Hey, Internet-Land. Yes, it’s been a bit since my last post. Not a great couple weeks. Not to spread gloom across the world-wide-web, but our family has lost a very dear loved one, my youngest sister. As a result, my entries have been slowed. All in all, we are well and have been blessed beyond measure with love, prayers, and warm thoughts from so many. It softens the numbness that can seep into the heart. At times like this, I am so thankful for my faith. Not because it makes me anything special ~ just the opposite. I am thankful that my hope has nothing to do with me and everything to do with my loving Savior. Now, I know there are many who would scoff at my belief, and that’s ok. I choose to place my trust and faith in Jesus, and hope in Him for my eternity. I choose to live my life here with a joy and hope for an eternity with my Lord and those who have also trusted Him. I am fully aware that it is a choice that not all will make. As I once said to a man in Chicago ~ if I am wrong in my belief, and there is nothing more, I am no worse off for living a life of faith and hope. If I am right, however, I am glad to have my eternity resting in God’s hands rather than my own.

After taking much of the day today to just rest and reflect on happy memories, I wanted to check in with those who are so good to visit my blog. Thank you to both those who follow and those who just stop by once in a while. Your presence always gives me cause to smile. As always, I wish for you the very best this week!

Good evening, Internet-Land. I hope you have had, or are having a very good day today. As we are now well into this first month of the year, I was thinking about the whole “new year’s resolution” thing. I’m not one for making resolutions for really big changes (mostly because I won’t keep up with them), but I do like to make a couple new goals or challenges with each new year. Another thing I do like is all the super cute planners that are available now. With fancy dividers & pages, stickers, and room for photos, they are just so appealing. The problem is, I don’t have a complicated enough life to need all those extra page features ~ you know, the pages with every hour mapped out for important appointments. I usually use the “month at a glance” pages, and then just skip the rest between the dividers. Then, I got this idea for using all those “daily” spaces, and I thought I’d jot it here in case anyone else might like to try it, too. I bought myself a cute, inexpensive planner that just has the complete month, and then between the monthly views, a small space for each one of the days. I’m making sure to carry it with me. In each daily space I’m going to work at writing down just one thought. Just one. Not a giant plan, not a complete journal entry, not a major life change. Just one thought. Maybe it will be a cool word. Maybe an idea for a doll fashion. Maybe it will be a really good quote. Maybe it will be an idea for something to build. Maybe a Scripture verse. Maybe it will be the name of something I want to cook. Maybe a new anime to check out. Just one thing. Just one way to say, “I thought of something that interested me today.” Then, when I want to create something, I will have days and days of ideas from which to glean. How many awesome opportunities in life are missed, simply because the inspiration of a moment was lost? This year, I’d like to capture more of those moments. I hope you will capture yours as well! Wishing you a very INSPIRATIONAL 2018!

Good evening, friends in Internet-Land! Tonight I have another tutorial for you. The old saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” teamed up with a “cheap-skate” like myself leads to all kinds of economical ingenuity! To display all my fashion dolls, I have found that the saddle style stands are my favorite kind. They slip up underneath the doll’s torso without causing too much rumple to the fashions. They are, however, usually more expensive as well. I have a few that I’ve found at bargain prices, but even the lower priced ones usually have a “shipping” cost attached to them ~ thus bringing the cost up again. After quite a few nights of “building” in my head, I finally had an idea I wanted to try, and I’m happy to announce ~ it worked! Plus, it was really easy & CHEAP to do. So ~ here we go!

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

Find these items at home: Scissors, pliers, wire cutter, screwdriver, small scroll saw or old serrated knife for cutting CPVC pipe/tubing, some unbent corrugated cardboard, one old, un-readable CD or DVD with great art work (one for each stand you want to make), some old plastic coated wire hangers, some scrap contact paper, some old Christmas light cover caps, and some good sticky glue such as Tacky Glue or Gorilla Glue.

These are the items I bought: 1/4″ flat head bolts/nuts (pkg of four sets $1.28, and you won’t use the nuts), 1/4″x1 1/4″ washers (2 pkgs of 4 $2.30), a 5′ length of plastic 1/4″ CPVC pipe/tubing ($1.49). These items will make four stands and will leave you with CPVC tubing for a couple more as well.

WHAT TO DO:

Step 1 ~ Trace two circles onto the cardboard using the CD/DVD. On both circles, trace both the outside & inside of the CD. Then, make an X through the inner circle, identifying the center. Use this mark to center a washer. On one circle, trace both edges of the washer, and on the other just trace the inside of the washer. Cut out both circles, then cut one with the outside of the washer line and the other with the tiny inside of the washer. Place a washer into the larger hole.

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Step 2 ~ Glue the circle with the small hole under the circle with the washer. Then cover the bottom cardboard side with contact paper, leaving the top with the washer exposed.

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Step 3 ~ Now glue the CD onto the side that still shows the washer. Then glue another washer on top of the CD. I poked the bolt up through the cardboard from the bottom to make sure the holes aligned correctly.

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Step 4 ~ Now cut a 7″ length of the CPVC pipe and holding it straight, screw it onto the bolt. The bolt will cut its own threads into the pipe, keeping it secure, but you can insert a little glue into the pipe if you wish. Once the bolt is a good way in, I used pliers to grip the pipe as I screwed the bolt the rest of the way in until it was flush on the bottom.

Step 5 ~ Straighten out a plastic coated wire hanger and cut a 16″ length. Fold this in half, then bend the ends out as shown, with each side having a 2″ straight vertical section, a 1″ diagonal section, and then the rest vertical to the center fold. Glue Christmas light caps onto the ends of the wires. Now, it’s ready to insert the center bend down into the top of the CPVC tube.

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Step 6 ~ Now it’s ready for your doll! I hope this has been helpful ~ have fun letting your dolls “take a stand!”

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Greetings dear friends in Internet-Land. Yes ~ surprises have never been my strong suit ~ in giving or receiving. If receiving, I never know quite how to act. I did have a mentor once tell me, “Just say, ‘Thank you.’ It is fine to show simple gratitude for the gesture. No speech is necessary.” That has helped immensely in not being so awkward. The giving aspect comes into play when I simply can NOT wait to give it! This Christmas was very taxing on me, as I was done with all my shopping by mid-November. However, I suffered through and enjoyed the fruits of my labors.

That leads me into today’s post. The “12 Gifts of Christmas” was fun, because I never had to wait. I was constantly creating, and then posting as soon as projects were complete. The other day, however, I actually got 4 pages of outfits done all on the same day. I only posted two, and now I just can’t stand it any more ~ I have to post these as well! I know, I know, I’m such a weakling. But hey, at least it keeps me in a state where I need to continue creating, as I don’t have any back-up. 🙂 Enjoy these additional outfits for Lavender & Nanette. Chat at’cha later! ~  missy

(Dolls & other outfits can be found on my “Free Stuff” page.)

Wow! So good to connect with you, Internet-Land! I hope your New Year has started out well. After our very busy December, I took a bit of a break. Can’t remember if I’ve already mentioned it here on the blog, but my right hand had to undergo another surgery. All went well, but it’s taking a while for everything to heal. This time, the pain was reduced, but the function has not been totally regained. I try to use it to keep the muscles moving, but after a good day of use, I pay for it the next. That’s how it goes sometimes, I guess. In any event, I’m making progress, even if it’s a bit slower than I’d like.

Now I have a result of some of that exercise ready for you. Last month, as “Gift 7,” I introduced a new duet paper doll set, “Lavender & Nanette,” along with an evening gown for each doll. These ladies were an experiment using some new articulated body figures. I posed them, photographed them, then drew the dolls based on the photos. It’s been a fun, new thing to try. Since I had not posted any more clothing for them, today I have two more pages for these gals. These are formatted to 8.5″x11″ paper. The dolls and first set of gowns can be found by scrolling down to the December 16, 2017 post, or by going to my “Free Stuff” page. There you can also find lots more fun freebies. Enjoy, and have a wonderful week!