I've come a long way . . .

Today I want to share with you a couple of pictures

 of dolls I have made and/or costumed. 

This first set was made circa 1991, I think.   

At that time our daughter would watch the TV series 

David the Gnome every day while eating her lunch 

before going off to kindergarten.  

David and Lisa were a big part of her world 

so I made these dolls for her.

I am happy to report these 2 rustic clothespin 

creations are still on display in her home. 

Last week I shipped off two 1:12 scale dolls that 

I re-costumed on commission.

The gentleman was to be based on 

Nels Oleson from the Little House series.  

I think they turned out very well, and most importantly, 

the collector was pleased.  

It was a fun change from the mice and bears 

and all I kept thinking was how very 

LARGE 

these dolls were at just about 

twice the size of my mice.  

My worktable is quite full of more 

commissions this week, but I hope to have 

two new mice to show you in a few days.  

They will be a tea party set: 

a Lady Mouse with her teapot 

and matching potbelly baby mouse 

in the tiny matching teacup.

Another treasure found

As I've shared here before, I have found a quaint shop in town that is a cross between an antique store and a yard sale.  It is the place I found the car for my family of mice going on their picnic.  

I am having such fun poking around in that shop every few weeks to see what new finds are waiting for me and the mice and bears. 

Last week I stumbled upon this:

So, what do you think ~ a romantic date for two mice?  

Can't you just see him rowing away as 

she is perched on her seat holding a parasol? 

Hmmmmm? 

Oh yes, I think it will be quite 

divine ~ once I get rid of that red.  

I just realized I did not share any pics of the 

finished family in their car.

 I am pleased to say they have already found a new home.  

Like a fluffy white lamb

March has come ~ and come in like a fluffy 

white lamb ~ a fluffy white snowy lamb!

Yes, it is still Winter, and you know I'm loving that.  We had a gorgeous snowfall the other night, but as neither Mr. Cobblestone or I have the skills (or equipment?) necessary to capture such nighttime beauty on camera, you'll just have to take my word for it. It was one of those snows that coated each and every branch is a thick layer of pure white deliciousness.  Unfortunately, it had warmed during the night and all that beauty was lost by morning.

But we did have a fun night of it.  Many (middle-aged) kids were outside playing and we found a snowman in our front yard, courtesy of our neighbors.  By morning, the poor dear had fallen over, yet was still smiling.  Just goes to show, you can enjoy Winter, every single bit of Winter, even the tail end.

Here's how he started out:

We did try to get some photos that night.

 

While I was taking pics of the snowman that morning, I also caught our turkey flock parading down the street.  It always amuses me how they follow each other single file down the road.

I also caught this Tom displaying himself.

And earlier this morning, these 

lacy tracks they left on our driveway.

~*~*~*~*~

I will have a new bunny (or maybe two)

available this coming 

Sunday evening, March 3rd.  

Here's a little tease for you!

~*~*~*~*~

And don't forget ~ the online show starts a week from today!

March 8-10

I'll have little bears and mice and even a nice big 12" girlie bear.

Bears and Mice? Mice and Bears?

For those of you who have been following along, you know that I have intermittently created bears that I had hoped would fit into the village of Cobblestone Circle.  Well, I think I've succeeded this time.

After many, many little heads that ended up in the trash bin (sorry little fellas!) I arrived at a design for a 4-piece head that I finally like.  

Here is the first three inch tall bear that is the perfect size to go long with all the Cobblestone Circle citizens:

I am still waffling as to whether these bears and mice can live peacefully together.  I'm leaning toward Yes.  I mean once you put clothes on mice and give them a town and stories about their families, what's throwing a different animal in the mix?

A second bear has been made that is so obviously this little lady's son, I may need to go ahead and create her whole family.  Stay tuned . . . .

Remember this little cutie?

She is now on eBay.   

Her Buy-It-Now price is the same as the Shop page of my website, but the starting bid is much lower ~ and there's no reserve!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/110951419838

WHAT is going on? Where are the new mice and bears?

After receiving a few very touching emails asking about my silence and lack of new items, I thought perhaps a blog post was in order.   

Thank-you for being so concerned, dear friends.

The last I wrote, I was teasing you about the next bear I had planned ~ one to coincide with a 100 year anniversary coming soon.  My plan had been to create a bear to commemorate the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912.  I will be making a Rose bear dressed in that smart boarding suit from the 1997 movie.  

And I have made some progress.  I was able to find a beautiful pinstripe fabric in the correct scale for my 12-14 inch bears ~ no small feat, let me tell you!  I was about ready to create the  fabric myself.  And I even made some very cute bears.  But since the discovery of my mohair allergy, it is taking me a while to get the correct scale of my patterns due to the heavier density of the faux fur (Tissavel from France) that I am using now.  It is gorgeous fur ~ but I want to get it just right, so it may take me a while longer to create one slim enough to assume the role of Rose.  Please bear with me.

Some changes in my life are coming soon which I cannot talk about just yet ~ perhaps next week.  These changes have brought with them much to do and so I have been otherwise occupied and have not had all that much time for sewing.  What little time I have had for sewing has been used for commissions.  (Thank-you Sue and Brooke!)

I do have two bears that are almost completely dressed (soooo close!) and a little mouse who will probably make his debut later this week.  He has got a terrible hankerin' for something sweet and I think you will all enjoy seeing him.

So fingers crossed ~ and send all those good thoughts and wishes in my direction.

hugs,

Laura   

Dollhouse Dainties Coming Soon!

Had hoped to show you these new Dollhouse Dainties

(for 1:24 scale dollhouses)

all dressed and ready to go. 

But having a bit of trouble with someone's sleeves.  :(  
So here they are 'in the fur.'

Yep, that little one is just about 2 inches tall.

Hopefully dressed pics tomorrow!

How much smaller can they get?

I was contacted recently by a woman who wants to use my mice to populate a half scale dollhouse. 

For those of you unfamiliar with dollhouse scales, a normal dollhouse is 1:12 where 1 inch represents 1 foot (12 inches.)  A half scale dollhouse is then 1:24 where 1 inch representing 24 inches! 

That is mighty tiny by anyone's standards.

Although my regular mice are roughly 3 inches tall, you would think that would make them look approximately 6 feet tall and should be ok.  But truthfully, they are a bit large for the 1:24 houses. 

So I have made an even smaller mouse who stands just over 2 inches tall.  It is amazing how much difference that makes.

In this picture, from right to left is

a 1:12 door,

a 1:12 dollhouse doll,

my regular mouse (Rumplestiltkins is posing for the picture),

a 1:24 door

and finally my new 1:24 mouse. 

You can see the proportions between the 1:12 door and the doll are about the same as the proportions between the 1:24 door and the new mouse. 

And here she is dressed:

Although I am encouraged by having accomplished this, I was still trying to go smaller as I also want to try making children to fit this scale.  Oh dear . . .

Just a few loose ends to tie up for 2011



So, how was everyone's holiday? 

It was busy, busy, busy for me so I'd like to take a moment now to wish each and every one of you a most joyous New Year full of happiness, good health and prosperity!

During the past few weeks I had wanted to share a few things with you, but well, somehow never found the time. 

First, let me thank all of you who took the time to send holiday greetings ~ they were indeed appreciated.  I had to laugh that more than one of you found this gem of a card from JacquieLawson e-cards featuring a particularly fitting storefront near the end. 

Some of you have very sharp eyes indeed to spot the little Cafe Cobblestone. 

I loved it!

I also wanted to let you know that Mr. Cobblestone and I once again found a few days for an overnight getaway to Chicago for some Christmas shopping.  We took the train down and had such a lovely time discovering Chicago's Old Town district, lunching at O'Brien's which was decked out in the most charming Christmas decor I've seen in quite a long time.  A chilly (ok, downright cold) walk down Lake Shore Drive through the Gold Coast region brought us to Michigan Ave.  We dined at Frontera that evening and were lucky enough to see Rick Bayless himself.   It is an exceptional meal any time and I strongly urge everyone to get there at least once.

Our hotel was one of the Kimpton properties, specifically The Monaco Hotel.  Now, this was way more fun that it should have been ~ they have large window seats in some of the rooms, with memory foam cushions, where you can snuggle up with the wool blanket and pillows watching the Chicago River.    

Someone in our room even managed to fall asleep there.

I was also extremely thrilled to have been published in the UK

 Teddy Bear Times Magazine! 

Yep ~ there are my mice and bears on page 36 of the Dec/Jan issue. 

Thank for including my work, Faye!!

The decorations have all been packed away over the past few days and now I am ready to start on some new bears and mice.  Two bears have been cut out today, and 3 new mice have been started as well.  Hard to say what exactly they will end up being ~ you know they have a curious way of exerting their own personalities.  I can tell you that Hansel and Gretel are in the planning stages ~ I've found the perfect house to cover in faux candy!  What fun!!!

Stitch, stitch, stitch . . . poke, poke, poke . . . pedal, pedal, pedal . . .

Hello friends!  I apologize for being away from my blog for so long, but as stated in the title, I’ve been quite busy sewing, needle felting and yes, taking an occasional break for a bike ride with Mr. Cobblestone ~ and enjoying our Autumn landscapes.

Our yard is showing signs of white! 

No, not my beloved snow, no yet, but we do have  a white clematis blooming now

 

and my irises too!

I must mention the lovely ride we took earlier this week.  The longest one so far, for me.  We went from our home all the way down to the Lake Michigan lake front ~ a distance of 30 miles.  And it was a delightful day ~ all the trees were in their brilliant Autumn splendor.

As for sewing, I’m afraid I have nothing to show you today.  All the items I am currently working on are destined for the Holiday Bazaar Online show Nov 5 and 6 ~ and you know how it goes with shows ~ no previews before the show begins.  Though I do believe I will be able to give you a tease starting Saturday Oct 15th.  I’ll post it here if permitted.  I can tell you there will be caroling bears and mice, an ice skating bear, a bear with a baby doll and a few potbelly Santa mice.   

Before I go I do have two more photos to share with you which I received from one of my collectors.  It is always such fun to see what my mice have been up to since they’ve left my home. 

Ann Willcox is indeed at the Pelican’s Post

and

Wendell Finkelworth is busy cleaning up in his toy shop. 

Aren’t they darling! 

This fine work is by artist Gerald Lusk.

Work in progress

Thought I'd let you peek at a few things on my work table today.

I have another new bear waiting to be dressed.

She is such a lovely color. 
We're off now to explore my embarrassingly large fabric stash so she can tell me what she likes.  I doubt she'll listen to my opinion though ~ she hasn't got an ears yet!  Oh dear, I fear I'm feeling rather whimsical today ~ this could get interesting.

 

Oh ~ and look what I found for another
of my Holiday Bears to wear!  

She is still only a pile of body parts
resting in a basket next to my sewing chair,

but I'm thinking she'll be in a fur trimmed coat
and perhaps a muff too.

She will be in the upcoming
Holiday Show on Nov 5th and 6th.

Anticipation

While talking with my daughter a few days ago, the conversation included a reminiscence of how at the age of 2, she watched the video of The Wizard of Oz every single night.  This went on for 18 months (really) and believe it or not, was actually somewhat of a welcomed relief for her father and I, since her previous obsession had been with The Nutcracker Ballet – the Mikhail Baryshnikov version no less (really).  Mr. Cobblestone and I know every blooper in the Oz video ~ and I bet you never noticed how many birds are in that movie!

Anyway, this led to a discussion about how perhaps her generation has missed out on the excitement of anticipation.  I mean, they practically had loads of entertainment at their fingertips ~ and now information as well, thanks to the www.

Let's take The Wizard of Oz for example.  I distinctly remember the frenzied excitement we experienced all week waiting for that night.  We played Oz games at recess.  We walked linked arm in arm a la Dorothy, Tin man, Scarecrow and Lion.  We sang the songs from morning to night, much to our parents' delight, I'm sure.  But I think part of the fun was the buildup to that magical night when finally those cute little munchkins were on your very own TV screen. 

Oh, how you savored every minute!

(Well, except for those flying monkeys, but we aren't going into that now.  Let's just say it necessitated a well-timed bathroom break.)

Well, I kind of feel like I'm doing that to you now, dear followers.  It is true that I have not had anything new to show you for quite some time.  My work table has been quite busy ~ overflowing in fact with all sorts of holiday goodies.  I have just completed my Halloween offerings ~ but I cannot show all of them now because they are to be part of the

Halloween Artists' Studio Trick-or-Treat Tour.

But I will share little one preview with you.

Meet Dolores Hogswallow, my witch bear with her

book of Magic Potions and Spells and her Batty friend,

who sometimes hitches a ride on Dolores' back.

I hope you will all be able to attend the event. 

It is in support of Bat Conservation International

and promises to be loads of fun.

There is even a door prize!

Only 19 more days until the tour begins on October 1st!

I know it's hard to wait ~ but, hey ~ you can always pop in a video while you're waiting.

Oh yes I did!

Come on, how could I pass this up when I saw it in the store? 

A mouse sized coffin!

Of course it needs some creature comforts added. 

Perhaps silk lining and a nice pillow ~ and a vampire mouse!

I'm in the Halloween mood now ~ saw the first leaves turned red in our yard yesterday. 

Hooray for Autumn!!

Wait a minute ~ what month is this?

One of the more peculiar aspects of the collectibles business is having to think one season ahead.  Here we are in the month of August and as you can see from my posts last week, I'm already working on Halloween items.  Throw in the lead time for publications and this week I'm actually putting the finishing touches on a pair of Christmas bears that will appear in my ad in the December issue of

Teddy Bear Review Magazine.

These two bears have been a learning experience for me ~ with the emphasis being that I've learned it's not all that scary to experiment.  As most of you know, I'm rather new to the larger mohair bears ~ most of my work has been on a much smaller scale and with very different materials.  Although I really like the heads with the trimmed snouts that I've created for The Gentry, I was put off by the stubble this leaves behind, especially for the ladies.  *gasp*

Before I go any further, you have to understand that doing anything to a head at this stage of construction is daunting because of how much time has already been invested in it.  Not only does it require the most exact stitching and meticulous stuffing, especially the nose area, but placement of the features must be done carefully to bring out the charming expression of each bear.  Heck, it can take me 20 minutes just to choose glass eyes that match precisely enough for my standards ~ I have a large box of eyes.

Determined to find a solution and heeding the mantra of 'the interweb knows', I found some bear artists who shared the techniques they use when creating faces.

Trimming I cannot tell you how many hours I spent trimming closer and closer, trying many types of really sharp scissors as this was suggested by more than a few artists.  Eh ~ still couldn't get what I'd call a smooth finish.  But I do now have a rather large collection of scissors.

Plucking More tedious hours were spent actually plucking out each individual strand of mohair (yes, really) which did give a smoother surface, but what's left is the rather coarse weave of the fabric backing showing.  Nope ~ not what my ladies deserve.

Needle felting I was intrigued by the smoothness and shaping you can get using wool roving, but for my taste, the problem is the color differences between the mohair fibers and the wool.  I suppose if you took the time to dye them together you'd be able to get a good match ~ but that kinda time I don't have.

Then I remembered something I read on Joanne Livingston's blog about how she needle felts individual strands of mohair to shade her bears' faces.  (If you aren't familiar with Joanne's work, do yourself a BIG favor and visit her blog and newly upgraded website.  She makes the most fabulous realistic bears!!!  Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see her work in a museum someday.  And she is truly one of the most gentle, generous souls I've met online.)

Now, I must say I'm nowhere near ready to attempt the intricacy of Joanne's work, but when I thought about the structure of mohair and wool, it seemed reasonable that both of these hair shafts should behave in a similar manner when subjected to a felting needle.  After unraveling the mohair fibers from the scraps left from cutting out my bear pieces (using Joanne's technique), I carded the resulting pile of fluff with two wire brushes until I had what resembled wool roving ~ in the exact color that I needed!  My small practice patch turned out well enough to spur me on and I plunged in ~ literally plunged my felting needle into the bear's face.  And I'm glad I did.

Here's the result:

So the lessons learned are to not be afraid to ask for help, carefully think through the process you are about to attempt and remember that meticulous, detailed work is usually worth it in the end.

I am so excited to start my next bears!!!

Christmas music anyone?

Going Batty!

It's no secret that I've been waiting impatiently for Autumn ~ well, Winter actually, but I'll settle for Fall.  So when I heard about

Karen Waschinski's

Hallowe'en Artists' Trick-or-Treat Studio Tour

I jumped at the chance to participate.

"The purpose of this event is three-fold:

to have a great time celebrating a wonderfully

spooky holiday sharing Hallowe'en images, ideas and memories,

to share your art, and

to help bat conservation!

The event will go "live" October 1st, 2011

and run for the month!"

Once the tour goes live you will be able to go trick-or-treating in this online neighborhood ~ happily clicking away, enjoying Halloween stories, recipes, decorating ideas and visiting many fine artists. 

Click Here to see the Artists who are Participating thie year.

Each artist is to create a welcome to their home/studio, greeting the visitors in costume ~ ahem, I'll have to do a bit of digging for that. 
And you will be able to browse their Halloween art offerings ~ perhaps finding the perfect creation for your own collection.  I plan to have a few mouse trick-or-treaters and a witch bear or two available.

Until then, you can follow along on the group's blog or join the mailing list by emailing Karen at woosel[at]total.net. 

My pictures are due to Karen by September 15th ~YIKES!!!! ~ but I've got a pair of Christmas bears to finish first ~ more about that tomorrow.
 
Time to get sewing!

So much news to share!

It's been busy busy busy for me lately and I'm afraid I've neglected my blog for a while.  Over the next few days I promise to get you all caught up on what I've been doing, but for today I wanted to let you know I am very pleased to have joined an extremely talented group of bear artists. 

Who is Who is Bearmaking

If you want to feast you eyes on some fabulous creations,

take a peek at what this group has to offer. 

Who is Who in Bearmaking Artists

~ and ~

We are having an online Holiday Show!

So mark your calendars now to do some

holiday shopping right on your computer

(in your jammies if you want to)

on

November 5th & 6th.

I've got some really cute things for this show.

I also wanted to mention that you can now follow my blog by email. 

Yep, you can get all my new blog posts,

with all the pictures and links,

delivered right to your inbox. 

No more checking for updates! 

You can find the sign-up on the upper right hand side of this page.

More tomorrow . . . .

Tallulah Lemondrop of Cobblestone Circle . . . and where is that next bear?

Tallulah Lemondrop is spending the day

at the beach with her daughters.

Read Tallulah's story on my website:

http://www.cobblestonecreations.net/circle/stories/tallulahlemondrop.htm

She is currently available on my website:

http://www.cobblestonecreations.net/shop/circlesales/tallulahlemondrop.htm

 

~ SOLD ~

~*~*~*~*~*~

I mentioned a while back that the next Gentry of Cobblestone Court would be coming soon ~ pushing this adorable baby carriage:

Well ~ she will be coming soon.

It's been a matter of creating something that meets my strict standards of design and construction ~ and at just over 6 inches tall, she has proven to be quite the challenge for me.

Here is a peek at the tiny bear who will be riding inside the carriage.

Patience ~ she is coming soon!