with wheels.  Check out The Raggy Rat ...a fellow critter maker.  She is having a give away for one ... a little Wheelie Mouse.

Way back when, I remember I was going to make some mice... not stitched like this one....but, a needle felted gray one, ...with pink feet.  I wonder what the heck happened to him?  Hopefully he won't be spotted by a mouse-a-phobe... somewhere, some day...   or, hahah... oh, bad me... maybe that could be fun after all.  As long as 'whoever' doesn't go straight through a wall on the way out.  We had a cousin who almost injured herself and knocked over a big chair on her way out of the house when we kids showed her our hamster.  You should have seen the stunned looks on our little faces....  we couldn't figure it out.  How could anybody be afraid of our hamster?  We didn't know much in those days.......

I'm still working on my little green gal... and taking a photo of her is proving to be a challenge.  No matter which light I try...she does not show up green.  All shades of blue ..or too pale to tell what colour she is.... crazy.... oh, well... she is only in bits right now anyway...so... not a biggy... check back in a day or two... and in the meantime hop on over to the Raggy Rat and see what she makes....

photo a week....

The theme this week is ... "what's on my bedside table"....

It's Serena's turn with themes...and she wondered aloud if perhaps it would be a stack of books and magazines.... perhaps remotes for a tv....

Not in my space.... I don't read very much anyway..and have never found it comfortable to sit and read in a bed.  So it's a "negateevo" on that score.... ....

And.... I've never had tv in my bedrooms, ever.... ... so..no tv in this bedroom either.... not even a phone or a clock visible.  There is one under the bed, but the light on the face is too bright...so it is under there where I can't and don't want to see it.  

Since I have such difficulty sleeping ...I like to keep my bedroom just for sleeping...  well... sleeping and uhm.. er ... well.... mostly sleeping... ..

My bedside tables are almost spartan, but ... there is a reason on this side.... I wanted to tie it all in with the pictures hanging above..so kept things to a bare minimum..  .. besides, what do I really need on there?

I just know you are squinting to see what's in that water globe.... what?  you're not nearly as nosey as I? ...hmppfff.....

yes you are... aren't you?  Awwww... look... a Mommy and a baby hippo... and the little tune is "Tenderly".  And...it makes me cry every darn time I turn the little key and try to listen to it.  It used to be my Mom's.

She was just as eccentric as can be.  It's a bit cheesy..( although the colours are perfect)  but, little things like this used to amuse her ...as they do me, so I guess I know where it comes from. I am quickly becoming my mother...and don't give a rat's bum, as she used to say.  She was polite...I say rat's ass.  She would often find them (not the rat's asses... the little things) at her favourite second hand and thrift stores.... or garage and estate sales.  She learned early on how to be frugal in order to get by on absolutely nothing and loved a good browse for an hour at them ... or at garage sales within walking distance.  She was obviously well ahead of her time now that I see how popular it's become...... some blogs are totally devoted to just that.

We made the news..

Our city is big... a million now... and pretty spread out ..so.... lots of us live in our own little microcosms... and the weather can be totally different only a few miles away.  Imagine our surprise..yet again...when we were watching what we were sure was the local news on the night of the high winds...and saw wild blowing snow...accidents all over the place and big drifts... we just looked at each other.  Huh?  We have green grass, no snow to speak of...and couldn't figure it out til we actually saw our city skyline in the background just as I was asking where the heck are they talking about? ... but, finally they did say it was us.

One of the guys Mr. BV works with couldn't get out of his property to get to work next day.  He spent almost all of it digging out his long driveway... and getting his little machine stuck...then digging that out.... what fun!  Well, of course... not....

The airport was closed for hours with the wind gusting to 90 kph...but, all in all...we didn't even know we were in a wintery war zone...  happily baking and doing a little green bear head.  Today...it's a brilliant blue sky day and +10 C.  Crazy eh?

I don't usually do many coloured bears although I have done a few...and decided to do a little green gal to send along with Otis for Sheaffer's Birthday Party and Silent Auction... and...I better hurry up.  It's only a few weeks away!

Here was his special day last year ... I can't get there because I live waaaay too far away...but, I like to send a few little things to support his worthwhile cause.  A home for abused and neglected donkeys.  The Primrose Donkey Sanctuary.

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And.... here's the link to what I was baking ... it's on my other blog....

Orange Pumpkin Loaf