Good bye, Charlotte

If you would have told me 5 years ago that I would mourn the loss of a pet rat, I would have probably shuddered!  Well, in the past 5 years we have had and lost Jesse, Bella, Rattie, Wat, Adore and now Charlotte.  Most of our rats were rescues from  Any Rat Rescue in Arizona  and some of them were rescues from my daughter's friends but all of them were wonderful pets.  Rattie made me laugh so hard it hurt, she would run across the room jumping high in the air with each little piece of paper I scattered for her to pick up and take back to her cage.  Wat would run to the laundry room every time we took him out of his cage.  Jesse chased the cats and Charlotte was a constant companion here in the computer room.   Charlotte passed away this past weekend and I miss her little face peeking out of her cage.  I used to be repulsed by rats but after getting to know the many we have rescued over the past few years, I can tell you they each have a special personality just as your cat or dog does.  If you love animals, I would truly recommend adopting a pet rat from a local shelter.  They are so smart and sweet and everyone needs a little sweetness!   xoxo

My Latest Felt Friend!

Well, after pitching 3 mohair puppies in the trash can, I decided to hide my face in felt for my next project!  It worked!  I really like the way this little bunny turned out - thank goodness - the trash can was full and I wasn't in the mood to take out the trash just yet!    Little Daisy was a joy to make - all the hand stitching is so therapeutic for me.   I hope you like her as much as I do!    Have a wonderful weekend.  Hugs, Janice

 

Daisy's eBay Auction

Pitching the Puppy!

Last week I cut out 3 puppies - miniatures from one of my first patterns - I made several of them in 1999 and every few years I pull the pattern out and make a few more.   You can imagine my disappointment when I worked on this little one for so many hours and she just refused to conform to my idea and her idea was not even an option - she was hideous!  I just now pitched her in the trash.   It's not something I do very often and when I do, I feel a sense of disappointment.  I added some needle felted tufts and thought it was going to work out, but this was a stubborn puppy!  I decided to come to the computer and play on pinterest for a bit!  That helped!  So many lovely things to see, makes it easy to take my mind off of my blunder!  Tomorrow will be a better day!  I still have the other two sewn and hopefully when I stuff them and make their little faces, they will turn out!   xoxo,  Janice

Today's photoshop rambling, birds ... again!

I'm at it again ... I have bird brain lately...I mean birds are always on my mind!  I suppose ever since my Mom passed away, birds have been a huge part of my life.  When it was Mom's time to leave this Earth, my Sister and I were at her home in Michigan.  It had been a tough year with 12 trips back and forth from Arizona to Michigan as she battled for her life, but on this last trip, we somehow knew we would not be back again.   On Christmas Eve Day, 2009, at 4:00 a.m.,  both my Sister and I were somewhat awake.  We both heard the flutter of wings and what sounded like the cooing of a bird but it was the most beautiful noise we had ever heard.   The sound was a "whoosh" and a "coo" if I had to explain it in understandable terms and the sound was right in the room.  We looked at each other and said "what was that" and at the same moment, we realized it was Mom.  At 4:05 a.m. Hospice called and said Mom had just passed away.  So, I guess the thought of God taking care of the birds of the air and the sound we heard when Mom left this Earth have created a bond between birds and me that never existed before.   Hence, last night's photoshop rambling has to do with birds...again!  The words are an old Chinese Proverb.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it and most of all, I hope you have a song!  xoxo

My old bear friend has a new blog!

My dear friend from way back has just started a new blog and I would love to share it with my blogging friends.  Ece Hanson has been making bears for about 12 years.  I purchased her first ebay bear way back in the day and we have been friends ever since.  She is such a delightful lady and a wonderful artist.  This is the link to Ece's blog and if you have a moment to pop in and say "welcome to blogland",  I know she would love it!   Have a blessed day.   xoxo,  Janice
Bears by Ece Hanson - New Blog

And sometimes I just play with words ...

Tonight's midnight ramblings centered around one of my favorite Beatle's songs ... Blackbird.  I adore the song.  I swapped "It's a Small World After All" (I know, I know!!)  to "Blackbird" for my ringtone many years ago...both drove my husband crazy!  He's very happy I got a new phone and I can't figure out how to change the ringtone!  Well, here's my "Blackbird" photoshop art and tomorrow I really am going to work on those 3 wee puppies I started sewing last week!   xoxo

Playing with Photoshop ... Again!

Okay, last night my madness came in the form of midnight Photoshop ramblings!  I won't post all the pictures as they are on facebook AND pinterest!  LOL!  This one is my favorite, so I thought I would share here!  The dress was posted by Vanna Hoyt on Pinterest  - Link:  Vanna's "Fashion Fun" Pinterest Board and I couldn't help but photoshop this cute bear in to the beautiful dress!  My title for this photo:  "She Wanted to Stand Out"!  I hope you enjoy seeing my musings as much as I enjoy posting them!  xoxo

It happened again! Sidetracked in the middle of the night!

I'm not sure what has happened to my mind but when the midnight hour draws near, it decides to spin off in some sort of creative frenzy that usually includes fabric, lace, ribbons, buttons, this and that and a few bits and bobs, too.  I have no control over it whatsoever...I let it do as it may!  tee hee!  Last night, this is what was created from the frenzy ...

It's available in my etsy shop if you're interested.  This is the link:   Altered Art Wall Hanging.
Thanks so much for humoring me while I go off on my creative journeys!  xoxo

Some Old Friends Who Will Forever Be Mine

Over the past week I have been trying to "weed out" some of my collections - though I don't have large collections, by any means, I do have several!   I was beginning to fear I may end up on some sad version of "Hoarders" if I didn't get it under control...at least a little bit!   I've decided to keep most of my artist and one of a kind bears and I am going to part with most of my manufactured and figurine bears.   I have moved some of the artist bears up off of the chairs/benches and other places that humans are supposed to inhabit and they now reside on the plant shelf many, many feet above the ground (I'll need a ladder come dusting time)!

During my adventures, I gathered up some of my favorite old friends who have been with me through the years and I remember how each one came to live with me.  The little Steiff deer and the mechanical doggie were gifts from my Mom, she loved how the dog's tail turns in circles and his ball comes back to him (it's on a string and when you wind the key on his tummy, he comes alive)!  The kitty was a gift from my Sister - one night many, many years ago we were both on line browsing ebay for antique stuffies and we came across this headless kitty - we laughed for what seemed an hour and finally she bid on it.  One day a few weeks later in the mail was that headless kitty with a head she created for it!  I still laugh now when I look at that kitty!  Her dress and bonnet came from my Aunt Eileen.  The kitty puppet and the big tiger were also gifts from my Sister.  The monkey and the dolls were gifts to myself.  The little Russian boy and girl I purchased at a local antique mall and I remember carrying them around for the longest time - putting them back and then going back to pick them up again!  Finally, I just took them to the counter and purchased them!  The little wooden dolly with the silk mohair I purchased at a yard sale about 20 years ago.  I loved her clothespin style hands!  Ahhhh, sometimes it's a good thing to "weed out" the old "stuff" but not in this case!  These old friends will forever be mine!  xoxo

Playing with felt now!

I spent the day making this little felt Valentine - my first attempt at embroidery going beyond a blanket stitch and a bear nose!   I had so much fun making it but what do I do with it now?!!   I plan to start working on a Fairy Bear this weekend, maybe I'll give it to her and she'll be a Valentine Fairy ... yes, I think that's what I'll do!  That's my favorite kind of  "play" ... making something I can use with my bears!  xoxo

She's here! Just finished my first Booh Bear (Bunny) of 2012!

I finally finished my first Booh of the year!  I've been spending way too much time "playing" with photoshop and browsing blogs, pinterest and facebook...shame!   So, here's Teryn, she's available for immediate adoption on my website:     Teryn's Adoption Page

Okay, on to the next piece of fabric calling for me to turn it in to a bear ... cat ... fox ... ??!!  What next?!  xoxo

A New Booh Bear (Bunny) Coming Later Today...but in the Meantime....

I have been "playing" way too much with Photoshop and not enough time is being spent on bear making - I have a show to get ready for in March and haven't even started on my bears...YIKES!  I am a follower of Vanna Hoyt's blog (delusions of grandeur) and I also follow her pinterest boards (Vanna's Pinterest Boards)  and one of her boards has some gorgeous dresses ... well, I decided to dress some animals in her pinned dresses and I thought I would share them with you!  Okay, I know, you may think I have way too much time on my hands...or, as my daughter says "you've lost it" ..the fact of the matter is, I don't have nearly enough time to be playing like this and I'm having so much fun that if "I've lost it", then I'm okay with that!  Nose to the grindstone today....really...a new Booh Bunny is coming in just a few hours! xoxo

Side tracked in the New Year!

Okay, I've fallen off the beaten path the past few days!   I dearly love bear making but I also love other creative outlets, as well.   I have been playing on pinterest quite a bit lately and finding some beautiful one of a kind doll pictures ... well, this one doll just touched my heart and I had to use her picture.  This is not something I would sell because the doll was made by someone else but I had fun playing with the picture!  If anyone out there knows who the artist is, I would love to contact her (him) and ask if it's okay for me use their photo for my personal "fun"!     Okay, I must really get back to the beaten path now...Ahhhhh, it is well with  my soul!! 

Happy New Year!

I started making bears in January 1998 and here it's already 2012!  Fourteen years and I have loved every minute of it!  I have met so many kindhearted people who share a common bond of anything hand crafted; vintage or antique "junque", animals of all kinds...oh, the list goes on and on!   The internet opened a whole new world for me back then.  You have broadened my horizons way beyond my wildest dreams!  I thank you all for being a part of my life and I pray we may continue our friendships over the coming years.   May God Bless You all abundantly with love, comfort, peace and joy.   Happy New Year!