Furbear

I'm Back!...again. Winter was well here in Maine, we've had light temps and some snow. It was a good thing for me since I fractured my kneecap three days before Christmas. Thus the biggest reason for no blogging. I 've felt like I was hibernation for the last four months but all is great now especially since the warm sun of spring is shinning on me.

I promised myself I would get something out of storage each day, and each day I have. I've found more and more items that I have completely forgotten about and surprised myself many times. "Oh, so that's where that was."

Anyhow....this is one of my fur coats I had in the kids closet of the mobile home. I thought it was the one my mother gave me but it is one I picked up along the way.

Too bad it was in such poor shape because it was a thigh high coat and I really like the length.

Alas, not to let some creature go to the trash in vain, I decided I'd try to make a bear out of it. So off we went.

Taking the garment apart was a challenge in itself, I'm assuming this was a well loved coat since it had been altered and tailored from its original shape to a shape that was an obviously short statue lady.

I am amazed at how many pieces of fur went into making this coat, no wonder you had to be near rich to purchase one and no wonder furriers got so much money for each item.

This is what I made, this was an idea I had obsessively floating around my head for months. A teddy bear. He ended up alittle too small for a adequate judge of how fur works. Since there was very little room for turning each piece to the right side, the original seams of the fur was stressed and  I had a hard time keeping the parts together. 

He's cute and I'll keep him for myself since it was the tryout model. I love the over sized feet.

 So funny,
it reminds me of the squirrel from caddy shack. C&G Design
(or was it a groundhog?)
Words and photos by Dawn, C&G Design.

Annie Lamp

I love this lamp! I purchased it at a thrift shop for $9.99 on a half priced tag. My husband was with me and carried her around, boy did we collect attention from other shoppers!

The top photo was taken with the flash on and the bottom was taken without the flash, you can see how she just glows. 

She came without a shade so the stained glass topper is my add-on, stain glass in the brown shades are the thing in this room.

And so is Ann! C & G Design

Words and photos by Dawn, C&G Design.

"Meet Raggedy Ann" book

Time to get back to blogging! Seems like I have been away for-ever! I have been getting back to life and making up for a lost year, so many things for me to finish, so many things waiting for me. I'm enjoying it.

Anyway, I want to take some time and show you this cute book Skeeter sent me, Skeeter spoils...I only wished I lived closer!

"Meet Raggedy Ann" is a adorable story.

About a little girl wanting to play but first has to find Raggedy Ann, Ann tumbled from the closet, happy as ever.

Ann is more of a modern version and looks like the little girl. They are both very cute, as is the book.

"Catch ya later." Many thanks, Skeeter!

***Update on my musical Raggedy Ann***

She came together okay but she still has a very aged wear to her body. I'd let her alone knowing this...lesson learned.

C & G design.

Words and photos by Dawn, C&G Design.

Did I kill Ann? Part 2

I came really close to  losing Ann, however I'm not pleased with her outcome. I've never had a issue with a cloth doll before and I'm disappointed it had to be with a Raggedy. My mistake was washing her, and I did it about five times figuring I'd get the dirt out, ha! No such luck. The stuffing (which has been around more than 50 years) was dust filled and when it dried it kept making Ann look like this....

Oh my gosh....took me awhile to catch on and when it finally dawned on me, she laid on my counter next to the sink before I decided to do anything more with her. One day I picked her up and inspected closely  as to what I could do.....I came to the conclusion that I could cut her under the hairline at the base of her back neck, remove the head stuffing and wash her. So that's what I did...

 I'd have to reuse the original stuffing because it is rather threadlike and very firm, I have nothing like it. So I cut off the dirty spots and it didn't look that bad.

 It was very difficult to put back in, I was very afraid she'd rip but I allowed a line of glue to dry around the opening to prevent that mishap, it worked like a charm.

 After stitching it up, I glued the hair down. As  seen it the photo, I had a small repair to the crank opening.
While I was working with her I kept this one thought in my mind, "She could be entirely remade  and she'd be better." But I pressed on.

Her face faded so badly that she needed repainting, also.....I forgot to mention. The smudges on her eyes? Yep....apparently glue because when I pulled the stuffing.....it ripped the eyes, oh dear. They needed re-gluing and repainting too.

I think I killed her! C&G Design.

Words and photos by Dawn, C&G Design.

Did I kill Ann?! Part 1

I've been working on a few projects for the last six or seven months. Slow being the word of the day when it came to crafting while under chemotherapy.

One of the highlights of my project working is this Ann.

She is a musical doll with a crank placed in her back. I'm not sure what the music box plays but it is a familiar tune from my childhood.

She was in great condition, just a tear in the lower shin which is close enough to make a stitched bend for a knee. Problem one solved.

Her face, specifically her eyes, were dirty. A bath would take care of that.

All of the elastic had stretched out, simple enough to replace. Problem two solved.

I found, via the Internet, that her dress is original but she was missing the apron. Not a issue, how many times had I made her apron! Problem three solved.

Insert screeching halt noise here. C&G Design

Words and photos by Dawn, C&G Design.

Cat Scans

Last week I went for my 1 year cat scan, 1 year since my cancer was found. I have always had mixed feelings about this procedure, it doesn't hurt but it is very emotional to alot of people, including me. When I experience my first scan.....it was full body scan to see if there was more than one tumor. I became in tears while in the large tubular circle machinery that  repeatedly "jur clunked" with every photo, I was  thinking...."Yep, it's checking everything, checking, checking and more checking." The technician told me, (she wasn't to diagnose) that she saw what was indicated on the file, and just that. Whew! Happinnnnnesss!

My scan last week was the same exact scan except with this time...... I looked in the window directly above my head and  my thought was, "Go ahead, I dare you, just dare you."

I will find out the results this week, I didn't expect any word from the tech.

Cat scans (Tomography) are series of 2D x-rays that are computer generated to 3D images. The slices of photos are taken around a single axis of rotation.

 To have a gastric scan the patient must drink a solution of iodine called contrast, it makes certain suspect areas glow as in the one x-ray shown above. It is a cat scan image showing 3 tumors on the kidneys.

This is the 3D image of a skull. MRI's, to the best of my knowledge, already take 3D X-rays. They are not as available as cat scans.

The maximum dose of gamma globules rays (whatever it is!) is 3 per year. A cat scan doses between 3-8 each procedure. I knew one scan equaled 400 chest x-rays but I did not know about the recommended limited exposure formula. 

 I can't tell you how many I've had in the past year. BTW, did you know they cause cancer?

No, really.....C&G Design

Words and photos by Dawn, C&G Design.

The Birds, murder and mayhem

How sweet birds are....I've given many thoughts of having a few in my home but the cats put a screeching halt to that whim. Phooey....well maybe someday. Until then I'll enjoy my outside birds who frequent the feeders.

Lately though...I have become concerned about the lower amount of visits to the station. I've had annoying blue jay who keep me busy with peanuts and crackers. If they don't find that for dinner, they tend to eat ALL of the seed........

no BJays though.

My male evening grosbeak was regularly a sight to seed at the feeder,always after we've eaten our own dinner.

But he too is gone.......

Lately I have had a pair of yellow finches, a male with his mate but they soon stopped coming.....

 

I could always rely on Mr Robin bob, bob, bobbing in my backyard, using it's keen hearing for those purchased earthworms we planted. He or she has been a staple every morning for the last 2 years. Might not be the same one but still....

 Okay....hubs was getting ready for work on Monday and heard commotion, bird screeches and blamo! My Robin was gone.....food for this....

 A hawk, believing it to be a red-tailed hawk. We watched it make a quick ending of suffering for my Robin.

It was mantling as birds of prey do when it comes to feeding but I also felt it was done for my Robin not to escape while injured. Poof....my poor robin was gone.

Although I'm impressed with the beauty of this bird, I'm less happy with the quality of freedom for all the little birds. I've removed the attraction of the feeders, although I fear it might be too late.

 He, or she...had her back to us (and back to to my female cat who quietly watched the murder and mayhem from the deck), the hawk flew off within less than a minute clutching my bird, of course.

 He, or she....was a young juvenile and looked more like the photo below, the tail was still banded and not reddened but was most defiantly square. It has amber eyes (another hint of age) and it was smaller the the normal adult.
Wikipedia has all the info
anyone could want to read about when it comes to these raptors. It informs that these are the birds falconers use for their falconing. The falconer is only allowed to take "passage" hawks for training, that is birds under one year are are out of nesting (Hey, I know where one is!). It is to make sure the population of the hawks are on steady numbers. Hawks are protected in the United States and their feathers fall under the Eagle feather law....that is, no feather may become the property of anyone and only American native Indians can apply for a permit to keep feathers, and keep for tribal purposes/uses only. This is ONLY if the proof of the heritage of the applicant is solidly clear.

Wikipedia goes on to say the Red tailed Hawk (chicken hawk) will eat any bird, amphibian, rodent, squirrel, chipmunk, rabbit (which is heavier), groundhog (which is heavier), and has  even been known to ferret out a badger or two (which is heavier), I'm petrified for my cats.....if Wooly get caught he'd be on the menu for the rest of the summer!

These are migratory birds, will nest 4 meters off the ground to higher heights and they sometimes lose their homes to owls as owls aren't into nest building. Relocation of the new nest is within a mile though. This bird reaches a speed of 120 miles per hour while diving in air and can catch a bird in flight by doing so. Grrrr. Nothing I can do to help in preventing other birds from being food. Grrr. The other thing about this hawk......they will siren screech when upset.(apparently my backyard Robin made someONE angry that morning!) They will also be flying free following a falconer as he walks with (dogs?) and the hawk will hunt above the trainers head. When it kills its acquired food, the gourmet dinner will be willingly removed for a traded piece of meat.
Read about Pale Male by clicking here. He is the New York, Red Tailed Hawk, with interesting background history.

Juvenile graphic of a red tailed hawk. C&G Design

Words and photos by Dawn, C&G Design.