Handmade Santa

 I planned on starting my Christmas cards but instead I purchased a Santa pattern to make some Santa dolls. This Santas is 9" tall.
 I started making Santa dolls the afternoon on the 20th of November, 5 days later I had 5 dolls finished. Two of those days, I was gone through the day.
 The dolls were made with good quality muslin I had in my stash. I had a scrap piece of vintage red wool felt to make five coats and hats. I wish I had more of this nice vintage material that is no longer available.
 I looked at a few places to buy wool for the beard and hair but didn't find any at three craft stores. I know I've got some but with my back like it is now, I didn't go looking through my stash.
At JoAnn's I found this yarn by Bernat. I used double sided tape and glue to apply the yarn for hair and beard for my Santa dolls.
 I painted the dolls arms, legs and face with gesso. A portion of the legs was painted with Dina Wakley Night paint to look like boots. I used a watered down Dina Wakley magenta scribble sticks over the gesso on face.
 I sewed on a small jingle bell on each hat, this size of bell was purchased last week at HL in Christmas area. White felt from HL was cut using a ruler and rotary cutter. I wish they had what I used years ago on my larger Santas.
 Everything was made using needle and thread except the beard. I have a Bernia sewing machine but it wasn't used to make my Santa Dolls.
 Thanks for looking and have a nice day!

Handmade Bears

While recouping from pacemaker and other health issues I made these 11 plus more June through July this year. (2018) 

Most of these bears have gone to family near and far. These bears are 5 inches tall if they could stand up. To make those tiny stitches on my bears I have to use magnifying glasses because I can't see the stitches without them. 

The graduate bear (below) was made for one of our granddaughters that graduated from her two year college this year.

The last bear (below) was made for my mother, I made her bear a dress and a red bow with white curls in her hair. (October 17, 2018 my mothers will celebrate her 93 birthday.)

It takes me 6-8 hours to cut-out and hand stitch the bears and longer if I make hand stitched clothing.

I've made a bunch of bears in the last 2 months. They consist of blue, red, purple, burgundy, grey, beige, teal, cream, medium brown and dark brown. 

Update: It's now August 10, I finished my last bear (No. 25) to give to my husband he wanted a blue bear and then I shipped out two bears one to Arkansas and and one to Wyoming. They were just like the first bear below. 

Butterfly Tag

SHARING: This is a tag I made some time ago.

Instructions: 

1)    I used my Vagabond with Movers & Shapers bookplate die to cut a tag. 

Designers Note: I use 14 pt. heavy-duty file folders with my tag die; the smooth finish works well for many of my crafting needs.  

2)    Place tag on craft sheet; apply Dusty Concord inks to foam applicator; in a circle motion cover the right side of tag working down and across bottom of tag. And then add Brushed Corduroy on clean foam applicator in center and then apply Tumbled Glass to the left of tag. Next, apply Broken China over the Tumbled Glass. And then, add Fired Brick over the Dusty Concord. Blending as needed to get the colors desired.  

3)    While still wet sprinkle a little water over the tag. 

Designers Note: This is done by taking the tag to the sink. Add a very small amount of water in the palm of your hand and sprinkle the tag with a few drops.

4)    Quickly heat set to dry.

5)    Stamp script with Sepia ink over the inked background.

6)    Stamp butterflies with black ink. Heat set to dry.

7)    Stamp an addition butterfly on white card stock using sepia ink. 

8)    Cut out butterfly.

9)    Add multi-medium matte as an adhesive to center of butterfly, adhere butterfly to tag.

10)    Add Distress Stickles over butterfly. Heat set to dry.

Flower:

1)    To begin: crumble one sheet of Kraft glassine papers three times. 

2)    Cut three flowers in one pass using Tim Holtz Alterations “Tattered Florals” die with you’re choice of a die cutting machine. I used my Vagabond die cutting tool.  

3)    Layer the three flower die cuts; punch a tiny hole in center. Add brad to hold the flower together.

4)    Add rhinestone to center.

5)    Crunch the flower to resemble a real flower.

6)    Use multi-medium matte to adhere flower to tag.

7)    Place brass stencil on tag, use paint brush to paint the number 5 with black dabber paint. Remove stencil and clean with water. Allow to dry. 

8)    Add fibers to finish this tag. 

This is something I made this past week

I've been crafting since childhood, making stuffed dolls and animals from early 70's and stamping since the early 90's. I've been published on paper magazines many times but nothing recently because I haven't tried.
In 2004, I was asked to join SSReflections online magazine, I purchased some of the books and DVDs while others were supplied for me to do book and DVD reviews.
Some of the supplies were furnished to do monthly samples from each team member.
After SSReflections closed 2009, I joined Rubber Road Adventures where I did projects for online and major companies in industry. When they closed I didn't join another online magazine.
Although I have been a design team member for several stamp companies.

Moving on....
A couple weeks ago I saw someone show a project on Facebook. The comment was made; "you had to go to her class to see how she made the booklet"
Now, this is where it comes to my mind, I know that I've made that booklet in the past or something very similar to it. It came to me, it's similar to a star book I made years ago. 
I won't be showing how I made this booklet but will show the first two pages. I have four pages but this will be the only one I will share for now. Small tags come out through the top of each page. Lots more work before its finished!