Playing with scissors...

...and grosgrain ribbon...and grommets...and rickrack...and...and
My birds are wee lumps of polished cotton ticking and scraps of disgarded fabric and lay partly stuffed waiting to realize some sort of life. I learned that they need to be much larger as the smaller size is unwieldly for construction engineering.
But wouldn't you know it. The muse stepped in! You know when you have something in your hands that you are working on and the hands start to fashion something entirely different? Well I have learned to go with the flow and once I did, I couldn't stop until the thing was fully realized (in prototype form) and had a definitive direction. It is not a bird. It is a 'beribboned and begrommeted journal de idees' (working title), and will be my personal journal to catch all of the ideas that will make up the journal itself. I have begun to design a journal! The first that could be said is that it is based on an altered book. Journal sections are tied into the spine with ribbon threaded through grommets attached to grosgrain ribbon. My (working) journal is tied with a scrap of pink ribbon that had been wrapped around french milled soap that my swap partner sent to me recently in a very vintage valentine swap. So the journal smells like french lavender.
Don't you love the notion of reusing ribbon. Of saving ribbon in one special spot. And of ironing the ribbon and maybe tying up your hair, or a special gift for a loved one? I do!
I am going to use my journal as a place to catch things that I need to hold on to. To address. To claim. To face.
The tea pot is steeping and it's time for a cup of chai. With chocolate today! Talk to you soon, Norma.

Thinking about the birds!

I'm dreaming about birds. I saw a fabric bird with wire feet in a local outlet this past Sunday, and I just about had a bird myself it was so cute. I simply must figure out how to make my own. I don't want to copy as that is not nice, and not original either. So I am going to play with fabric and scissors today. Maybe I'll check in later to have a wee chat and a cup of chai. Toodles! Norma

Valentine Dolls

Over at my other blog I am on a whirl of marathon Valentine paper doll making. I got inspired. A neighbor friend so dearly loves my dolls and wants to make one for herself so badly and has so little confidence in her ability to do so; I decided to try to help out. I know that there are others out there who want to make dolls and just don't even know where to begin. So I decided to just write down what I am doing as I make a doll and to write it in the simplest way that I am able to. The results are on TheFairyyellowbugQueen blog. I am having way fun. If you are interested in making your own paper doll, drop by. Or if you know someone who would be interested, they are most welcome.
Guess what happened today? My sister dropped by and brought me some of her homemade fruitcake. Yipee! I am just going to have a little nibble...

See you soon.

The Chai Vendor is getting married!

Guess what! Good news! The chai vendor, who lost his head momentarily, got himself together and put on a splendid tea for Lottie. She was very much taken with his tea (and his feet I bet) and loved the china service that he chose, so that when he proposed marriage to her...she accepted! Oh glory be, good things can happen hey? Well we will leave the chai vendor with his companion animal, the elephant to make a beautiful life with the love of their lives, Lottie. Be still my beating heart. And all of this only a few days away from Valentine's Day. Perfect.

Very Vintage Valentine Swap

My goodie package arrived today and look what I got! The soap is lavender...my favorite. Pale pink sewing thread and vintage trims, oh gosh it's so pretty. The small book is precious and so vintage. It cost fifteen cents. I am going to use it to copy when I do some watercolor painting that I am planning. Thank you Wendy for this beautiful gift package. And thank you Heidi for hosting the swap. A lovely day for me today!

Friends...

This afternoon the day brings wet grey damp highlighted in warm laughter with friends. I've had hard belly laughs, small musings, wide silent grins and heart-felt closeness~all with my online friends this day in January 2009. One of them, Jean is a wonderful talent whose generous spirit has inspired me to create the best paper artdoll that I am capable of in any given project that I am working on. I wanted you to have a chance to meet her this rainy day in Vancouver in my neck of the woods. Talk to you all soon. I'm making valentine dollies!

Life unfolds slowly...

The chai vendor now has a skirt. See it propped up in front of the pigeon? Today I am drawing feet and toes. So his life is unfolding slowly as it should. I have just started painting teacups. Oh joy! He will be holding one in his hand as he is on his veranda (it's his day off and that is why he is barefoot) trying to decide which tea set to serve to Lottie when she arrives for tea today at 3 p.m. He's chosen the cloth (white linen) and they will have cakes out on the veranda where there is a cool breeze and the scent of cinnamon wafts.

Developement in the Chai Vendor's Life...

27-year-old Lottie had gone to the Orient as a respite. There she met the chai vendor who has asked her to marry him. In the pocket of her dress she carries a letter which reads: "Dear Lottie, Don't you ever leave me. Yours truly, Timothy Shawn." What do you think will be her answer?