Creations from my Studio (& Ash Wednesday!)

Here are a few pictures of the newest items I will be putting in my store later tonight: 

Penny's horse was so beautiful that I decided to make one for another Waldorf doll or doll you may own! Wouldn't a little girl you know just love her own wooly horse? This is a new wool horse needle felted around a wire armature then covered in pure white sheep's wool. After the shape was finished I covered it in purple, orange, yellow and blush colored merino wool roving from New Zealand. I created a mane and a tail from braided roving and tacked it down firmly so it will last in the hands of older preschoolers. It is safe for all ages. This little horse was made with a full 4 ounces of wool.It stands about 9inches high.

Penny couldn't wait to introduce the two horses!

 

This Waldorf dress is for soft bodied dolls 13 -14 inches tall. The dolls in my store whose names begin with "P" can wear this! It is wine colored with dots and swirls, long sleeve dress with a natural fray at the bottom instead of a hem. This fabric is from the new Dancing Horses designer collection that I made for Penny. Here she is wearing this dress:

I have been asked to include a few more pictures of Penny's hair showing the front and back more clearly, so here you go! Click on the pictures to zoom in. Hope this helps.

I was busy last week making Valentine's Day toys for my grandsons. Thought you might like to see what they received in the mail from me (along with candy and a card):

This dog and cat went to our daughter's sons in Atlanta. They are 3 and 2 years old and I thought they might like a different type of wool filled doll, since they received Waldorf dolls for Christmas.  

 The tan puppy is for 2 year old Nathan whose favorite stuffed animal at home is a puppy he named Puddles. He loves trucks and bulldozers too, so this dogs little t-shirt has just that on it. 

For 3 year old Sam who loves cats the most, I made him a grey cat. He also loves Dalmations and firetrucks. So I was excited to find this t-shirt material with tiny firetrucks and tiny dalmations on it to dress his new cozy friend in. 

Our son and his family just left New York and moved to Mississippi for tech school with the US Air Force. Three year old grandson Kaidyn loved our neighbor's cat and they played together all the time. Kaidyn misses Bernie the cat, so I decided that is exactly what I would try to make him. To make the cat look tiger striped, like Bernie, I took caramel colored fleece and on the underside I needle felted the rust colored thick and thin pieces of yarn. I kept poking the pieces of yarn with the felting needle just till the fibers began to show on the front side and begin to feel "furry". I think the effect was amazing! Kaidyn loves all sports and I made his cat's t-shirt with a football design. 
 

All three animals have short pants made from this cool fabric from the designer collection Grunge Basics by Basic Grey for Moda. I cannot wait to make more of these for my Etsy shop!

This is the book I bought to learn to make these cute little softies. The directions are clear and all patterns are inside. I made changes to each, switching out outfits and colors, etc. But you can make it exactly like the wonderful ones in the book!

 I sent my doll Poppy off this week to her new BFF. Since we were in the middle of a blizzard and since she was going all the way to cold Minnesota, I decided she needed a new scarf to keep her warm on her journey. 

 

I think you will be seeing Waldorf doll scarves in my Etsy shop pretty soon. Aren't they so sweet and don't they just make her Red Duster look awesome? Poppy said she will wear it without her Duster, too. It will help her keep her nose warm even inside!

One more thing I made for Valentine's Day was the paper balls you may have seen that I had started in the pictures of my home studio. My daughter-in-law Nina helped me make enough for each of my daughter-in-laws, my daughter and myself! We worked on them while we watched the Super Bowl with our hubbies. The inspiration and directions for the Paper Balls are from this book:

 

 Hope you enjoyed seeing all the things I have been up to the past week and a half. 

Today is Ash Wednesday and the first day of Lent. My husband and I recently became members of a church that observes these days with services and encourages special spiritual preparation in each of our hearts for the glorious celebration of Easter that is to come in forty days.  

As we are invited to enter into a season of reflection tonight we were reminded with the ashes of the palm branches (from last year's Palm Sunday observances), that have been crushed, mixed with olive oil and burned to create the ashes, that we too, are only ashes. And to ashes we will return. That is what the Pastor said as he made a sign of the cross on my forhead with the ashes.

I am going to be open to inspiration that may come from a new place within me during this season of reflection and prayer and fasting. I look forward anew to the gift of creativity and beauty!
May the peace and love of God be with each of you!
~debbie :)