Updated Finches

I might be getting the hang of my different finches. They are lovely little birdies that are so social outside my window, sometimes I think their noise is someones bad breaks squealing on the main road!




Imagine my excitement when two red birds showed at the feeder at once! Snap pictures, I did. Being a mottled red....I'm guessing Purple Finch.
So close, I almost felt like I could touch the two friends, unfortunately the sun had gone behind the rooftop of my house, otherwise my pictures would be brighter. I've taken the best of what published from my camera, enlarging the upper picture will show a muted red on the back of my birds, around the head and speckled throughout the chest.
This is the best photo, after that, my flash decided to kick in and everything became misted like in the next photo. That photo was taken from another vantage point, farther away. I thought it would be nice to include it for a short comparison to the other orange visitor, still unidentified.
He was really brighter. I have not had the pleasure of seeing him again but ....it is nice to have the feeder outside my window, least I can see some of our feathered friends without the cat interfering.

The brighter guy will be back. C & G Design.

Dawn and Friends

How could I mention the namesake of this doll without gloating? Truly we have no connection.....and no look-a-like! She's cute just the same.





Dawn was made by Topper in 1970-73, she immediately grabbed a foothold and some historians believe more were produced than the floundering (at the time) Barbie. Parents and grandparents loved Dawn (snicker), being just over 6'' tall with feet less than a inch, she used up small spaces. Mothers could buy the doll and a whole wardrobe, fitting it all in a less than a 1' x 2'' deep case!

The small worlds of Dawn and her friends could be easily found at the five and dime.

They included a show stage, sofa phone, beauty pageant stage, dance stage, apartment and beauty parlor. In the second production Dawn reintroduced herself as a dancing doll, being able to twist at the waist. 3 males were made in this year, Gary, Ron and Van (how cool that name is!). Mine fellow is Gary.

Two more grouping were produced, one included a short haired Dawn with 3 wigs called "Head to toe", the other was modeling and Majorettes. The Majorette had a baton that twirled and glowed in the dark.

Topper went bankrupt in 1973, they seemed to run out of ideas to innovate Dawn, clothing looked the same only different fabric. Unlike Barbie who changed with the time and picked up speed again in the 80's, Dawn didn't. Many of the dolls that are left over, have a current value at 40$, doll, wardrobe, and case together.

No one seems to really know what the immediately attraction to Dawn is, I can tell you though when Madame and I unpacked some of my collection, Dawn was the only one Madame requested. Madame muscled on to Dawn like she was a bar of gold, stroking her long hair......

and wishing she could have her.

That wasn't to lame of a expert speaking on Dawn, was it? C&G design

Two More Quilts!

Urggh! Sooner or later I'll have all my crafts in one spot, like a craft room!!!!
I digress,....or,...when I find a project (unfinished, of course), it will have the required tools with it. No such luck. Two more quilts, minus what I need to have with it.




I purchased the basket pieces at a auction.
They sat in a shirt box until I decided what exactly it was.
This is a version on Grandmother's Basket.....but my version.
It's hard to see in the picture, but the finished looking basket in the foreground is pieced. The basket is a big triangle with two smaller triangles on each side. The muslin is 4 pieces, two for the side of the basket, 1 strip below and one square for the top.

You can see the baskets, with the complimentary colors, that are left to piece!

My intention is to applique the handle, and several flowers around it using gathered rick-rack, yo-yo puffs, and embroidery. I've yet to locate them!

Stitching the pieces together is quite easy. (I'll be making new templates for the colored fabric yet to be cut)!

I've got a good eye on my sewing machine, iron, and sleeve board...now where's the thread? Just kidding. This is a beautiful quilt.

I picked these up at a yard sale, I can't remember what I paid for them but it wasn't much.

See the instructions at the top of the picture? Notice the large "R" in the pink palette? This is Artex, paint in a tube. I've misplaced mine......not Artex but paint in a tube.....This quilt is just for fun.

Both are airing out on my deck, storage wreaks havoc. C&G Design.

Butterfly....flutterby

I was in the right place at the right time....I had a chance to photograph two of God's little creatures on a perfect pleasure, the flower.

My first photo subject was far away from me....even on zoom, but I managed to get a couple of good shots.
I stood in awe at the beautiful contrast in color.
The second subject was much closer. Both butterflies seemed to enjoy my Joe Pye Weed.
Soon, my darling insects were chasing each other, zig zagging in the sky and fluttering by me.


Happy PINK! C & G Design.

Clothscapes-p.9, Fantasy Bird

Ohhh, I think my bird came out beautiful, pretty good for using my own colors (I had no graph with listed color scheme).

I'm relatively sure......fantasy bird is going to be a pillow and not in the wall sampler of my needlepoint.

I have a room with oriental art collected within it, my bird, that reminds me of Chinese New Year Dragon, would fit in the decor better than a sampler with muted colors.

Madame P calls this room the "blue room", whatever the title, it's the main room of my house. I'll be posting on it as it becomes a complete transformation with many fine things.

I used graduated color for the face and head feathers. Can you see the difference in the color of the green as it fades and darkens? The same with the blue atop the head? This is the first time I've used this thread and I really like the effect. I used the same blue for the legs only it didn't show so well. I adore the wings on my bird, so pretty. Using the outline stitch for this flower will be demostrative of how color is dramatic when fading in staged stitching.
Here is the fading color, staged stitching with white as the outline. A neat and cool look.

Yep, a pillow...stay tuned. C & G Design.

100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100,100, 100, 100, 100, 100 100! Post!

Bean Bag Buddies

I purchased my pair in 1999 so they are not that new, a decade is young for Ann and Andy. Aren't they cute? No embellishments, or fancy hair, just a panel of fabric. Commissioned by Applause under Johnny Gruelle rights.
These two have a ornament loop at the top of their heads and are filled 2/3 full of weighting beads. I think of them as bean bags, 6 1/2'' fits the hand so well.
What to do with them? C & G Design.

I Got Esty!

Whew! I've been telling myself for quite sometime that I'll be selling my handicrafts on Esty and it's TRUE! I now have my own shop! You can click on the mini Esty to the right of the post page and it will take you there.

I actually joined August 25th but I've been having my store under construction and since I'm new to selling on the Internet, I've yet to get a feel for which item is more popular than the other.

I like my banner though, it is dolls of my own collection, and it took me awhile to figure what would fit in Esty's pixels. Tressy's eyes look possessed but she really is glancing sideways.

I'm so happy with myself! C&G Design.