Loads of Fun

We've been keeping busy with loads of fun stuff. The Salon is so full amazing clients that I'm still unfortunately, having to turn new clients away. Always feel bad about saying no. We've still found time for some amazing projects and adventures so far this spring/summer. 

Finished these stripey socks for Beastie. Now we're working on a solid yellow pair. She loves yellow.

We made it to the ROM!!! Hope to go back with the squirt before summer is over.

We adventured with Merc in TO for a couple of days. We NEED to do this more!!! Took the train and public transit. No driving and it was amazing. Saw the fashion district, ROM, Kensington for Pho, sat for drinks in a roof top pub, ate at way too many great eateries and saw Sarah Millican at the winter gardens theatre.  

Been producing loads of projects for publication too. Always playing at making. 

New dress from the fabric we scored in the fashion district with Merc. I LOVE IT!!!!

We celebrated towel day in style. Beastie couldn't see the spaceship we were trying to hitch a ride on. It was all very perplexing. 

Got my retro nails on. Bright red with a neon pink over the top. So very bright.

Collected forget-me-nots from our garden and encapsulated them in UV gel for jewellery. 

Loads of walks and visits to the park to fly the kite and blow bubbles.

Working on more of my maker sleeve. Plan to have this sit just inside my left wrist. They are my scissors and my Mom's knitting needles. Sketch is sent off to my very talented tattoo artist for finishing and improvements. I think I'll have to get her to add colour to this one. 

A Prickle of Hedgehogs

Helpful and Adorable Pincushion Pals for the Sewing Room

Products needed to complete a pincushion:

STAEDTLER Fimo in any Colour you’d like your hedgehog’s body to be. 

We used Fimo Soft #70 Sahara, #7 Caramel, Fimo Effect #206 Gemstone Colour Rose Quartz

For the pin heads I used Fimo Soft #0 white, #9 Black, #50 Apple Green

Fimo Effect #206 Gemstone Colour Rose Quartz, #306 Blue Ice Quartz, #104 Translucent Colour Yellow, #28 Metallic Colour Ruby Red

Acrylic paint in pink, black and white

6 inch square of Fun Fur in a colour of your choosing. 

We used Turquoise, brown and tan fur in different lengths and textures.

Cotton Stuffing

Three or four long floral pins for each cushion

Fabritac fabric glue

E6000 jewellery glue

Tools Used:

 Basic set of sculpting tools

Fine liner paint brush

Small stiff flat paintbrush for drybrushing

Wire cutters

Needle and thread for hand sewing in colour that matches the fur you’ve chosen

Step 1. Condition one whole 56g block of Fimo Soft for the body of your hedgehog by kneading the clay in your clean hands until it’s soft and easy to shape. Reserve two small balls of the body colour to make ears with later. Make a pointy wedge shape with a deep hollow in the thick end using the remainder of the clay.

 Step 2. Add ears to the body wedge using the two small balls of reserved clay. Condition some black Fimo soft and make a nose and eyes for your hedgehog. Bake the hedgehog on a parchment lined baking sheet in a preheated 230 degree oven for 20 minutes and allow the piece to cool.

 Step 3: With acrylic paint and the fine brush add eyelashes and eyebrows and create a light reflection in each eye. Dab the dry-brush into the pink paint and rub off most of the paint onto a paper towel. Use the dry-brush to apply a small amount of pink onto the cheeks and inner ears.

 Step 4: Cut a circle of fun fur that is twice as big as the opening on the back of your hedgehog.  Sew a running stitch around the outer edge of the fur circle and gather the edges in.  Before you’ve got the stitches pulled closed, stuff the fur with some cotton stuffing. Continue to gather the threads until the fur has formed a stuffed ball. Knot the threads. Use the Fabritac fabric glue to glue the fur ball, sewn side down, to the cup of the hedgehog’s body.

Step 5: Use the wire cutters to carefully cut the heads off the floral pins. Create some flowers with leaves and some lady bugs with the Fimo clay and insert the tops of the pins into the shapes. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet in a preheated 230 degree oven for twenty minutes. 

Allow the flowers and ladybugs to cool before re-securing the pins with some jewellery adhesive.

Oh HI!!!!!

Forgot I had a blog there for a little while. Sorry folks. Thanks for hanging in there waiting for new posts. Here are a few things we've been up to this past month. 

I miss blogging!!!

I have sorted my fabrics (most gifted recently in three GIANT leaf bags) into different sorts. A stack of cotton, a stack of jersey, a stack of fleece...... well, you get the picture. Beastie came to the sewing room and asked for pants. I told her to pick one from the fleece pile and one from the cotton. This is what she chose. She's a fashion icon now. Notice the stylish and functional pockets? 

We've baked up some bun-nies..... Get it? BUN nies???? You see what we did there???

First day of school ever and Beastie was struck down with the terrible flu.

Looking forward to trying again next week. I'll stock up on hand sanitizer.....

Boot socks!!! I'm irrationally concerned that her calves may chafe inside her rainboots and am taking action to prevent it! 

We were gifted a bazillion gorgeous organic tomatoes. Beastie was in charge of cleaning them up.

I let her make tomato soup using the fresh fruit. She added molasses and basil and garlic but that was it. So yummers!

Loads of nail art has happened since I've been here and posted. I've particularly enjoyed the moon art that's been requested lately.

So adorable!!!

I've been enjoying the variety of shapes requested too.

More sock knitting! This lace reminds me that I can follow instructions. 

More moon art. These were all done with gel paint over hard gel support nails.

Couldn't decide on one purple...... so she decided on ALL of them.

These are mine this month. I think next month will be squirrels!!!

Found Beastie a real honest to goodness tool set at the antiques market! Can't wait to see what these two get up to. Oh hey!!! There's Mr. Jimmy in his new home sewn shirt too!!!

Ouija Planchette Cookies and Halloweenie Nonsense

I promised more shenanigans were to be had using the bird skull molds I made HERE.

We've used the molds to make whiskey filled chocolate bird skulls for some Ouija board pointer cookies!

I used the non polymer clay use mold to make our chocolates. I coated it with a thin even layer of white melted chocolate and shoved it into the freezer to set. It only took two minutes each time. We made about a dozen in all.

After the chocolate hardened, I filled the mold with spiced whiskey soused chocolate pudding. Just enough to fill below the top of the mold.

Next I used my tiny very clean paintbrush (I use this one for food only) to put a layer of melted chocolate over the top of the mold. I pushed it in a bit at the edges to make sure it sealed.

I made some sugar cookies in the shape of the planchette using a stretched out heart and an icing tip for the hole.

After the cookies were cooled and I had enough tiny skulls, I decorated the cookies with royal icing.

Each one was a bit different.

The most wonderful part was I got to spend the whole time with my bestie! She came to make cookies for her own birthday party. So she made her cookies and I made mine and we got to chat and catch up. I think Christmas cookies need to be made with the same plan! Never enough girlie time!

I managed her a cake commissioned by her hubby. First time for a rosette cake here. I really enjoyed it! It was chocolate and vanilla with chai flavouring and lemon icing.

We didn't get many pics of our costumes this year. Too busy having fun! We went as munchkins from the Wizard of Oz. We got to the party and who showed up? Dorthy, the Tin Man, the Scare Crow and Cowardly Lion! No one planned it! Just happened!

We made James' hair from wool roving stuck on with spirit gum. We coloured it by spraying it with orange hairspray. It was Sooooooooooo easy!!

These are the nails I made for myself for the munchkin costume. I was a Lullaby League girlie and James was a Lolly Pop Guild boy.

Beastie and George have been busy decorating this week.

She has decided that our house needed some very frightening Halloween Ducks!

Beastie is also recently very fond of being a unicorn.

Happy Halloween Week!!!

Some Seasonal Beastie Sewing

I've been a bit absent from the blog but it's all for good reasons. I've been studying and making my heart out. Making progress on my nail courses and making loads of pretties for the salon.

We've just celebrated Beastie's birthday and she sure is growing like a weed!

Here are some of her Birthday surprises. 

This is from an old pattern I think from the 60's. It's been drastically altered. I even added side seam pockets to the wee trousers!

I needed to use the tiny scraps that were left to make a headband to match.

I used an old wool blanket that was damaged to give the hat some body. It should keep Beastie nice and warm on her walks in the woods this autumn.

I'm pretty sure this was her favorite gift. The softest, coziest little kitten sweater from Auntie J and Uncle A man. Sooooooooo Soft!!!

Nammy was here to help her blow out her candles.

Mamma Beast made the most derpy cake I've ever seen. It was HUGE!!!!

And a fabulous day all around for a very loved little Beastie.