Love this!

I am really inspired by this artist.  Shinzi Katoh.  The simple and cute red riding hood.  It has the gnome aesthetic.  I love just this little case/purse. ...

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Lily!

Very happy with the Lily.  The center stamen (?) each two pieces (yellow and orange) And another shot tag: Gnome D...

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3D felting

Worked on this at night... It's a WIP.  Still needs stamen center and perhaps some leaves.  It is a Rubrum lily.  Similar also to the stargazer lily. It's 6 separate petals each two colors. tag: gnome d...

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Fiddling with small needle felted items

I'm really enjoying needle felting flowers and "stuff" for the Gnome Domes.   Most of the embellishments are about an inch or two, so it's small work. No Gnome Dome would be complete without some forest mushrooms Small 3D buzzing bee... View from above. 3D daffodil.  The center "cup" is a single needled piece.  The 6 outer petals were needled...

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Got a complete overhaul!

My daughter is home from school for a super short time -- she's been kind enough to help me with all things computer related.  I explained to her what I wanted to accomplish and she's been super helpful.  My blog got an overhaul.  I now have a website! and an Etsy store!  I think I need to pinch myself. I took the photo (it's with her camera -- but...

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Can't escape wanting to do more green

I'm drawn to the greens... After experimenting with blue/teal type colors, I decided to dye some roving yarn...  Yes back to green The teal color is there... Then, I did two batches of yarn.  One is slightly more yellow, the other slightly more blue. tag: Gnome D...

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And one more time....

I was looking at my stash of colors and I feel I need a more varied selection of blue... I started out with this... But I'm looking for something less cotton candy-ish... I really want dark and rich... I'm getting there... Green added to the mix tag: Gnome d...

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Greens!!

I love spot dying (almost like a tie dye -- in that you get mottled colors) -- well in this case, I did greens so just variations of green... Almost all dry. So interesting.  I would have liked a little more of the dark, but I'm experimenting so now I know -- Or I think I know -- the wool and the dyes seem to take on a life of their own.  I'm never 100% positive...

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Let the games begin!

Now for the fun part.  One batch, 4 colors... It is my favorite experimentation -- greens.  There are just so many shades.  Those that are more blue and those more yellow. This is a base of basic green added to that are batches of kelly green, yellow green and for excitement some dark green.  I did not let this dye too deeply as I want to see what I would...

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Here are the reds...

4 Separate batches... As they dry, the color looks different to me... Very interesting...  As time plays a big factor.  Also how the dye is absorbed.  The two at the top were so different when looking at the "colors" -- two different dyes -- but the results are very very similar. The two on the bottom were the same dye.  Same (exact volume) with a...

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Spent a good part of the day experimenting...

With more dyes!  It is fun...  Like science experiments.  Different shades, different dye types, different methods... I'll post pics tomorrow.  -- For now, what's cooking?  Some dye! I'm thinking I'll have 4 new shades... Couldn't find just the right red, so now I'll try to make it! tag: gnome do...

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Not sure what is wrong with (me) this...

I have my new dolls.  Dolly d'jour I should call them.  And don't get me wrong.  I love the ones I have, but I keep itching (looking around -- looking for my next doll) -- Custom dolls, stock dolls, hair color, styling (sophisticated or childlike) -- all questions I wrestle with. I've been "reading" some Blythe books -- This is Blythe and Blythe Style -- these only complicate the matter. So, on impulse I checked the Blythe Website......

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Finished these ... Happy they are done!

These take way longer than they look.  Molding wool to make felt at this size is almost impossible. It's hard to get an appreciation for them as the photos make them look like two sheets of felt sewn together to make a little slipper.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  It is layers of wool formed around a last making the "bootie" The little balls...

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Ok, so I've been looking at a lot of Mark Ryden paintings

Some are disturbing to me, but some of the dresses he creates in these painting are just magnificent. I am particularly enamoured by this number: http://s54.photobucket.com/user/harobed216/media/Artists/Mark%20Ryden/mark-ryden-01.jpg.html Amazing really. ...

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This is a second attempt

My first was a failure.... (Would we celebrate our victories if all our attempts were successes?) Just what I wanted to accomplish. I threw out the other one (I meant to photograph it) anyway... here it is... Elfin Magic! So they are felted to go with the gnome hats... I think they are cute.  ...

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It's late, but I'm working on my next thing....

I hope it works (but you just never know) -- I've had one failed attempt and one success on these... Trying to perfect it...  If it works, photos tomorrow...  If it doesn't, photos tomorrow ...

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Tried some more today.

Hectic day... (Happy Mother's Day BTW!) Spend a majority of my day just "playing" -- experimenting with dyes, different processes, types etc. an overall fun day. I thought it looked like cotton candy!  Fu...

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hand dyeing

I was experimenting with some hand dyeing today... Roving with 3 greens...

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Been working along....

Lots of creativity and creations.  WIPs -- soon to have photos. Life's little "set backs" are easier to deal with when there's something fun to look forward to.... Looking forward to every new day! Here are some flowers for chee...

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The wheels are still turning....

I get  "burst of energy" -- tons of ideas flowing or "nada" --  As the energy flow is greatest, I'll try to deal with all the ideas swimming around in there. IRL they look kind of like translucent -- like chicken left out and gone dry :) They are legs... Blythe legs copied using a 2 piece mold that I made -- they don't need to be exact -- I'm using them for...

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worked on a couple things last night

First, I did finish another one of the gnome hats.  Now the girls will have "matching".... This is Lady Vic, my RoSo (Royal Soliloquy) Blythe in her gnome hat -- I know many europeans (especially Germans call them helmets) -- You can see why.  It is very thick felt... It is all one piece without any sewn seams. Here's a view from the top... Some times I...

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Been working on a project...

I've had this idea -- almost a calling really -- I've had this idea in my mind and it's fighting it's way out.  I started collecting the "supplies" a few months back, but I've been thinking about it for nearly a year.... I transformed my kitchen counter into a "work station" complete with covering by shower curtain ;) I've been working (for hours) on this -- my husband's...

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Getting busy with sewing/buttons/stuff

I have a great little helper! ...

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Grandma's comfy chair

I thought this chair looked like a "grandma's comfy chair".  In the background is my mom's actual comfy chair. Here Lilly sits in her comfy chair. I love these little doll...

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How did I get here and where to go from here....

I know how I got here, I just don't know where to go from here...  Well, I was on Flickr (always my achilles heel)-- I saw a doll, Enyo.  I did my research.  Enyo is a tiny bjd made in Spain.  Now, I always wondered what the draw was with the tinies (but in doll collecting I make no judgements).  I started wanting a small doll that when I traveled...

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