Top Hat derby blog hop

I linked up to Lemoncholys top hat derby blog hop... of course, I am not one to read anything fully--- or retain anything for that matter. I didn't realize this was a "decorate" your top hat party-- I thought it was a "make a top hat party"..... I had my hubby bring me home a lot of cardboard boxes and I got busy whipping up hats!!! This hot pink top hat I made to fit my 18 month old grandaughter. She wore it as part of her costume for halloween. This is the "smile" you get whenever you tell her to "smile"...Then I whipped up five hats to sell at a craft boutique I was selling at.
Then I made some top hats for some blankie cherubs that I have on a large hutch~ Here is the other one~ Of course I had to make a top hat for this little doll that I picked up for a buck at a yard sale....I just finished this top hat yesterday.... so far its my favorite.
Here is a closer look. The feathered brooch is made using a necklace pendant that I cut the round loop off of-- it is actually upside down. I added the black iridescent feathers to the piece and a pin back and stuck it on the hat. The feathers have a green iridescence to them... at different angles they turn green! Lastly, a top hat I didn't make. I bought this heavy felt top hat for $2 at a thrift store. I added the green velvet ribbon and the beaded piece this morning. Nothing like the last minute! The old hat form I picked up for $5 at a thrift store!
Who knew cardboard boxes could look so cute huh? You can see other decorated top hats over at Kecia's blog Lemoncholys.

Steady Pace...

I've been keeping a pretty steady pace working on a few things for Christmas... I made a chair out of plastic canvas for my grandaughter to play with-with her Barbies. I think it turned out super caute... I'm in the process of working on the matching couch.I also finished a Sesame street fleece blanket for my grandaughter.... these fleece blankets whip up so fast when you crochet around the edges. I've still got to start/finish the spider man fleece blanket for my grandson. Wouldn't you know it? now he tells me he likes Batman instead of Spider Man... I'm hoping that he'll swing back around to liking Spider Man by Christmas! I use an eyelet tool to punch holes every 1/2 inch around the fleece to crochet a finished edge to each blanket. I put up my Christmas tree--- not over the moon loving it-- but whoop-dee-doo........ it'll doooooo~ My beloved cat Charlie is sitting on the green chair :-)I saw these candy cane seeds in a magazine and made a few... I think they are so darn cute~ So many fun things to make...so little time!

Sipping in Style~

I bought these blue "design your own mugs" at our local Dollar Tree. They had them in red, green and blue. Wouldn't they be great gifts for kids to decorate/design as gifts for grandparents? I bought four--- I had twelve in my cart at one time. I know... When we were at the exclusive Club 33 at Disneyland my hubby bought a $25 dollar coffee mug. Who does that? While he was over the moon with the mug-- I was over the moon with the vellum like tissue paper stamped with Club 33 in gold...... The paper had wrinkles in it.... *sigh* so I had to wrinkle all of it to match. Then I ironed it flat-- I think it ended up looking like wrinkled linen.
Next time we go to Disneyland, my two grandkids will be sipping in style~

Happy Thanksgiving~

enough said~

Candy cane season~

Tis the season for candy canes.... I make these every year, I'm sure everyone has seen these around for ages... Candy cane mice~ Some candy cane cats~New this year... Candy Cane Poinsettias! These are my favorite.What to do with the broken candy canes??? Well, make them into "puzzles" of course!I've linked up over at Seven Thirty Three for the Sugar & Spice post number 38~

Turkey finger puppets~

I made 20 turkey finger puppet/sucker covers for thanksgiving. Boy are my fingers sore. The basic pattern I used as the base to create these from, was the pumpkin finger puppets I made last month. It is my intention to make finger puppets each month for a whole year-- for my grandson to pass out to his friends at his preschool. Eeek... thats 240 finger puppets! Hmmm I think I'll whip up twenty-one so I can have a set of 12 to enter in the local fair next year... why not! Whats 12 more.... um, thats 252-- not that I'm counting! I think they turned out kinda caute~
Here is the pattern I made up for the turkey's feathers--- if anyone is interested. You can find the pattern for the main part of the finger puppet here.

With orange yarn, working only in the back stitches of the two joined circles... Sl st yarn at one side of the opening of the turkey (at the bottom) ch 4, sl st in second ch from hook and in the next 2 chains. Sc in the next 4 stitches and then ch 4, sl st in second chain from hook and in next 2 chains. Repeat all the way around, you should have 6 orange feathers around the backside of the 2 joined circles.

With yellow yarn slip stitch in the front of the orange using the stitches on the top circle only. Sl st the first stitch, sc next two stitches, ch 4 sl st in second chain from hook and the next 2 chains. Repeat around the edge of the top circle. You should have 5 yellow feathers when your finished.
Once the feathers are finished you add a felt body, wiggly eyes and a little beak. Easy-peasy! Next months finger puppet is going to be a "red-nosed reindeer"

Mixed Media Monday

The challenge theme for Mixed Media Monday is: boxes. I was lucky to find two vintage boxes of tinsel this past weekend at a church rummage sale for .25¢ each. I repurposed one for this challenge. I reinforced the entire box with a thin layer of cardboard as the original boxes were flimsy. I made the three printed ornaments on the box into 3 dimensional ornaments using the full depth of the box which is 3/4 of an inch. I used the vintage tinsel garland that was in the box along with other shiny silver glittered things. Of course, I had to toss in sweet Pete, I love that little fella~Here is what the box was leaning against. This used to be the base of a lamp. I bought it --shells included for only $5. I cut the cord, pulled out the metal rod and wires... painted and distressed the base of the lamp.... used some E600 glue and glued the base onto the glass bottom. Easy-peasy. The hardest part was finding the glass knob for the top. I found a curtain rod with a huge round crystal at the end at a yard sale for .25¢, I think it looks fabulous. I lurve it!