Thank You!!

All my little show pieces have been adopted!! Thanks so much Eileen, Debera, Carol, Rebecca, and Pat!
A special thanks to all who visited my show page during the show!
Now, it's on to work on wonderful beats and friends who will be going to TBAI in August. Hope to see you there! Do email me with questions about the show!ł

The Show Has Begun!!

 I hope you'll hop on over to www.teddiesworldwide.com and have a look at all the wonderful teddies and friends created by international artist for this exciting show! Pictured here are my friends for this show. George the wee elephant is above. He stands just under 3 inches tall.

This is Antonia. At 4 inches tall, she's named for a character in the 44 Scotland Street novels by Alexander McCall Smith. Her friend Dominica made an appearance in the last online show and now lives in New York. I've created this little dress ensemble just for her with a lovely summer hat in colors of victorian rose and spearmint.

My smallest panda bunny so far, little Lucy Lu is about 2 3/4 inches tall. She stands nicely and has those lovely wired lop ears.

You've already met Dandy! He's quite the lion at 4 inches tall. His tail is wired as well as his arms for gentle posing.

And Miss Petal, another wee lop, stands at 2 7/8 inches tall. She has a crocheted dress and matching petal hat.

I do hope you like these little friends!! Do enjoy the show!!!

Let's make this ...... whatever it is!

Before all my technical issues, I promised to show how I made this...... pincushion, I guess, that Spring is sitting on.
Well, let's take a look!!
The crocheted flower can be any of your choosing. Email me if you'd like a link to the one I used here.
Flip it over to the back

and measure the diameter of the center - the green bit here.

next crochet a flat circle until you get to the diameter you just measured - then single crochet around that diameter for two rows and you will form a lip like the one shown above. An easy formula for making that flat circle is to make a magic circle and then single crochet 6 times into that circle. Pull the circle tight and continue making rounds adding 6 additional single crochets in each row until you have the width you want.

Using a tapestry needle and the thread you used to crochet the center, stitch all around the circumference of the circle until you have just about an inch and a half remaining.

You could use any number of things to stuff this middle part with, but after some consideration, I decided to use more of the yarn so that no other color would show through.

Stuff whatever your choice of stuffing is into the inch and a half space and finish sewing up the circle.

You will then have a raised "bump" underneath the flower to insert into the rusty bed spring - or bed spring of your choice - as pictured in Spring Has Sprung shown in the top photo. I'm sure if you google "rusty bed spring" you'll find a source. I bought mine at a quilt show a couple of years ago. I know it is available with a pattern for felt flowers to use for the pin cushion.
Now you can put your little friend atop the flower!!!

Be sure to check back Friday at 4 p.m. EDT for a link to the online show and some photos of my little ones. I can't show them to you ahead of time (those are the rules!) but I think it's ok if I tell you I'll have a lion, two bunnies, one wee elephant, and a pretty dressed up bear. I just love every one of them and hope you will too!!

He's A Dandy!

What fun it's been to work with the Teddies Worldwide theme for the upcoming show - Teddies and Friends on Vacation! Planning a vacation for this smart young lion was easy! I just decided where I'd most like to go and worked with that! England of course!! Dandy has his suitcase packed with a sticker from London on the case and a tiny porcelain teapot just in time for tea! He waves a miniature flag and is dressed for the theater or anywhere else he happens to go! He is a Dandy!
Now, click here www.teddiesworldwide.com and have a look at the bears and friends ready for vacation! You can vote for your favorites!!
The show will be coming up soon. Just check back and I'll have a link directly to the show once it has begun.
By the way! I decided to make a lion (my first) when I saw that beautiful Tisval fabric used for his head. His body is made with another fabric which just matches the lower fur in the Tisval. I'll have a couple of bunnies, a new standing elephant, and a bear for the show ...... but I can't show them to you before the show begins!!!
Now, go on over and vote!!!!

Man OH Man!

Have you ever had one of those days?? Months??? Year - up to now?? My best outdoor buddy - feral kitty Abe (Kim thought he looked like Abraham Lincoln with a suit and white shirt on when we were deciding on a name) seems to understand just what I mean. I'm thinking the technology dragons have been after me!! Computers (2), my CAMERA, and my printer@!@#$%#$!@#$#@@
But now, coming out of the dark, it seems, I'm using Kim's hand me down Mac Book Pro - pretty impressive for a hand me down, I'll say - we are sharing her camera, and I bought a new printer. Oh, my iPhone has been acting up, too, but I'm hoping it will last until the next models are out.
SO. If the postings have been a bit sparse, all that could account for it!! Just in time for the upcoming Teddies Worldwide show's preview coming up this Friday. I was getting nervous, but Kim has given me Mac lessons and even written out excellent instructions for me to follow to download photos and put them somewhere on the Mac and then find them again when it comes time to send them to Teddies Worldwide or post them here!!

I'm Back!!!!

Do check back for my preview ((lion) hehe - and a link to all the wonderful creations on Friday!!!