For All Fans of Dear Jane

I couldn't resist when we came across this one ...try it and see which Austen girl you are! (I, for one, thought I would be Emma, although Lizzie is my favorite).

Take the Quiz here!

Beachcomber

The sea is somewhere in my blood, but it doesn't emerge often, since we're nowhere near the coast. But I'm hoping it peeked out a little this last week for the Beachcomber. She's the first of the Summer by the Sea series (next up is the Figurehead). The Beachcomber's pictured below with the treasures she collected from the shore.

There are two starfish in the pail -- the second one is a tiny pink speckled star.

Hummingbirds

I'm so fond of this little guy that I may never list him. He's the same kind that hover in our flower beds, the ruby-throated hummingbirds we see among the butterfly bushes. His little mask is made out of paper mache and wire.

The cats love to watch the hummingbirds, too. Fortunately, these little guys are too fast to be caught....

A Mad Tea Party, pt. III

It's always tea-time at the Mad Hatter's House ...

"Does anyone know what makes a Raven like a Writing-Desk?" asks the Hatter.

"I don't care, " says the March Hare. "So neither should anyone else. Change of subject, please."

"Listen to this," says the Dormouse. "Twinkle, twinkle, lit-tle bat..."

It's very off-key. Alice wonders if it would be rude of her to move further down the table ...

"Make it stop!" says the March Hare. But the Dormouse sings on, Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle ....

"Make it stop, I say!" "Not until you answer the question about Ravens and Writing Desks," replies the Mad Hatter.

Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle, twinkle..... The Dormouse seems to be stuck.

"What madness!" chuckles the Cheshire Cat.

Selkie, Part II

The finished seal half -- it will be trimmed with seaweed made from muslin and cheesecloth (see the little scraps here and there?). I replaced the original green thread cords with sturdier ties. It's not proportionally perfect, but it'll do for a first try. All she needs is some sand and shells....

Selkies are able to transform to human form by shedding their seal skins and can revert to seal form by putting their selkie skin back on. Stories concerning selkies are generally romantic tragedies. Sometimes the human will not know that their lover is a selkie, and wakes to find them gone. Other times the human will hide the selkie's skin, thus preventing them from returning to seal form.

A selkie can only make contact with one particular human for a short amount of time before they must return to the sea. They are not able to make contact with that human again for seven years, unless the human is to steal their selkie's skin and hide it or burn it. (Wikipedia)

It's Been a Quiet Week in Lake Wobegone...

But not here, unfortunately. We've been swamped with 4th of July projects all in desperate need of finishing (here's pics of the ones who made it). I've been stitching Pinky's wings on, but his little felt form is slow in coming, so he may be stuck in crafting captivity another week.

The little ladies are almost my favorites. It's the little rolling carts that draw me in, I think.



If the Republican party wants to use this photo in their campaign, they're welcome to it.



We're moving on to something new in the next few weeks, not to mention posting some pics of October's stuff in the works. The new doll series which replaces Wonderland will make its photographic debut shortly (here's a sneak peak at one of the new characters -- I think he looks like a cross between Yoda and a Corgi right now, but I love his little white paws).




He's a little shy. But he'll come out from under the basket eventually.