I'm Still Here...

...even though it may not seem that way. My mom had knee replacement surgery and is doing well. She's able to do a lot for herself now what makes it so much easier on me. The first week was really stressful for us both. I don't think I'm a very good caretaker, but I do try so I guess that's what counts. The 5 months I took care of my step dad about did me in so it was hard to pull the energy together to help my mom.

My mom or my brother usually do the cooking and we all eat together. I'm not a great cook, as a matter of fact I really enjoy watching cooking shows but hate cooking myself. So it's been a struggle to feed everyone. (My brother is working a lot of late hours at work learning a new computer tracking system). Thank goodness some lovely church friends of my mom's dropped by with casseroles and helped us get through.

I've had to put projects on hold again cause I just can't deal with my mom and other family issues and taking care of the entire house, shopping, cooking, dealing with my own medical issues and doing this large penguin order, etc right now. My stress and anxiety level is a bit high right now but I'm managing. I guess I sound like a whiner but really I'm just exhausted. I had much more energy 4 years ago when my mom had her first knee done.

I have 80 of the 300 penguins completely finished!

Here's what I have left to do.

I ran out of the ribbon for the hanging loops and have not been able to find it anywhere. Tomorrow I'm taking a run out to the far away Hobby Lobby cause I hear they have it. Fingers crossed!

I received a package from Fed Ex this morning. From my mom for Mother's Day. She is just the sweetest!

It's that a pretty box? What's inside?

Cookies from Harry and David. My mom rocks!

Well now you know what's going on with me and I hope soon to have more to show than penguins.

Wordless Wednesday

Lita with her favorite toy.

Received a Present Yesterday

from my son for my birthday! When I opened the package I was over the moon! It was a life sized Sonic Screwdriver from Doctor Who! My all time favorite Sci-Fi show.

It's the device he carries that does many things except kill, the Doctor doesn't like to kill and he "never knows when he'll need a good screwdriver to put some cabinets up in the middle of the night". (A quote only hard core Doctor fans will get).

It lights up and makes the sonic noise and everything! Does my son "know" his geeky mom or what?

Worktable Wednesday

Spending the day trying to finish up some of the last pieces for Patrick's Vintage Easter Challenge and Swap. Just when I think "Oh I'm not too far from being done", I realize how much work is left to do and I kinda freak out.

But no worries, come heck or high water I'll be done by the deadline! I always am. 

Unfortunately because of how slow I tend to work and some procrastination problems I have, I had to give up the idea of having the umbrella's mechanics actually work so the bunny could be posed with the umbrella up. I was so hoping to have a chance to do that, cause how cool would that be?! Anyhoo compromises have to be made.

What's on your worktable today?

Worktable Thursday

The main project I'm doing right now is a soft sculpture piece for a Vintage Easter Challenge and Swap that Patrick Gill is hosting over at The Hive. I had a bit of an issue in the beginning but am cruising along now. It's due on my birthday the Saturday after next so I'm really focusing on getting this done in time.

Here a WIP of the bunny. You can see the inspiration piece on my computer. I'm further along then this but don't want to show too much yet. I made his suitcase last night and am starting his umbrella today. His basket isn't done and the head is giving me fits, but I'll be done by the due date!

I have some paper clay pieces started, Easter and several Leprechauns that I know I'll never finish in time for this year. ;0(

I also have another project that has a deadline. I'm making 300 felt penguin ornaments for a wedding. The Bride and Groom want to give them to their guests as favors. This will be a busy Spring for me.

Some Words on a Wednesday

My mom's birthday was Friday. My daughter and I spent the entire evening at Urgent Care and Walgreen's getting her seen and meds and didn't get home until 10:30 pm. So we celebrated on Saturday. I made my mom a very special cake. It was a rainbow type cake but I only made 4 layers and did them in my mom's favorite colors. Pinterest inspired me to do this.
It was a secret cake. Plain white on the outside. But when I cut the first piece there was oooooing and ahhhhing. These aren't the best photos but I was very please by how it came out so I wanted to share.

My mom was so surprised and just loved it. She took a piece to church the next day to show people and also took a piece to work on Monday.

Want a slice?

Worktable Wednesday and I Need Goth Help

Some paper clay pieces I'm currently working on.The largest one is the Goth Santa that I've been working on for weeks and weeks. Most of his details are finally done. I thought it would be easier to do him in clay than felt but I no longer feel that way and he keeps getting set aside in frustration. I'm determined to finish him but I need some help. I want him to hold something or do something with one of his hands. Any Goth type ideas?

I originally thought he would hold the severed head of an elf but my daughter said "none of the Goth people she knew dismembered anyone and that's just gross so don't do that mom!" She's right I was getting carried away, so I'll save that idea for something else. The only other idea I had was for him to hold a Naughty, naughty list. UGH! Meanwhile he sits armless until I come up with something so any help is appreciated. Seriously any ideas at this point would be helpful!

First Snowstorm of 2012

Until last night we only had two small snowfalls, just sugar snow as we call it cause it doesn't even cover all the ground. Very unusual for this part of the country. We usually have some snow by Thanksgiving and a lot in January. It's been so unseasonably warm that the teen boys next door were playing basketball in their driveway on New Year's Day. That's crazy town!

Anyhoo we finally got our first big snow. We had another one last week but it melted the next day as wasn't nearly as much so I don't count it. This snow will be here a while.

I'm the only car left in the driveway cause I don't have anywhere to go. As you can see my brother did NOT shovel this morning. Grrrrrr!

My front yard.

Down the street.

Me in my house shoes in the driveway. The snow hits me about mid calf. It's too tall for my pup Lita to walk in.

I like snow I just don't want to shovel it! Every year we say we're going to get a snow blower and we never do.!

Worktable Friday

Quietly sitting and painting on this gray and cold day.

My Last Custom Order of 2011

I did a quick post about my making a custom dog ornament for a returning customer here back in November 2011. I got a lot of great response to it and another order. The new client is a friend from The Hive and she gave me permission to share the creation of the ornament with you.

This one is completely different from the ornament I previously did...it's a kitty! And just the face this time and it's much more detailed. My lovely customer sent me a photo and I made a template of the kitty's beautiful markings. Isn't he gorgeous?

 This was such a challenge to get the cat to look like himself but simplified. I did the eyes 3 different ways 3 times until I was happy with them. So many tiny, fiddly pieces!

I did the face pattern on the computer but to make one yourself you could trace the face or scan the photo to the size you want than cut apart the features you want to use for your template. You could also glue the felt instead of sewing all the tiny, tiny stitches I did.

 You can click on this photo to see it larger I believe if you'd like to see more of the details. At this point I'm figuring out where to put the hanger. Then I'll sew all away around and stuff the face lightly.

Here he is stuffed and complete.

You can see he's quite large.

A quick shot of him on my studio tree before he was shipped out. I really enjoyed making this ornament and will make one of my pup Lita for my tree next year.

A New Studio design For A New Year

What I had wasn't working any more. I've changed my work focus and needed to change my studio to reflect that and make it easier to create.

Here's a shot of my little space from the living room. If you've seen my studio before than you might think it's pretty much the same...but there are some major differences. I now have 2 worktables for cloth and felt doll and plush making, a separate worktable for clay and painting and a smaller table just for my computer. Somehow I got another table in here without taking anything out except for the small console table I was using to shoot on. Yea me!
The empty corner wall on the right is driving me nuts. It the perfect place to hang art I have form other etsy artists, so once I organize myself I'll get that done...eventually...you know how I am.

This is my main worktable that you've all seen. It faces the living room so I can watch t.v. while I sew. Yeah I know my living room was a hot mess when I shot this and honestly it still is.

I moved the table my computer and printer were on to this side and can store my felt bins underneath now. I got a great bunch of photo boxes super cheap at the clearance sale Joann's was having and I have trims and lace and buttons etc stored and labeled. I even organized them by season, like all Halloween stuff and all Christmas stuff! Squee! Now I don't have to dig every single time I want to work on something.

I moved my shipping storage to the left corner. And my giant bags of stuffing are in that corner too. Packed away lots of finished work and made space for my clay and painting supplies. I even have room for my toaster oven to bake my little pieces! This clay table is sharing space with my photo printer for now but that will change soon. My sewing machines and another printer and supply storage goes underneath.

This is now my computer station. It's my old drafting table I got for high school graduation that I refused to give away. See I did need it! It fits perfectly here.

I still have the big shelving unit. I just moved it over a few feet since my felt bins are no longer there and that allows me access to the window in front of my computer desk. Daylight! I organized this a bit but there's a lot I just want to get rid of still. My trusty file cabinet stayed in the corner but I went through it and shredded most of my old ebay files.

I want to share this great find. I got it 1/2 off which is good cause it isn't worth more than that anyway. I was able to clean out a whole big bin of ribbon and now I can see what I have. So happy about this! I hated pulling out that bin and digging through it.

Well it's not one of those fancy, super girly pretty studios but it's me and I look forward to getting my hands dirty in here.

A New Christmas Stocking For My Daughter

It was one of those "unfinished" projects I had laying around. I actually started this last year but never got beyond cutting the stocking shape out. Well by golly I was going to finish it this year! And I did!

My daughter originally requested hot pink with zebra stripes. I was going to cut out a zebra pattern and sew it onto the pink, which would have been cool, but the amount of sewing and cutting required had me not wanting to take on such a time consuming project. Then on a trip to the craft store recently I found zebra printed felt! BINGO! PERFECT!

I sat down with my daughter and showed her different options of what I could do and she made the decisions and I cranked it out. For her name I printed letters out, then cut them from felt. I did double letters sewn together so the zebra pattern didn't show trough plus the letters are puffy and fun. My daughter's name is Seneca but we always call her Sen for short.

 It's slightly imperfect but handmade with love and she is crazy about it. And that's the important thing.


*in case you are wondering, the stocking is 4 layers of felt for strength and the toe and heel are an extra 2 layers for durability.

My Studio Tree Is All Decked Out...

...With ornaments from a swap on The Hive. I gleefully received my box and carefully opened everything. I love how every ornament is a different style and made with different materials and is handmade.

How fun are these? 

I really love them all. There is something fun and unique about all of them. I hope we do this again next year.

The penguin tucked away is mine. I had another ornament planned  just for this swap but my hated sewing machine broke and didn't have time to hand sew 12 of them so I dug in my shop stock and sent the felt penguins. Next year I'll plan better!

Free Christmas Tag Printables

I did these tags last year and hoped to add to them this year but time wasn't on my side. So if you are a new follower or don't know about this freebie I have a link below to it. 

For those of you on Blogger you can find the original post under my popular posts list too. 

 They come 6 to a sheet and can be printed on card stock. Just punch a hole and tie a ribbon on and you are good to go. You can also print them on sticker paper and stick them right to a present. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

NEW Download Link 7/29 2017

WIP Wednesday

 Let's start with the Never Ending project. Sigh! I cannot make up my mind about this one and keep changing things! One day I'll complete her and proudly show her off to you all.

Trying out some new head shapes. Blurry photo but you get the idea. I have a few more rolling around here...literally rolling around. Had to chase the dog to get one back from her.

Another never ending project. I can't even remember when I started these nor do I know when I'll finish them. A zombie child and some other children who may or may not be turning into zombies. They haven't tried to bite me yet so who knows?

Of course in the midst of all my unfinished work I decide to start something completely new. It's a folk art doll the kind with the big round heads that I love so much. I actually bought a pattern and am doing it in my own Sassy Pack Rat Studios Style. My ADD isn't letting me focus on one thing lately.

I have some styrofoam bodies standing around waiting for clay that I didn't take photos of yet. I'm following Moriah's tutorial on youtube. I'm also getting ready to make my ornaments for The Hive Christmas Ornament Exchange. I still need to work on the Bigfoot plush too. Sigh!

Update: My step dad is doing better. He's off the walker and the oxygen. We are looking into some assisted living for him cause he's going to have a long recovery and needs help with medications, has some memory problems and tends not to eat if you don't put food in front of him. He's on round 2 of physical therapy and has a crap load of doctors visits.

So that's what going on in Sassyland. Hope you are all doing well.

Worktable Wednesday

Both my worktables are a complete mess again of course but here's what I'm working on.

This is a prototype of a Bigfoot plush I'm working on.

The final will be done in neon green fake fur.

A skellie paper clay doll WIP. I might actually finish

before Halloween!

What's on your worktable today?

There Is A Reason I'm Called A Pack Rat....

....I always see the hidden possibilities in just about everything. So I bring that thing home and then it sits and accumulates and then gets packed away into bins. I call these my "someday projects". Do you have things like that? 

Well the other day I was staring at these drawer knobs that I saved from an old dresser and were sitting on one of my worktables. 

I remembered that I thought they were perfect for little pedestals so I got out the paper clay and started in. The feeling of happiness that exploded out of me for using something I saved and being creative with it was just amazing! 

 Not much to see yet but just wait until I paint it! 

I've grown so much artistically in the last year and have gained so much confidence that I vow to actually do something with all those pack rat saved "someday" things. Here's one I can't wait to get my hands on!

Do you see the possibilities? I have 2 different ideas for this so will have to see which idea will win. Is anyone else out there a pack rat like me?

Lots Going On..

I'm not doing Friday Finds this week due to too much going on but I have 2 more great artists lined up and am looking for more.

This has been a crazy week for many reasons. My oldest and only son turns 21 today. I'm working away at my witch dolls which are coming along well. I learned how to sew hair on my dolls which gives them a whole new dimension and I'm pretty geeked about that! I have tons of felt to cut out for Christmas/winter plush creatures and more dolls. I've also revived my stationery business. 

Oh you didn't know I had a stationery business? Not surprising as I let it slip by the wayside this past Spring. I needed a rest and unfortunately that couple of weeks turned into months. I really wanted to concentrate on plush making and while I think I used that time wisely I feel the pull of drawing little graphics and miss my clients. I'm also currently working on a separate blog just for my stationery.

I've been on ebay for 6 years and my stationery was headquartered there but was tired of the fees. I also was unhappy with my website so am putting everything on Zibbet.

http://www.zibbet.com/sassypackratstationery

So if you are a former stationery client or just looking for fun and whimsical paper goods, come check me out there.

I've gotten a wonderful response for my little witch owl giveaway! Thanks everyone! I want to mention a great blog friend who was so kind to put a button/badge on her blog about my giveaway. She is also having a giveaway, so quick get over there she's picking a winner tonight!

 http://yoborobo.blogspot.com/2010/09/i-made-my-deadline-so-lets-have.html

Sale at my Ebay Store

I'm having a 15% Off Sale until Saturday, November 7th in my Ebay Store. www.thesassypackrat.com

There are lot's of holiday stickers available to stock up on and everything in the store is on sale too. If you are in need of Personalized stationery, gift stickers, invites, address labels and more, please
check us out.