April Challenge

I ran across an "April Photo Challenge" at The Idea Room and thought I would modify that idea. Rather than participating in the group challenge, I'll challenge myself to take a photo a day and share it here on my blog using her photo suggestions as the starting point for my own photo quest.

My only concern about maintaining the stream of photos and related thoughts is that SISTER'S WEEKEND (woohoo, cheers, anticipation and shouting!!!!) occurs during the middle of the month and that will require a major interruption filled with margaritas and lots of laughter. Look out Galveston, the GIRLS are on their way! Anyhow, I'll try real hard to keep the pictures coming. This will be the most ya'll have heard from me in .... well, ever!

What have I been working on since I wrote last? Where have I been? Well, I've been sick, sick, sick since about mid-January and just started feeling better a few days ago after my recent doctor's visit. (BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.)

Nevertheless, being the truly twisted person I am, I've still been busy working on tons of projects. We have a wedding coming in late September (in Albany, NY) and the bride has asked me to make a fascinator for her to wear to the rehearsal. She wants one like this:

I have all the materials except the feathers, but I'm sort of circling around this project, trying to get it firmly deconstructed and reconstructed in my mind, so nothing to show you yet on this pending project.

I've been making some shabby, cottage chic pillows for my shop, which is a departure from the machine embroidered pillows I normally carry. Sounds easier than it is. The tiny ruffles are a pain in the patoot! And I had to fake the fabric covered buttons. On the other hand, pretty much everything in the mini world is "faked". HA!

I recovered a mini chair with a print on top and some teensy chenille on the seat. Actually the chenille is cut from an old dishtowel that I hand-colored, but I think it looks pretty realistic.

I've been working on designs for mini birdhouses,  wastebaskets, and gerber daisies. I'm liking this particular birdhouse with the handwritten letter and roses. I think it's lovely.

I made a headboard from multiple pieces of cardboard (including a couple of granola bar boxes) last week, I'm still working on the rest of the bed. I made some more wastebaskets in different designs and I've tried a few shabby chic bushel baskets. Still working on finessing these items. BTW - TexNan ... the waxed paper transfer idea worked great, as you can see. Thanks for the tip. It's another great tool in my toolbox.

These things are definitely not ready to go into the shop, but I think I'm moving in the right direction. More experimenting to come.

Speaking of experimenting, this is a design I set aside because I couldn't figure out the perfect way to create the lid for the enamel breadbox, but I think I'm onto a new technique which will help me with this one. I really love this breadbox design -- I've seen it in so many British films -- but my lid doesn't fit perfectly. I was stumped, so I set it aside temporarily, but I think I'll pick it up again ... in my spare time!?! HA!

  Most of my mini projects were perfect when I was sick because they could be worked on when I wanted to be busy and put away when I needed to rest. Now I'm feeling so much better, it's like WonderWoman has taken residence inside my body and I'm rarin' to go. WOOHOO!

We'll see how long that lasts, huh?