Holly Berry

This is a character that I made especially for Ann from her most favorite old jumpers and gloves, I made her years and years ago and saw her again recently; Annie has called her Holly Berry (she's not quite Halle Berry, but she does have nice eyes and long legs) this is one of the biggest characters I have made and is doubly unusual as she has an outfit; the shorts have a lacy trim around the top and a tiny doll sized button at the front of them.

Cockpit Arts Open Studios in September

It's just less than a week until the next Open Studios at Cockpit Arts... and .... I have some more Little Errols! I'm very excited- I have some now and I'll have a whole lot more in time for the Christmas shows, and also quite a few squeaking sleeping babies. I have all of the new cards on display for the first time since launching them in July, including the Christmas ranges (they're all on the website). Oh.. and the enamel badges, including lots of seconds at discounts.

I'm in studio 305 on the top floor of - please come along and say hello.
20-21 September 2008
11am - 6pm
Cockpit Arts Deptford,
18-22 Creekside
London
SE8 3DZ

There are directions and a map to find the studios at the Cockpit Arts website.

Doll Project Number 3

We've just begun the third Doll Project. I posted mine yesterday (it's a rabbit), you can see more at our group blog here. We won't show a photo all of any of the dolls until the end, so we can keep them a surprise from each other. I'm really excited about it!

A Monty Montage

I'm only showing this super sickly sweet picture so he doesn't look utterly ridiculous in all of the photos here (rather undignified!).

Because this is how he looks most of the time when he is asleep on us. He is the most sociable and boisterous cat I have ever know, such a sweetie, and so naughty! We have just had him a few months and already he has been to the emergency vet (chewed broom bristles), concussed himself running full speed into a table leg, been stung by a bee so his paw doubled in size, got his paw stuck down a hole.... the list goes on

He loves being on us on all the time, he gets into bed when ever he can, sleeps on his back and climbs into my cardigans to sleep against my chest and tummy when I am working at the computer. He also plays fetch with balls, bringing them from the other end of the house back to us and drags his bed into whichever room we are in - very uncat-like! None of our other cats have been anywhere near this crazily relaxed and friendly, so I'm guessing it's the breed and his good mummy cat?

Crepe Wool Sleeping Babies in love

Last year I made a few sherbet coloured Sleeping Babies from wool crepe- so fine, and delicate colours, and they have chalky white leather ears! I have the plan to make them little homes in these lovely boxes - this is their home, maybe a bed but it still has a long way to go. I'll put a picture up when they are all complete.
I have made the first part of my doll for the new doll project and it'll be posted on Monday, you'll be able to track their progress on the Doll Project blog.
I've also been designing some more characters for one of my clients, when they stop being a secret I'll show some pictures of them too.

Tiny Tweed Twins

Oh Gosh, at last a new picture! I have been sending out orders and working on comissions and not been doing very much sewing at all, but here I have a cross breed! These two tiny tweed twins are a cross between Mischeivous Maud and Bothersome Boris and the little Squeaking Sleeping Babies, They are just less than 3 inches tall and they are very lazy.

Doll Project Number 1

I met up with Nina yesterday and we were remembering all of the amazing dolls from the first doll project that we took part in. It was in 2004/5 and organised by Jackie Parsons of Bo Peep Kids, who makes lovely sock dolls and monkeys.

For the first month we each made the beginnings of a doll, on month 2; we each posted the doll to the next person on the list and so, at the end, our dolls were returned to us complete having been worked on and added to by everyone in the project.

There were 10 of us in all, all designer makers and I've found all of the photos that I had - such a shame that I don't have pictures of all of them.

1. Me, Maud who you can see further back in another posting with all of her additions.
2. Petra Boase, This was the first I got so it has very little done on it and it was the hardest for me to do.
3. Isabel Stanley, Sweet little Noriko came in a beautiful box. I made her a pink satin dress. Nina made her a beautiful face - you can see a picture of her completed on Jackies website
4. Jo Gordon, I can't believe that I don't have a photo of this one, I made a blue and white spotty skirt - she was called Maybeline! and she was delicious - there is a photo on Jackies site too.
5. Cecilie Telle. I loved this one - so funny, I think she and Maud would sit nicely together but I have no idea how she ended up as she still had to go to another four people after me.
6. Emma Eardley. WOW! Golden boots, she was quite a lady! I gave her a face which was terrifying to do, I was worried I would give her the wrong personality. Some later in the project gave her a nice hair do.
7. Ken Eardley, I think Ken started his doll off with the ceramic face, my mum knitted her a shawl which we decorated with bright buttons.
8. Rachel Eardley, No photo and this was a real good'un.... Darn it! If I remember it correctly; she had a vintage badge face and was quite tiny and lived in an entirely collaged room. I made a fridge room a cigar box.
9. Jackie Parsons ballerina sock doll; she had a tiny heart embroidered onto her bottom. I made her tiny knitted stripy top which buttoned up the back.
10. Nina Mankin, A dainty little fairy with teensiest handmade cardigan. I made her a little clutch purse!

I'll see if I can track down some more pictures of them...... I had a look to see if I had many photos of the second doll project and I only have 2 which is rubbish. There were some really good ones in there - whoops!
I'll be starting on my third doll project later in the summer - looking forward to it.