Sunday, January 31, 2010

Cuddle Cat

I know I have posted about my Maine Coon Cat many times before but he is just so darn cute and so mellow it's not funny. Why with a normal cat...when you play by ruffing up the top of the head, they move, they scat or at least fight back with a strike. Not Wooly, he closes his eyes and flattens his ears and waits! The other thing I might of mentioned about Wooly Mammoth is,....he was taken away from his mom at 7 days old, although the lady who gave him to us used that as an excuse about his mattes, (not so just needs to be cut on a regular basis), I do think some of his unusual snuggling is partly due to feeling kittenish. The above photo happens every night, it is the most inconvenient area of the hall way to put a scratching post but it was the only spot available when the Christmas tree was up. Wooly is the only cat out of three to use this post in more ways than one, geez, I'd think that position would be uncomfortable. EVERY NIGHT I tell ya. And if he's not there he can be found here. C&G Design



Words and photos by Dawn,

C&G Design.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

This just said it all!

Join Beverly for more pinks. C&G Design



Words and photos by Dawn,

C&G Design.

Friday, January 29, 2010

A Pack of Animals

I went to have the rest of my root canal done, it had been a while because I needed to reschedule the first appointment due to the Christmas concert Madame had her solo playing at, I was really getting use to a large hole in my tooth. Anyhow, the thing has 2 roots when it was only supposed to have one...on so fun. I treated myself to a little thrifting, look what I picked up..... I could resist but since half my head was full of numbing chemicals, I decided it would be a treat. These are actually kits from the early 90's, sold with a head, paws and feet. I had always wanted one but they were always to pricey, they are made of a heavy ceramic. There are 2 cats (1 on each end), one bear, one elephant, and a cow. I'd wish for a piglet.

The former owner had done the most beautiful work on the bodies as I'm guessing they weigh about 2 or 3 pounds each. That's a lot of pellets.


They are the most cute! Each limb being joined in a quality way using thick sturdy joints and the most durable wiring.


I'm scheming to make each outfit to suit the personality of the animal or should I do them all alike?
C&G Design



Words and photos by Dawn,

C&G Design.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

End of the season

Well, we have two more basketball games left of the season and Madame is going to miss one, if not both because of cheering. She has enjoyed position "3" that allows her to throw in and call "break".


Here is a true action shot!


I like this photo, she is getting advise from our home ref and listening closely.

My camera has that awful 3 second delay so I take my chances with moving photos.
My odds always seem so dim! C&G Design.


Words and photos by Dawn,

C&G Design.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

A New Shop!

I'm so excited, sometimes it's a joy to look for anything Ann and Andy as yesterday I was surfing the net and came across a new place to order collectibles. They are all from a woman who has been collecting since 1995 and needs to reduce. They may not be up for long. Just look... A cute little wooden scene, complete with the hearts and soooo many of the woodland animals. Everything has a really low cost except for maybe her favorites, they seem to be at current market value. I have two items on my wish list already.

Aren't these gift bags soooo special, I would not DARE! use them.


These are unusal, a pair of glass ornaments with their own stand. She has books, video tapes, prints and watercolors, the list is endless.



Check her out by clicking here>>>>>>Raggedy Ann and Andy


Words and photos by Dawn,

C&G Design.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Linking


Words and photos by Dawn,

C&G Design.

The above is not just add-on to this post, it will be a permanent link to my work. If someone tries to steal any part of my blog, it will lead to a link back here. From now on you will find this at the bottom of every post.

I was able to do this due to the information Cameron of Defining your home, garden and travel.

In a nutshell, you need to click settings on your tool bar that is provided by blogger, (I'm not sure about others) open formatting in the lower tool bar, scroll down to post template and add this code:



Blogger wouldn't let me post it written out! Thus the photo. I hope this works for you, it did for me.

And don't forget to SAVE. C&G Design

Monday, January 25, 2010

Another Musical Event

Imagine my delight to casually hear that Madame has been chosen for the District Honor Festival for her saxophone playing. What a good accomplishment!
She is very mellow about it because she thinks it will interfere with all her other activities although I tell her that's not the case.
Everyone else is excited for her and has mentioned it to me, hopefully she will bring home the permission slip soon.
And feel wonderful about it! C&G Design

Sunday, January 24, 2010

New Storage

I purchased a new storage container for Wally World the other day, it wasn't to bad in price, four something but look what cha get.... It has five separate containers with 5 segments that detached from the main body. The main part has a insert tray and a large hollow area for tools. I found this useful container in the beading section.

It's been wonderful. C&G Design


Saturday, January 23, 2010

Pink Around the House

Everyday I think....I may run out of pink. Then and only then, I find a few pink I've never noticed before. Like the face of this potpourri fan clock. No, the scent is long gone by now but the fact it adds to my, "I'll have a fan in every room" motto, just delights me. Ha!
The gorgeous ceramic hat is in the same room.


And finally, just in time for valentines day, is the pink hearted hat box with a pink bedspread laying on top of it, they reside in my closet. For all the curious bloggers, the hat box contains dried flowers that were given to us for special occasions, fresh of course!. (I'm hopeless)
Click to How Sweet the Sound to see more pinks.
C&G Design

Friday, January 22, 2010

The Gypsy

I have completed the gypsy and we are very pleased how she came out, in fact she is both myself and my hubs favorite, for the time being at least. This is what she looked like when she came to live here, skinny, scrawny and scarred.

Still, I could see the potential she had.....



It took me awhile to mull over how to restore her beautiful black locks but I figured it out. The first thing I did though was attempt to dye some mohair, I tried twice with the black fabric dye but to no avail. It worked great if I wanted dark grey hair but not for the black. I ended up with regular hair dye, (thanks, Marnie!) worked like a charm! Here she is with her braid portions being glued on, I used the ace to steady the bunches of hair while it dried, doesn't she look gangsta?
What was left of her part was next to nothing, the top of her head was thinning and flat, so my plan of action was to glue one side of the part down and after it dried, glue the other side the same way. Once that side was dried I flipped it and glue it again.
The first side.....
The second side drying.....


Here she is with the finished hair-do, we decided she would look more like a gypsy if we left her hair loose, unfortunately this wasn't decided until after the pony braid were glued other wise I may of made long hair all the way around. It's not bad to stick with the original doll though.
One thing I could not change about this doll was her unleveled eyelashes, as I mentioned before they are attached under the composition which has made them stay all these years. (These were popular dolls of the 30's, 40's) I did try though but taping the lower one up and back to the composition in hopes it would curl up but it didn't do any good, I may try again after awhile
.
I used the former skirt lace as a side tied scarf, adding more mother of pearl shells to the loose ends. Like her earring? They also match the embellishment around her waist.


Certainly a different doll.....

Here is the natural flare of her skirt.

A beautiful side view.....

And a close-up of her eighteen bracelet bangles in the copper and gold. Don't cha wish that was the current style?

Her hair is the softest feeling mohair I have felt, I'm to never return to fabric dye again. Smells good too.

I like the way the shells reflect the light.

For now she has a honorary spot next to Helen on the entertainment center (Helen is 26'', Gypsy is 30"). Hubs needs to make me another shelf!


I call her Isabella, the gypsy boudoir doll. C&G Design

Thursday, January 21, 2010

17 years later....I was there..

Happy 17th birthday to my son!

Tomorrow is the gypsy doll reveal! C&G Design



Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Raggedy Ann and the Painter

When housecleaning came around, Mistress' mamma decided that she would have the nursery repainted and new paper put upon walls. That's why all the dolls happened to be laid helter-skelter upon one of the high shelves.
Mistress had been in to look after them and wished to put them to bed, but as the painters were coming in again in the morning, Mamma thought it best that their beds be piled in the closet.


When all was quiet that night, Raggedy Ann who was on the bottom of the pile of dolls spoke softly and asked the others if they would mind moving along the shelf.


"The cotton in my body is getting mashed as a pancake!" said Raggedy Ann. And although the tin soldier was piled so his foo was pressed into Raggedy's face, she still wore her customary smile.


So the dolls began moving off until one side until Raggedy Ann was free to sit up.


"Ah, that's a great deal better!" She said stretching her arms and legs to get the kinks out of them, and patting her dress into shape.


So the dolls sat and talked until daylight, when the painters came to work.


One of the painters, a young fellow, seeing the dolls, reached up and took Raggedy Ann down from the shelf.



"Look at this rag doll, Jim," he said to one of the other painters, "She's a daisy," and he took Raggedy Ann by the hands and danced with her while he whistled a lively tune. Raggedy Ann's heels hit the floor thumpity-thump and she enjoyed it immensely.


"Better put her back upon the shelf," said one of the other men. "You'll have the little girl after you! The chances are that she likes that old rag doll better than any of the others!"


But the young fellow threw Raggedy Ann up into the air over and over again, doing it once too often and when she came down he failed to catch her and she came down with a splash, head first into a bucket of oily paint.


"I told you!" said the older painter"and now you are in for it!"


"My goodness! I didn't mean to do it!" said the young fellow, "What had I better do with her?"


"Better put her back on the shelf!" replied the other.


So Raggedy Ann was placed back upon the shelf and the paint ran from her head and trickled down upon her dress.



After breakfast, Mistress came into the nursery and saw Raggedy all covered with paint and she began to cry.


The young painter felt sorry for her and told her what happened.


"If you will let me'" he said' "I will take her home with me and will clean her up tonight and I will bring her back day after tomorrow."


So Raggedy was wrapped in newspaper that evening and carried away.


All the dolls felt sad that night without Raggedy Ann near them.


"Poor Raggedy! I could have cried when I saw her all covered with paint!" said the french doll.


"She didn't look like our dear old Raggedy Ann at all!" said the tin soldier, who wiped the tears from his eyes so they would not run down his arms and rust them.


"The paint covered her lovely smile and nose and you could not see the laughter in her shoe-button eyes!" said the Indian doll.



The second day Raggedy was brought home and the dolls were all anxious for the night to come so they could see and talk with Raggedy Ann. "Tell us about it, Raggedy dear!" the dolls cried.


"Oh I am so glad I fell in the paint!" cried Raggedy, after she hugged all the dolls, "For I had the happiest time. The painter took me home and told his Mamma how I happened to be covered with paint and she was very sorry. She took a rag and wiped off my shoe-button eyes and then I saw she was very pretty, sweet faced lady and she got some cleaner and wiped most of the paint off my face.

"But you know," Raggedy continued, "the paint soaked through my rag head and had made the cotton inside all sticky and soggy and I could not think clearly. And my yarn hair was all matted with paint."


So the kind lady took off my yarn hair and cut the stitches out of my head, and took out all the painty cotton."


"It was great relief, although it felt queer at first and my thoughts seemed scattered." "She left me in her work-basket that night and hung me out upon the clothes-line the next morning when she had washed the last of the paint off."



"And while I hung out on the clothes-line, what do you think?"


"We could never guess!" all the dolls cried.


"Why dear little Jenny Wren came and picked enough cotton out of me to make a cute little cuddly nest in the grape arbor!"


"Wasn't that sweet!" cried all the dolls."Yes indeed it was!" replied Raggedy Ann, "It made me very happy. Then when the lady took me into the house again she stuffed me with lovely nice new cotton, all the way from my knees up and sewed me up and put new yarn on my head for hair and--and--and it's a secret!" said Raggedy Ann.


"Oh tell us the secret!" cried all the dolls, as they pressed closer to Raggedy. "Well, I know you will not tell anyone who would not be glad to know about it, so I will tell you the secret and why I am wearing my smile a trifle broader!" said Raggedy Ann.


The dolls all said that Raggedy Ann's smile was indeed a quarter of an inch wider on each side.


"When the dear lady put the new white cotton in my body," said Raggedy Ann "she went to the cupboard and came back with a paper bag. And she took from the bag ten or fifteen little candy hearts until she found a beautiful red one which she sewed up in me with the cotton! So that is the secret, and that's why I'm so happy! Feel here," said Raggedy Ann. All the dolls could feel Raggedy Ann's beautiful new candy heart and they were all happy for her.


After all had hugged each other goodnight and had cuddled up for the night, the tin soldier asked, "Did you have a chance to see what the motto on your new candy heart was, Raggedy Ann?"


"Oh yes," replied Raggedy Ann, "I was so happy I forgot to tell you. It had printed upon it in nice blue letters, 'I LOVE YOU.'"


Special thanks to project Gutenberg. C&G Design

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Free Labels

I happened upon this cute booklet that almost appeared to look like a coloring book, but at a closer look we can see some adorable labels. The booklet has 72 of these 12, repeating for 12 pages, they are adhesive backed and can be used as bookplates or...like I'm going to, canning labels. The designs are from The Wizard of OZ; Alice in Wonderland: Little Red Riding Hood; Mother Goose; The Goose Girl: Puss in Boots: and Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Designed by Ed Sibbett, Jr.
Enlarge the photo and left click, click, Save As, then you can print them off.
I thought they would be a cute freebie.
Plus they are here in case I misplace the book. C&G Design

Monday, January 18, 2010

What I did for my Sunday

Madame has wanted to do this forever, do what you say? Yep, perm her hair. It took me 3 hours, a hour and a half spent on the rods alone. She is delighted with the end results even though she won't be able to shampoo it for 2 days.

I like it because she picked to medium rod with normal time so most of it didn't frizz although she needs a trim.


I'll give it the one shampoo and we'll trim....snicker, snicker. C&G Design

Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Dress

This is one of the prettiest dresses to work with, all boudoir doll have some silk on them be it a shirt or a turban or the whole dress as in mine. Well, I could not replace the sheer black lace that was originally on this dress so I picked something more sturdier. This lace started out white, black lace is hard to find at a reasonable price. Anyway, I have black fabric dye so I thought....hummmm that will work. Wrong-o! The lace has a base of polyester so therefore the dye took to a grey color. Spray paint to the rescue! Some may think this to be a bad idea but "Le me tell ya," once the lace was hand stitched on, the red of the skirt flared like it is supposed to with a stiffened slip. So beautiful.

I decided on this red and gold trim because I have the red and gold going on, it matches wonderfully. I stitched it on each sleeve, each layer of the skirt and around the neck. My main embellishment was strung through the trim because it is very heavy.


How pretty is that? One last thing to make her proportionate, these dolls have stuffing in their gown sleeves.



Better.....


Remember, my doll is 30 inches and I do not have a doll stand that goes that large so it's hard to photograph her but once she is done I will have Madame hold her so you can measure her size. One other thing, the marking on her back is actually M-K- with IN below it. I found out that she is a keen eyed boudoir doll manufactured by Victor Keney. Not much is know about this doll maker and not much is published about him. One true thing is, she is very collectible being a keen eyed. I was delighted and glad I left her eyes untouched.


On to the wig. C&G Design