fragments and figments

in which our plucky heroine takes a walk in the sunshine...

On my daily walk it seemed a bit as if I had stumbled into a British Christmas card, as the big holly tree on the corner had an assortment of robins disporting themselves and (I guess) eating the holly berries. I know that our American robins are not the same thing, being larger and rather differently marked, but it charmed me nonetheless...

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~ day 5 ~

vintage beaded mistletoe decoration made from sparkly seed beads and artificial pearls, strung on wire... this hangs in the doorway between the kitchen and the entry. I found it at a rummage sale years ago, and it has lived here ever since.

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The English Homemaker is a new to me podcast that IG tossed in my direction, which (unlike most of the "suggested for you") turned out to be rather a treat. I have only listened to two of the episodes so far, but the host Alissa Evelyn has a pleasant voice, and the content seems gentle, realistic, and calm, which are qualities I value in my listening material.

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~ uh oh, maybe snow? ~

I'm going to spend some this week getting ready, should this forecast (which changed between yesterday and today) be accurate... Time to add some goodies to my emergency food shelf, make sure the candle lanterns are within reach and the solar lanterns charged up, and put together some project packets of handwork that does not require any online content. Of course, this far out, the forecast is uncertain, but ll of my preparations are things I normally do this time of year, just in case...

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This month the SCA Miniaturists January Challenge is "New Year, New Skill!" and I am really struggling to come up with an idea...
This month’s challenge is to try something new with miniatures! A new scale? A new skill? A new material? A new era? ...  The field is wide open! Success for this one is measured in vulnerability rather than mastery; so something far enough out of your wheelhouse that you are skeptical it will meet your personal standards is the goal!

So far the ideas have been to either make something in an even tinier scale than 1/12, to make one of my tinyfolk new clothing from a different era or culture, or maybe to make something for Coriander, who has not had any new things for years...

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Jedi obi sash	-	-
2	Jedi underlayer	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I've got a fair amount of emergency kit already in place, just need to go round and do a bit of refurbish and add in...
2. just found out that I can order and have delivered the Ikea pieces I have been hoping for to refurbish the bathroom. The delivery charge is quite reasonable, and will save me all sorts of annoyance and risk.
3. bike ride in the sunshine is good, and the naalbound mittens Jen made me years ago are worth their weight in gold

Time of Isolation - Day 1282

visual counterchange

in which our plucky heroine gets down to work...

I've a few orders for regalia, so this morning was time to dust off my workbench and clear out around the kiln.

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~ 100 day stitch book project - day 29 ~

Took a bit of cogitation to get started, but I like where this page is headed... I was so into the results here that I will admit that I spent more than my allotted 15 minutes. Then when I went to photograph today's efforts, for some reason I turned the page topsy turvey, which changed the entire meaning into a sort of metaphorical springtime. The "flower" reminds me of the sun in the prologue toWatership Down... and all those french knots remind me of the dots in the Lindisfarne Gospels.

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Here and there are more signs of spring, as some trees in sheltered microclimates are beginning to bud. I ought to think about doing some winter pruning on the apple tree in the backyard, while everything here is still dormant. I am thinking of some rather more intensive cutting back of the upper branches, so as to make it easier to thin the baby apples. Might be good to trim up the hardy fuchsia as well which is starting to overgrow the front door ramp. Indeed, maybe I ought to add spending a 15 minute chunk every day in the yard, on the days it isn't truly dreadful weather, and work on developing that as a habit.

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The mysterious package that USPS sent the long way round to Acorn Cottage was a packet of vintage dolly clothing from my friend Vestia, and a few tagua nuts for me to experiment with carving. While the clothing was much too large for my tinyfolk, there was a knitted cardigan that was a very cozy option for Coriander, who hasn't had any new clothing in ages. It even matches her springtime hat!

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 tiny bird books	soy sauce cruet base	recycle bin
2	semicircular bathmat	reconfigure neckline	yard waste bin
3	rice paper packets	-	recycle bin
4	3 100 day pages	-	recycle bin
5	-	-	old cassettes
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. leftover filling from last nights dinner turned into a wonderful breakfast as I made more rice paper packets... I might want to pick up some safflower oil, which is better for pan frying than olive oil is.
2. decluttered one chair. Might not sound like much, but every tiny bit helps
3. today my knee doesn't hurt, and my back doesn't hurt.

Time of Isolation - Day 1076

Teaparty Tidbits

Corrie has a chocolate bunny. (well really it is old Playmobil and has been in my box of odd bits for years now, but it is perfect for her.)

~ :♥: ~

One of the things that I did last week was make some more* candied peel. The frugal thing about candied peel is that you eat the tasty citrus first, and since citrus peels compost very poorly, using them as an ingredient is a good thing. I've decided that grapefruit peel is the best; it has a lovely texture when candied, the contrast between the sugary crust and the tender, slightly bitter inside is something that I find delectable. I'll post later this week about the process, (if anyone is interested). It is easy, but a bit tedious.

~ :♥: ~

What I did with some of this peel was decorate the cupcakes for today's teaparty. I doubled my usual cake recipe (in lemon, without poppyseeds) and baked it as cupcakes. Atop a simple white-lemon butter frosting, the cut bits of candied peel looked quite glittery, and the wee cakes were well received.
Today my friend Z showed up, as well as the most of the teaparty regulars, save those who were away at various events. Z brought me an amazingly huge book, a memory gift from the estate of David of Moffat, all in French, of "Emaux de Moyen Age Occidental" which I think, based on the lovely pictures, is "Enamels of the European Middle Ages. I will think of David every time I look at the pictures refer to the book; he was a generous patron of the arts and an incredibly talented artist in his own right as well. In addition, My friend Sam brought some wood hyacinth bulbs for Acorn Cottage. I am blessed with thoughtful and generous friends.

~ :♥: ~

Last week I ran off for an afternoon with my dear friends at Hrafinstaad; I always return home to Acorn Cottage, after visiting them, inspired and energised. They are turning their Beaverton yard into a more sustainable homeplace, and there is a wonderfully quirky colorful and artistic sensibility that pervades their home. I never know what new project they'll have been working on since my last visit...I got to see their hay bale garden beds, and the new (decorative and edible) plantings in the front yard, and the folding fence-hung clothesline. That last one I'm figuring out how to modify for my own back yard... Rois has a true eye for making a home that is beautiful, comfortable and full of intriguing artifacts and vignettes, without ever feeling cluttered. She sent me home with a vintage doll dress for Coriander. The dress is probably a Madame Alexander or Ginny doll dress from the late 50's, and is in remarkably good shape. Stylishly striped, with an attached cotton petticoat, it reminds me of the kind of dresses that I wore back then, although as a child I much preferred coveralls to skirts.

~ :♥: ~

* I had sent all the candied peel I made off to my father as a (belated) holiday birthday gift, and since I hope to make fruitcake next wintertime holiday season, which is certainly months away and since I adore candied peel at any time, it seemed the thing to do while citrus is still in season and relatively cheap.

Tuesday tidbits

I'm now back to my regularly scheduled life, having finished with the taxes for the year... Lots of catching up to do here at Acorn Cottage

~ :♥: ~

This Sunday will be my monthly Craft-Tea party. As usual, noon till whenever, potluck snackage, all handcrafts welcome including just chatting. (Contact me if you need directions) Next month the Tea-party will be on Sunday the 17th. My mom will be here for a week in May, visiting from the East Coast. So if you are in town, come meet her and see where I inherited my craftiness from...

~ :♥: ~

I have had a number of inquiries in response to my Tax-time Sale. Not sure if any will turn into actual commissions, but it sure feels good to know that there are still folks out there that are interested in my work. So as a way of doing an online "happy-dance", I'll share this oldie-but-goodie of a video. When I am feeling down this one always makes me smile:

~ :♥: ~

Last week my friend elfrida came over to borrow my green velveteen Italian gown, and kindly offered to give me a vehicular errand run, As well as a trip to the local Costco, we went to the Rebuilding Center, where I was quite lucky and found seven tall metal wire-fence posts (perfect for extending the hen yard) and also a four foot long piece of copper pipe...

~ :♥: ~

The first time that my friend cathaus visited Acorn Cottage, she suggested that I use copper pipe (instead of the grey metal curtain rods) in the living room to coordinate with the sculptural curtain-rod finials. I made the finials from old roofing copper when I was living in the rose bedroom at FjordsEnd years ago, and have found a home for them in every place I've lived since. The copper pipe is not only a visual improvement, but since it is one-piece instead of an adjustable rod, the curtains slide more easily. I still need a 8 1/2 foot piece for the front window, but that will wait for another lucky find... It gives me such delight to find good uses for salvaged things, as any who know me will attest.

~ :♥: ~

Found a 4th adjustable office chair for my studio workshop space. Since there is a nearby Goodwill, I check in there almost every day, and eventually sometimes things I need show up. I sure was glad it wasn't raining yesterday, as I rolled the new chair down the streets to my studio. Now if I have four students in a workshop, they will all have their own adjustable chair on wheels, much better than old kitchen chairs.

~ :♥: ~

I've finally started on giving poor bald Coriander some hair. I tried making her a wig, but at such a small size I wasn't too successful, making something that actually would stay on her head without extra glue or stickytape. So, I decided to try actually "rooting" hair. Another trip to the Goodwill was successful in finding a hairpiece that included a long braid, which, cut into shorter pieces is being gradually attached in little really tiny plugs through her scalp. I haven't taken any pictures of the process, since it makes me feel a little queasy to keep pushing needles through her head. (I know I have too much imagination, but I keep remembering the scene in Serenity where River is in the lab before Simon rescues her...) If anyone wants info about rooting doll hair, I've been using this tutorial.

~ :♥: ~

Now, you will have to excuse me, I have a date with Mr Lawnmower and Mr Weedwacker. It is a nice warm dry day, and the front lawn is looking rather shaggy...

Because it's time + clothesline envy

I am so ready for winter to be done, I left life in the snowlands behind 'cos I love the grey rain, not that snow in March thing... so, being hopeful that the inspiration will be the parent to the fact, I chose some springtime colors to make the new seasonal sprites, and am changing out my front window decorations to reflect the (hopefully) warmer days to come. Made a little Early Rhubarb sprite all pink and green; one of my two rhubarb plants has made it through the winter and is just peeking above the dead leaf mulch. I'll be making a few more sprites, in varied soft and bright colors and putting them into the shop. The sprites are just the right size to take with me as a riding-transit project, all the supplies fit in a little plastic sandwich box, and having a project makes the waiting for the bus into a productive time rather than an annoyance

Today is a housey-day, all the needed tasks are a form of housewifery. A bit more cleaning needs done before folks arrive this weekend, I'm going to get a head start on tea-party snackage, I have a sewing commission to work on, and since the forecast is a sunny windy day, some time in the backyard doing cleanup/garden prep would be a good idea. Hmmm...laundry + sunny-windy, I think I'll hang the laundry on the line this morning. Nothing better than sundried clothing and bedsheets.

Once I get the new chicken run in place, I'm hoping to figure out a better clothesline solution. Right now, I have a cobbled-in-place one, tied from the side chainlink fence to a hook above the door to the shed. It works, but it also crosses the pathway to the backyard, so if there is laundry drying, you run a gauntlet of damp flapping fabric. Not ideal! My nextdoor neighbors, on the other hand, have a perfectly good sturdy clothesline in their backyard that was obviously built by a former owner, since they never use it, and last year turned it into a bean trellis. In my dreams, I've one of these lovely Hills Hoist laundry dryers from Australia, but realistically, a better location in the backyard will be a good solution.

~ :♥: ~

Coriander has a face

After three weeks I was finally brave enough to try painting her face. She has a much more definite "personality" now than when she was faceless. I'm pretty happy with my first attempt, her expression has the sort of thoughtful look I was aiming for.

Given that she is only 9" tall, her face is about the size of a quarter. I haven't done such tiny detailed painting in decades, since the summer I was supplementing my meager income as a shop clerk by making dollhouse scale folk-art pull toys to sell in LA. I think my mom still has some of those little 1" long wooden animal toys on wheels in her curio cabinet. That summer pretty much banished my interest in miniatures as a hobby, that is until now... (she is actually 1/6 scale, most dollhouse miniatures are 1/12 scale)

~ :♥: ~

And here she is doing her morning yoga. Dang, Corrie is waay more flexible than I am. Of course, she has the body of an 11 year old. I could probably do that when I was 11 too.

And in case you are curious, she is an Japanese-made Obitsu 23cm female child doll, and is made from plastic. Technically she is a customisable movable action figure, her joints are all friction fit ("ball jointed dolls" are usually the strung with elastic). She has amazing articulation, with joints at the shoulder, upper arm, elbow, wrist, mid chest, waist, hip, upper leg, knee and ankle. She also came with three sets of additional hands, in different poses, and is being really fun to photograph.

She was my valentines gift to myself this year, fortunately for me, she cost less than $20. ("true" ball jointed dolls cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and are one of those lifestyle/subculture hobby things, like the SCA)

I'm looking forward to making her some SCA garb, and some clothing other than pajamas and a sweater. In fact, I think that making things for her will be a useful bribe for me, to get less enjoyable tasks done, like doing my taxes.

~ :♥: ~

In which there is a change in the mushrooms...

When I initially started working on this swap, my additional self-challenge was to use what I already had; the mushroom stems were made from pieces of an old wool scarf, with the cap overlay made from the bits of felted yarn fringe. When I ran out of fringe, I thought to myself "no problem, I'll go to the yarn store and get some matching yarn to finish the project..."

To find matching yarn proved to be astonishingly difficult, and after trying four local yarn stores, I found a thinner yarn that looked more or less okay. There are myriads of greyish-tan wool yarns out there, all too yellow, or too pink, or too dark, or... I am cursed with a picky eye for color, and the yarns that the store clerks thought looked the same were just not. The thinner yarn is not really amenable to being couched down, but with a little experimentation, I realised that I could do an irregular blanket stitch over the surface of the mushroom cap, and that would give a rather more stylised, but still effective, morel. (I'm thinking about making some for my Etsy shop)

~ :♥: ~

Several months ago, I took this online test for color differentiation, and found the results to be rather interesting.

~ :♥: ~

and here is a picture of the springtime that is on the way; a patch of snowdrops in my front yard