Today marks the ninth anniversary of my website going online!
So, of course, I needed to come up with an appropriate birthday photo....
So, of course, I needed to come up with an appropriate birthday photo....
Every year the cakes need to get a little bigger, to accommodate the growing number of candles, and it continues to be a challenge to come up with some kind of floral display with flowers taken from my garden, which is usually on life support by now, if not actually dead. So I went out in the pouring rain yesterday to gather anything that was still hanging on and looked half decent...
...so I'd have an opportunity to take some nice photos....
After all, who knows when a nice 'birthday' photo will come in handy?
Looking back, it's been a 'mixed' year, with lots of worsening health issues, but I was still able to take lots of fun doll photos. It's fun to look back at all the photos and stories.
This year I finally started bonding with the Fashion size dolls, especially my Rex and Bianca. I loved so many of the photos I took of them on our Newfoundland trip. I now have six Fashion size dolls, with a seventh on the way, and need to decide what direction to go with them. I have too many ideas and can't decide whether to continue on the 'Outlander' inspired period, and make some more 18th century outfits for Rex and Bianca, and the others. But I had always envisioned Baron as a mix between something Tudor or Elizabethan, or Lord of the Rings, with Rosie as his companion. And who knows where Lawrence, Monica and Miho fit in? So do I make all the Fashion dolls 'related' costumes so they will all work together, or let inspiration be the guide, and who cares if they can't be photographed together? Except maybe at a costume party.
Problem is, I've developed major wrist problems the past few months and have had to seriously cut back on my sewing, creating, and computer work. I overdid it making all those Outlander outfits for sale while processing all the photos from our trip, and now I have not one, but TWO, ganglion cysts in my right wrist. We purchased an ergonomic gel bar for the edge of my desk for when I work on the computer, and I'm learning to limit my 'repetitive hand motions' like hand sewing and knitting in hopes things will eventually heal.
Jan has been telling me for some time already that I should just focus on making stuff for my own dolls, but even that has to be measured now, and needs to go depressingly slow. For example, I started a sweater set for Mini Missy way back at the end of September, and at my old normal rate of doing things, it would have been finished in my spare time in just a few days. The scarf would have taken maybe three evenings, if that. I've been working on it for weeks now and am not even half done yet. But at just a few rows of eighteen stitches per row each night, it doesn't go very fast.
I've really been enjoying taking photos of my Victorian family. I had really wanted to sew some new Victorian dresses, so Iris could have lady friends come over to see the new baby, and so she'd have something new to wear in the future after her baby, but that didn't happen. However, the stories will continue for a little while yet, by just making do with what I already have on hand. In fact I thought ahead and took several 'taking the baby for a stroll' photos outside in my garden before things started to look too bedraggled out there.
I've recently discovered a new love for Kaye Wiggs' smaller dolls. I love my Mini Missy and Layla, and find them to be so much more versatile than the bigger MSD ones, who pretty much only made an appearance as clothing models. Plus her dolls have a fun 'doll-like' look to them that makes a nice counterpoint to the high realism of the Fashion dolls, and they can still join in with the similar sized Iplehouse kids. I can see including them in all kinds of fun activities. Once they have some more clothes.
I think my wrist is ever so slowly getting better - or I'm getting used to the pain - so I want to try sewing some simple clothes for Missy and Layla. It's a place to start, and then I'll see where it goes.
I did have a lot of plans for this coming winter, but everything is on hold right now.
But one can still dream, and hopefully the coming year will still be fun and productive!
This year I finally started bonding with the Fashion size dolls, especially my Rex and Bianca. I loved so many of the photos I took of them on our Newfoundland trip. I now have six Fashion size dolls, with a seventh on the way, and need to decide what direction to go with them. I have too many ideas and can't decide whether to continue on the 'Outlander' inspired period, and make some more 18th century outfits for Rex and Bianca, and the others. But I had always envisioned Baron as a mix between something Tudor or Elizabethan, or Lord of the Rings, with Rosie as his companion. And who knows where Lawrence, Monica and Miho fit in? So do I make all the Fashion dolls 'related' costumes so they will all work together, or let inspiration be the guide, and who cares if they can't be photographed together? Except maybe at a costume party.
Problem is, I've developed major wrist problems the past few months and have had to seriously cut back on my sewing, creating, and computer work. I overdid it making all those Outlander outfits for sale while processing all the photos from our trip, and now I have not one, but TWO, ganglion cysts in my right wrist. We purchased an ergonomic gel bar for the edge of my desk for when I work on the computer, and I'm learning to limit my 'repetitive hand motions' like hand sewing and knitting in hopes things will eventually heal.
Jan has been telling me for some time already that I should just focus on making stuff for my own dolls, but even that has to be measured now, and needs to go depressingly slow. For example, I started a sweater set for Mini Missy way back at the end of September, and at my old normal rate of doing things, it would have been finished in my spare time in just a few days. The scarf would have taken maybe three evenings, if that. I've been working on it for weeks now and am not even half done yet. But at just a few rows of eighteen stitches per row each night, it doesn't go very fast.
I've really been enjoying taking photos of my Victorian family. I had really wanted to sew some new Victorian dresses, so Iris could have lady friends come over to see the new baby, and so she'd have something new to wear in the future after her baby, but that didn't happen. However, the stories will continue for a little while yet, by just making do with what I already have on hand. In fact I thought ahead and took several 'taking the baby for a stroll' photos outside in my garden before things started to look too bedraggled out there.
I've recently discovered a new love for Kaye Wiggs' smaller dolls. I love my Mini Missy and Layla, and find them to be so much more versatile than the bigger MSD ones, who pretty much only made an appearance as clothing models. Plus her dolls have a fun 'doll-like' look to them that makes a nice counterpoint to the high realism of the Fashion dolls, and they can still join in with the similar sized Iplehouse kids. I can see including them in all kinds of fun activities. Once they have some more clothes.
I think my wrist is ever so slowly getting better - or I'm getting used to the pain - so I want to try sewing some simple clothes for Missy and Layla. It's a place to start, and then I'll see where it goes.
I did have a lot of plans for this coming winter, but everything is on hold right now.
But one can still dream, and hopefully the coming year will still be fun and productive!
RSS Feed
