O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, wie treu sind deine Blätter?

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So I’m sure most of us learned as a child to sing a favorite Christmas carol, O Christmas Tree, I’ve heard it in both English and German many of times.  But it seems the years since that song was written that Christmas trees have been changing and getting quite, dare I say it, crafty.  As evident from the picture above of a crafty Christmas tree made out of Mountain Dew cans and topped with a Mountain Dew bottle, Christmas tress are a’changin’.  After seeing this picture I was curious what other crafty Christmas trees were out there so I googled Creative Christmas trees, and boy did I find some unique and creative ones.  And of course I had to come share my findings with you.    Have a look at these cool trees.  Click the “source” links under the pictures to go to the website these trees are hanging out on.

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Plywood tree.  I saw a miniature version of this tree as well.  Pretty cool, and you can actually hang ornaments on them or just leave them as is.

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Christmas ornaments hung on wall in the shape of a Christmas tree.  Love this idea.  Also made me think you could something like this with varying sizes of picture frames.

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This is more for outdoor decorating.  A Christmas tree made out of lighted balls.  Some of the trees made around the world will impress you.

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Get your kids in on the creative fun by having them make a tree and decorations out of Lego.

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A ladder dressed up as a Christmas tree.  Love the idea and even the look of it.  It just seems to fit for some weird reason.

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This is so cool.  It looks like an actual snow covered tree in a house.  Made easily with rolled cotton and snow glitter.

I do hope you’ve checked out the websites these pictures came from because these pictures are only scratching the surface of the cool stuff out there.  I hope, perhaps, that you have gotten some ideas on how to think outside of the…errr…um…tree box, and came up with some ideas on how to make your Christmas a little bit more unique this year.  I’m collecting these ideas to try out when I finally get a place of my own. 

And now that the Christmas season is in full swing, I’m hunting the web for unique and interesting items in the handmade community.  I will be sharing my cool finds with you in the coming days and weeks.  Hopefully you’ll find that thing you’ve always wanted from my searches and reveals.  Fingers crossed tight that you will.    For now I am off.  I’m wayyyy behind on Nanowrimo and I think I want to try typing some tonight.  *Looks at clock.*  Or maybe I’ll get some sleep instead and start catching up tomorrow.    Talk to you lovelies soon.  Be good and crafty until then.  Bye for now.

Yawning from looking at the little yawn emoticon,
Michelle

Happy Spring!!!

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Nope, not a fan of Spring, but it’s here for the next three months so let’s make the most of it.    Here’s hoping your first day of Spring was awesome. 

Loves ya,
Mouse

Matte spray is not created equal.

So I am working on a face-up of a doll started back in during Dizzy’s Place days.  It’s a My Scene Chelsea and well, it’s going ok-ish except for one problem, the matte spray I am using is more satin than matte.    If you are going to sell a matte spray then make sure it’s matte.

The spray I am using is the Krylon Matte Finish spray.  It dries quickly, outside you don’t smell the odor when you spray, and it has it’s own built in way of keeping the nozzle clean.  You can start working on it again after about 10 minutes of drying and depending on if you followed the directions there is minimal to zero tackiness.  It’s awesome except for the fact that it makes it look like the doll is sweating like crazy.    I am hoping that maybe it just needs to dry fully over night, but something tells me that isn’t the case.  I settled on that one because everything else was glossy at the store I was buying it from.  I might have to try Hobby Lobby for another spray.  I was looking for the ones suggested in the Monster High tutorial I showed you guys a few posts back.  I didn’t want to get MSC since I’d have to wait on shipping and I wanted to try some stuff now.    Oh well, I will see how it looks in the morning and decide what to do then.  The layers are helping with the face up, but she looks like summer is here and thriving and I don’t like that.  I’ll update you on her look tomorrow.

Also I am working on rerooting a Liv doll wig.  I cut out the hair, which had to be the easiest hair to remove.  Since it’s done with the loop rooting method, all you have to do is loosen up and pull out a root or two from the part or thatch and then cut the hair short as possible the you can pull out each row easily from the inside of the wig to remove the little bits.  I flipped the cap inside out and just scratched the little hairs off with my nail.  Was done in no time.  So now I have a cap ready to go.  I also decided to prep my hair by cutting it into the length I wanted.  I’ve had this pink Volks hair I won off of Ebay for years now and decided it was time to use it.  It was so hard to make that first cut but once I did the rest went smoothly and now I have 4 bunches of hair ready to be rooted.  Can’t wait to get started on that tomorrow too.  It feels nice to be crafting with dolls again.  I missed it.  I’ll have pictures tomorrow for you to see of my current status.  Until then be good.   Bye for now.

Loves ya,
Mouse

Oh, one more thing!

Ok, so I was mentioning to my sister today that I wanted to get a domain, and she said “well I’ll get your one for your birthday but just sooner”.  I was like “are you serious?”, and she said “yeah I’ll get you one if you really want one”.  Ack!!!  So I totally want to take her up on her offer, but I haven’t been researching hosts as of late and I don’t even know what I want my domain name to be.  Something mouse related…I guess.  We’ll yeah I want it mouse related, but I do crafts, dolls, and more, so what kind of name would bring that altogether?  I want to keep my blogs, but I guess one I’d want to be incorporated into the website.  I’m not sure.  So much to think about.  I need a domain I could stick with for at least a year, but not sure what yet.  I wonder if I can just link to my blogs and have it all incorporated with the blog?  Ahhhhh!!!  I don’t knowwwww!!!  Ok, I’ve got time to think about it.  It may just not happen until closer around my birthday after all since I need time to think about it and want to go through all my Spring cleaning before I bring it all together.  I have some ideas already swimming around.  Ahhh!!!  A domain!!!  I’m excited!!!  I’ll keep you updated on that. 

Loves ya,
Mouse

What I’ve been up to.

Hey peeps, so I haven’t been doing much craftwise lately, but with the slow change in the season coming upon us, I am feeling more frisky and wanting to do things crafty.  The Earth is a-moving and it’s making me feel like good.  I don’t know why.  I hate the heat of Spring but I love the bright light, and the longer days, and the colors, and the smells, and the sound of kids playing outside again.  But I hate the heat, the bugs with their buzzing, mosquito bites, things overgrowing everywhere, humidity, bad storms, hurricane season later on in the year, 100+ degree heat later on in the year, and just blah.  But I’ll get by and get thru it and before I know it, it will be my beloved Fall again which I WILL celebrate this year some how.  I don’t know how but I WILL celebrate it some how.  But for not, Springtime is looming over us, everyone is getting itchy to get out there and plant, and I am getting itchy to start crafting again.  Yay!  My first plan is Valentine’s items that could easily be Spring items or just cute items in general.  I want to make some cute barrettes that could easily be used for humans or dolls with big heads. I want to more promote them for human use, but far be it from me to keep you from popping them on your bjd,Blythe, or Pullip heads from time to time. 

So yeah, you guys remember these two bits of fabric, wait, I don’t think I blogged about them here.  Yeah I did it on my doll blog.  Well I was going to make doll dresses from them, and I may still do it, but right now I’m seeing cute barrettes from the fabric.  So yeah I will be trying to make some of those.  If they don’t sell my Valentine’s day,it’s generic enough where it will be fine for anything really.  So woo hoo on that!  I’m going to try making a set in both fabrics and seeing how I like it.  Then I may make doll dresses with what’s left.  Just not sure yet on that.

But while I’ve been away I have been practicing crochet.  This is a 3 row round that I crocheted on a recent trip out.  I finally figured out how to do it and I’m so excited.  See I wanted to learn how to do crochet so I could make amigurumi.  Amigurumi is basically a knit or crocheted doll.  The knit ones just don’t look as cute to me, even though I will try making one some day, but the crochet ones always make me smile and go “aww how cute”.  So I wanted to learn crochet so I could design my own and maybe sell them or give them away as gifts.  This right here is the start of it.  I have been practicing the magic ring/circle, and I got it, but it comes a little loose on me so I need to work on that some and then I think I have to basics for making amigurumi.  Yay!  I also want to crochet myself some things eventually, but with me losing weight I will have a small window to make things for myself from the patterns I have and use it before I move out of the size range.  Which is fine.  I can still make these items because there is a lack of full figured clothing on Etsy, so I may still have a market to make these things.  I got the pattern book for myself mostly, but I don’t plan to stay in the size range for long so yeah I will either have to pass the book on or make clothing for others.  I choose to make clothing for others and see how they sell.  If they don’t, then good bye to the book…maybe.  LOL!

Well that’s about it for me.  Just wanted to update and say I’m still here and I’m itching to get crafty again.  I still need to update my blog on with great craft links, but with OWOH starting, tonight at midnight, I want to wait because I know I will come across some awesome blogs that I will be adding to my bookmarks.  So once it’s done, I will be Spring cleaning my bookmarks along with other stuff.  This is the year of downsizing for me.  I will be downsizing a lot of stuff so I will be having a big sale some time this year as well on craft stuff and doll stuff as well as maybe trying to arrange a swap with a few people.  Just some ideas floating around in my head.  I’ll keep you updated.  But yeah that’s it for now.  Talk to you all soon.  Stay crafty!

Loves ya,
Mouse

Complete and utter disarray!

That's what I want to scream when I look at things in my life. I don't remember where I heard that saying, but I seem to remember it being said by an older white female who had a southern accent and was just appalled by the situation. I picture myself being her...frilly little dress with petticoat included, fanning myself as I look at the state of my craft supplies, my room, my email, my links, heck even my hair could use a little tlc instead of just being pulled back into a bun every day. Ugh!

I think I have become overwhelmed over all the things I need to do and I honestly don't know where to start to clear things up. That's why I don't move forward with things like my Etsy shop because I honestly don't know where a lot of my stuff is or I know where it is but it's underneath a stack of something I have no idea where to move. So this week I plan to get some array to my life and get things back on track. *triumphant nod*

Now, first thing's first...I'm gonna need a list. Ok, who's as excited as I am now? Anybody? What? I love to do lists. They just seem to help me so much and when I am done with the activity I love marking it off the list. There is just something about a list with slashes through most of the items on it that make me giddy. :-) So, my list shall go as follows.

Monday -
Clear up and out all email accounts. (Now I know this may seem like an hour or so job, but for those of you who don't check email or hoard emails for later, you'll know what I mean.)

Exercise. (At least 10 miles on the exercise bike. Trying to lose weight. A lot of weight. I have a goal in mind of 40 pounds in 3 months. I started on April 13th and so far...not so good. Ugh!)

Read. (I need to do more of this.)

Write/Revise story. (I need to do more of this.)

Work on stack of magazines, and try to finish the pile. (I have this stack of magazines that I have had for years. Mostly it's "Fitness" magazine. I love that magazine, but I believe around the time my dad got sick with cancer I stopped reading them but still bought them. Finally I just stopped buying them because I wasn't reading them, but I still wanted to read them to see if there is any interesting info in there. Well of course there is, so I am going through them to just skim them and while the pile is down significantly, there is still a good pile left to go. I want to have it done by Thursday night so it can be out for recycling on Friday morning.)

Tuesday-
Work on bookmarks. (I have tons, literally tons, of bookmarks. The internet is just so full of amazing websites and how-tos and blogs and etc. I know logically I can't read or look at them all so I need to cut back to center more around my hobbies and even then only the sites I really like. That's going to be hard but I must cut back if I ever plan on becoming more involved in communities online. So yes, this will be a full day thing I know for sure.)

Exercise. (At least 10 miles.)

Read. (I need to do more of this.)

Write/Revise story. (I need to do more of this.)

Work on magazines. (I can at least fit in one to two magazines today.)

Wednesday-
Reformat old computer. (I have been meaning to do this for several reasons. First, the casing of my laptop broke a while back and though it still works, the darned thing is being held together with Express Mail tape...I got it for free years ago and never used it. The second reason is that I messed up Windows and it won't log in, so I need to get my files off the computer through another operating system and then put that operating system on my computer for now to see how I like it. I also need to get a new plug for my laptop since mine has a broken wire inside it somewhere.)

Exercise. (At least 10 miles.)

Read. (I need to do more of this.)

Write/Revise story. (I need to do more of this.)

Work on magazines. (If there are any left to look through.)

Thursday-
Work on website and blogs. (I want to get them layout a certain way so I will take today to do that.)

Exercise. (At least 10 miles.)

Read. (I need to do more of this.)

Write/Revise story. (I need to do more of this.)

Work on magazines. (If there are any left to look through.)

Friday-
Work on spare room. (This room I have dreaded for about a month now since we took down the table in there. So now I need to hit it so I can start crafting again.)

Put my magazines out for pick-up. (May they be turned into paper or a recycled some or another and live to tell another tale.)

Exercise. (At least 10 miles.)

Read. (I need to do more of this.)

Write/Revise story. (I need to do more of this.)

Saturday-
Create! Create! Create! (It's time to get my creativeness on!!! Finally I will be able to start working on things I have been thinking and dreaming about creating. Woo hoo!!!)

Exercise. (At least 10 miles.)

Read. (I need to do more of this.)

Write/Revise story. (I need to do more of this.)

Sunday-
Rest. (Everyone has got to have a day to putter around and do nothing. This day is mine.) :-D

Read. (I need to do more of this.)

Write/Revise story. (I need to do more of this.)

Exercise. (At least 10 miles.)

So this is my to-do list. Let's see how many slashes I end up with by Sunday. I hope all of them will be slashed out. Here's to hoping. :-D

Loves ya,
Mouse