Bella Dia

Easy Stocking Stuffer

I got plain white thumbtacks from Target (80 for .98¢) then colored them with Sharpie markers. They dry very quickly and there was no smearing. I used the original cardboard but covered it with this very special ;) brown paper and then replaced the thumbtacks. There's room for a greeting at the top too if you want. Let me know if you try it :)

Embroidered Doll

I made this sweet doll from this book, Embroidered Treasures for Children. It was fun to do but it was not "the quickest and simplest ragdoll you may ever make" as the book says. Her hair is all done in split stitch and it took me forever to do but it was good practice anyway.

There's a whole lot of other cute projects too. I've started the pirate finger puppets but they've been put on the backburner for now. The photographs are gorgeous and the instructions pretty simple. The only discrepancy I've found is that they call for about half the amount of threads to use than what I found to be necessary. For example, the doll's hair called for using 4 strands when I found that six worked much better and the same with the pirates, so you might experiment with that if you get the book.

****I'll be adding some new pincushions to the shop later this week - new designs that I'm really excited about - so be sure to check back again****

Kitty Stuffies and Something About Me

I made these kitties using the panda pattern that Lyn at Mollychicken so generously posted. I made a few changes - ears, whiskers, eyes - and added a tail. On the ginger-colored one I added a white tummy too. They are only about 3 1/2" tall but I was thinking they'd be really cute enlarged and made into floor pillows for the kids (yeah, I'll get right on that). I don't venture into stuffies too often but these sure were fun and I'm already thinking of all the other cuties that I could make using this same basic pattern.

Here's a tail shot for the curious :)

On another note, today is my birthday. I'm 45. Wow, that's a mouthful :D It sounds so much older than I feel; mentally I'm in my early 30's. The beginning of November is also my blog birthday - 1 year. I started it last year as a kind of gift to myself and honestly, it's the gift that keeps on giving! I was hoping that I would stick with it so I'm really happy that I have, but I never expected to get the friendship and support for my crafting that I have and that has been the most wonderful part. Thank you to everyone who comes here and I so appreciate your comments even though I can't always get back to you. I was going to do a list of 45 things about me, but never got around to finishing it (well, I barely got started) so I'll do a 46 things about me next year. One thing you might not have known about me is that I have a twin sister so I'm wishing her a very happy birthday and we'll go out and celebrate later this week. She is the most amazing person - an incredibly devoted mother and wife, a loving daughter, and my best friend; I really would be lost without her.

My latest special treat is an eggnog steamer at Starbucks - go try one and have a wonderful day!

**I'll be back with Inspiration Monday in January**

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

I am thankful for...

my children
my pets
my sister and her family
my parents
my friends

dishwashers * microwaves * authors * rainy days * cold and windy nights * sunshine * my iMac * friendly people * paved roads * Norah Jones * mechanical pencils * indoor toilets * floor pillows * flowers * the internet * brain surgeons * seat warmers * cup holders * a good night’s sleep * book shelves * hot water

Art Calendar

One of my monthly magazine buys is Home Companion and if you're not a regular reader you should definitely check out the latest issue (Dec05/Jan06) to see the article about the *ffrench family and their handscreened calendars. The artist couple, John and Primm ffrench, have been producing them for 35 years and it has become a real family affair. I'd love to order a set but I have a feeling they are way out of my price range so I can only admire and be inspired. There are more examples in the magazine so be sure to take a look, you won't be disappointed :)
*the magazine says "two lowercase F's equaled one uppercase letter among the Normans who came to Ireland in the 15th century."

Inspiration Monday

Noel doll * lovely embroidery * lady head zipper pouch * birdy Christmas cards * delicious illustrations * sweet stuffies

Pet to Blog Day: Toulouse

Meet Toulouse, another one of our sweet kitties. Toulouse is a manx that we got as a stray. Besides his stubby tail, he is also a polydactyl. He has two extra toes on his front feet and 1 extra toe on each of his back feet and he makes good use of them too. He jumps up on the kitchen cabinet and pops the lid off of the dogs treat jar, then drags out a couple of milk bones and knocks them on the floor where the dogs are happily waiting :) Numerous times we have found him in the cabinets literally with his hand in the cookie jar!

*roll over the picture and get a surprise! Thanks to Nona Knits for the html tip :)

Tag Sale Tales

Curious? I have a new post over at Tag Sale Tales, go check it out!